Ashes of the Past
by Saphroneth
Summary: Time travel, based on the Anime.  So, the world ended. That's bad news. Who best to get to fix it? Well, there is this guy with a track record in world saving...  Not entirely serious. T rating may be overdoing it.
1. Prologue: Laid out in Black and White

Ash Ketchum, of Pallet town (and he never tired of reminding people of that), was confused. He seemed to be floating in nothingness, with no reference point.

He couldn't remember at first how he got there.

When he tried to cast his mind back, he found a strange thing happening – rather than recall his most recent memories, his mind raced back to his earliest days, as if his whole life were being played out in fast forward.

A few things stood out, being seen in the mind's eye more vividly. The first time he saw a Pokémon, at barely two years of age, when Professor Oak – taking care of him when Ash's mother was shopping - was called away suddenly and Ash, Gary and Daisy were left under the supervision of his distinguished old Arcanine, a gentle Pokémon, but a terror in battle decades before when Samuel Oak was the League Champion.

Only reviewing this long forgotten past now did Ash truly realize that he had felt things differently. Other people, he knew, would feel the heat running under the Fire Pokémon's fur. But few would feel the surging, volcanic power – that could blast a house into flinders – just from being near.

Ash hadn't mentioned it at the time, or later. He simply assumed that was what people felt. But now, he had some inking of understanding.

_Aura_, he thought. _I can feel its Aura. The gentle amusement, the tiny little part of its mind always on the ready for danger._ _It's just like that Riolu… what, last year? Can't have been long…_

The memory dissolved, and his life played itself out again, perhaps a little slower than before.

* * *

><p>The time he was five, at Cinnabar island on the black sand beaches, and a snatch of haunting song floated through the air.<p>

_I know that music… but how? What would Lugia have been doing this far north of Shamouti? Could it be because of me?_

* * *

><p>Eight, playing – well, more in the manner of one big argument with Gary about something or other – in the copse of trees at the end of the road that led to the sea, and a glimpse of something in the trees. Barely a flash, but the memory stopped. And Ash marvelled. This was not what he had expected to find in his childhood.<p>

For what was unmistakably _Suicune_ was in the underbrush, observing for but a moment.

The memory moved on, and the legendary Pokémon vanished in a blue blur.

The Ash of the past had dismissed it as imagination, but the Ash who had ridden the north wind's master – albeit for only a short time – knew it was no mere childish figment.

* * *

><p>He saw his dreams as well now, running through each night in barely a second, but the pattern was becoming clear now he saw them in succession. Ash dreamed of Pokémon. Only those he had seen, and touched, himself – but in incredible detail, every night without fail.<p>

His suspicions were confirmed when his memory passed one sad night in November, the year before he had set off on his journey, when Oak's old Arcanine had passed away in its' sleep. At nearly fifty, it had had a good run, but it had been a noble friend and the town was saddened by its' loss.

And Ash no longer dreamed of Arcanine.

* * *

><p>"…a strong link, don't you think…"<p>

…_continue…_

* * *

><p>The pace of his memories was now slow enough that he could catch everything that happened, but still fast enough to cross entire days in under a minute. And the memories now were mostly very happy ones.<p>

When he first met Pikachu, what he only now recognised as a link forming between the two of them, gym battles, meeting all his Pokémon, their successes together… He saw his Pidgeot with a guilty start – he had all but forgotten his promise to come back for her.

Then something he did not remember before now.

He watched the events of the first meeting with Mewtwo in shock. Had he really done all that? Had he… died? Come back? It was so strange to see, though it explained the unusual behaviour of Mewtwo when they met later.

* * *

><p>There were few enough surprises in the rest of his life, only things he couldn't quite remember from adrenaline at the time, now seen crystal clear.<p>

_Did I really do all that? Wield Aura and attack like a Pokémon? Survive all those falls from great heights? Get possessed?_

His action packed last few years ran past his mind's eye until they reached the present.

There had been a heavy feeling to the Isshu air, like something was distorting it, twisting it out of shape. A sense of falling in all directions at once, the group panicking as the world tore itself apart around them.

Then-

This.

"So."

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but at one remove from when he had heard it before.

"What do you think?"

_He will suffice._

"Aw, come on! The kid's a natural. More so than I ever was."

_If he is to be of the greatest use, you will have to train him._

"Can't argue with that."

The voice was getting nearer, if distance held meaning in this place.

_One week. I cannot hold the separation much longer than that and still do the deed._

"It'll be enough. Like I said, he's a natural."

Ash looked around, and was surprised to find he was standing on some surface now, where none had been before.

But all his confusion fled – along with other coherent thoughts – when he saw the originator of the voice.

Sir Aaron of Cameran, Hero of the Wave, stood there in the formless place, fully dressed in his last outfit from life and with a crooked smile upon his face.

"So, Ash Ketchum. It's nice to meet you at last."

Ash can be forgiven for spending the next few minutes gaping like a fish.

* * *

><p>"So, what you're telling me is that… the world ended?"<p>

"Right in one."

Ash and Sir Aaron were sitting in nothingness, having an incongruous little chat.

"From what I was told, this Cyrus person made another grab for Dialga, Palkia and Giratina, and succeeded this time. He tried to get them to remake the world in his own image." The ancient knight chuckled. "Crazy as hell, but the plan at least was utter genius. So the universe began to shake out of control, and that's when the boss showed up."

"Who's this boss?"

"All in good time, Ash. Now, I believe that little show pointed out a few things. Among them, that you are very good at using Aura. So good, in fact, all you need is a little training and you'd have been a shoo-in for the Aura Guardians. I've been asked to give you that training."

"But… what's the point, then, if the world ended?"

"All in good time, I said, and I meant it. Now, do you understand what these gloves of mine do?"

"I know they make using Aura easier – well, for me anyway – but nothing else."

"That's pretty close. See, they operate by resonance with the natural Aura frequency of the person they were made for, one Sir Aaron. You may have heard of him."

Ash bit back a snort of laughter.

"Hey, I have to advertise somehow. Anyway, the reason you can use them as well is because your frequency is identical to mine. Amazing chance." Laughter flashed for a moment in the ancient knight's eyes. "They not only grant extra power, but also refine your control…"

* * *

><p>It had been a long week.<p>

Sir Aaron had emphasized the subtler, lower powered uses of Aura over the flashy, impressive stuff. Apart from making sure Ash could form an Aura Sphere while using the gloves, the knight had been adamant – use this time to practice the delicate things, as they're what you can do without the gloves and while not on an emotional high.

That said, by the end of the week Ash could form a shield similar to Protect, if only for a few seconds even with the gloves; form and throw an Aura Sphere; detect a familiar mind; see using Aura and feel the thoughts of someone nearby or familiar. This last was the one that seemed to make Sir Aaron most happy, but when asked he repeated what had become his mantra. All in good time.

* * *

><p>Then, after what Ash thought had been almost seven full days awake in a row, Sir Aaron stopped mid sentence and turned to face in a certain direction.<p>

And walking out of the darkness came a Pokémon Ash recognized as unmistakably Arceus. The creator deity, the one who had formed the world and set it spinning.

_He is ready?_

Ash jumped as the sheer presence of the creator washed over him, but his teacher merely nodded. "Yes, easily."

_Very good. Explain to him what I am about to do._

Sir Aaron looked Ash straight in the eye. "The only way that Arceus found to stop this happening was to get someone to stop it before it began. So, to that end, he asked the world beyond – the only place as yet unaffected, but that won't last – whether there was anyone who could be used.

"As it turned out, my friend Lucario thought rather highly of you after the encounter the two of you had at Cameran palace. So he persuaded me and Arceus both to test you. And we have."

"How did you test me?"

"We observed your past. I think you noticed that? And we were both somewhat impressed – it's not everyday someone saves the world, and you managed it a good dozen times or more before age fourteen. Add to the mix your general attitude and your skill with Aura, and the choice was clear.

"We are sending you back to change all this.

"There is a reward, of course – for a start, there is that you know exactly how to manipulate Aura on a fine level now and may practice it up later. Another is that things will likely go easier for you this second time. The third is that you may choose how far back you go. There are more, but I believe Arceus is ready."

_Indeed I am. I have created a second Dialga. It has the task of sending you back, however far you want to go._

Ash barely even had to think about it. "I want to go back to the day my journey began, when I first set off from Pallet."

"Hah! Told you, you great lump."

_I thought 'any day but then' was good odds._

"Were you two betting on me or something?"

"Err… nooo?"

"Somehow I don't believe you."

_Now, Dialga!_

In that second of absolute stillness, Ash thought to himself that using the – a – legendary Pokémon that controlled time to get out of an embarrassing situation really took some beating.

Then there was a roar, and he fell into blackness.

* * *

><p>"Well, that deals with that. What happens next?"<p>

_I admit to some surprise. I had thought the timeline would change instantly._

"Dia?"

"Shush, this is serious. We might be in here for months or years with nothing to entertain ourselves."

_I could always use my massive cosmic power to create a deck of cards._

"Gla! Gla!"

"That is really weird… seeing a controller of time jump around like an excited puppy."

_He's ten minutes old, what do you want? Now quiet. I need to create a few packs. Perhaps some dice, too._

"See if you can get my old friend Lucario as well. We need four for a good game."

_I don't think he's dead yet…now… basically, he's not there._

"Now, that is just somehow unfair…"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

So, yes. Time travel.

This won't be entirely serious, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Ash and his Aura powers came as something of a shock to me when my self imposed hiatus from Pokemon came to an end a year or so ago - specifically that he hadn't developed them. Who wouldn't?

Oh well. That's what fan fiction is for.


	2. Chapter 1

Ash came groggily to awareness in his home bed, one that felt almost unfamiliar after so long on the road one way or another.

_What happened? Did I imagine that last bit? Was I so excited about my trip to Isshu that I made up what I think will happen?_

Then he focused on the calendar.

_Okay. Either I imagined my entire life from the day I got a Pokémon onwards _overnight,_ or I really did time travel. Well, no need to rush, I know there's going to be a Pokémon for me even if I – oh who am I kidding._

Ash jumped out of bed, dressed himself in seconds with whatever was on the floor and dashed off to Oak Labs.

* * *

><p>Luckily, by the time he got there the crowd had somewhat dispersed. Everyone was following Gary, and presumably the other two thoroughly forgettable trainers that had started out from Pallet that day – was Gary driving a sports car? At <em>ten<em>? Some people…

Gary had really improved and become more likeable over the course of the… well, the _next_ few years. But then, so had Ash.

Professor Oak was waiting for him in the Lab.

"Ah, Ash my boy, I see you have-" Here the old man's voice and expression turned sour. "-finally arrived for the start of your Pokémon journey. Though, sorry to say, there aren't many Pokémon left here at the lab. Hardly any, in fact."

Ash tried his best to look disappointed, but his heart was too busy going at a hundred beats a minute. _Hardly any means at least one… And that means…_

"I'm sorry, Professor. I really do want to get going, honest. I just overslept – couldn't get to sleep last night, you know how it goes."

"Indeed I do. Well, I did at any rate, as you get older it becomes less likely you get worked up about such things. But you may be disappointed, the only Pokémon left in the entire lab is this wild Pikachu I caught barely a week ago when it tried to eat the power cables."

Ash was cracking up inside. _Power cables! Oh, no wonder Pikachu didn't want to talk about it!_

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Professor. I mean, I wouldn't be much of an awesome trainer if I couldn't handle something little like that!"

"Ah, the awesome factor. To be young…" Professor Oak handed over the Poké ball.

Ash immediately opened it up and caught the electric mouse as it formed.

He couldn't help it. Even if this Pikachu remembered nothing of their time together, the trials they had faced together… it was still the same Pokémon he would come to, yes, love like a brother. His mind raced through everything the two had been through together…

And as he contacted Pikachu, the little yellow rodent glomped him.

Ash's now trained Aura senses opened the link and he realized something – somehow, impossibly, Pikachu remembered. Every day they had spent together was as vivid to the other as it was to him.

A suspicion came over him, even as he stood back up from where the tackle had flattened him, a huge grin on his face.

Maybe this was what Sir Aaron had meant about another reward. He wouldn't be alone.

"Well, Professor, I think you may have been exaggerating about how difficult this Pikachu was to handle!"

"I certainly thought I wasn't. You have a true talent with Pokémon, Ash."

_If only you knew…_

Then Ash had a thought. Samuel Oak, or "Sam" certainly _did _know that this Pikachu would eventually become close to him, the only question was how soon. What would have happened the first time had Ash got up early? Would Oak have hidden the other Pokémon to preserve the timeline?

_Time travel makes my head hurt…_

* * *

><p>Outside a small crowd was assembled to see Ash off. Nothing like the hordes of vaguely disturbing cheerleaders that followed Gary around all over the place, but a nice send off nonetheless.<p>

"Oh, Ash! Here's your bag. You forgot it when you left in such a rush this morning."

"Hehe, thanks. Sorry about that… I think I broke my alarm clock…"

"Well, you won't need it for a while anyway, if you're off on a journey now, will you." Delia Ketchum was by this point a little choked up, and searched for a distraction. "Er… where _is_ your Pokémon? I don't see a Poké ball."

Pikachu stuck his head up from where he was clinging onto Ash's back. "Pi!"

"Heh, I don't think I'll be keeping any Pokémon in their balls unless they ask me to. It doesn't seem right somehow…"

It was a recent decision to be sure, but Ash felt it was the right one. His Pokémon seemed a lot happier outside their balls for the most part.

Come to think of it, what were the League regulations on maximum number of Pokémon? Was it six with you, or just six per battle, per gym, or per day? It would be good to know.

While he made small talk with the crowd, Pikachu had taken the bag from Ash's mum and was carefully slotting it onto Ash's shoulders.

"Thanks, Pikachu. I appreciate – whoah!"

Pikachu had jumped onto the bag now and was sitting on it, pointing imperiously towards Viridian city.

"Well, I suppose I'd better get going. He's even more eager for adventure than I am."

* * *

><p>It was about halfway from Pallet to Viridian when Ash swung his pack off his shoulders, sat down, and motioned to Pikachu to do the same.<p>

"Guess you're kind of wondering what happened, right?"

Pikachu answered in the affirmative. Ash sighed.

"I'm not entirely clear myself. But… well, remember what happened at Cameran castle, and then with that Riolu and the Pokémon Ranger?"

Pikachu nodded again.

"Seems that I'm _really_ good at using Aura, especially for a human. Basically, I got sent back in time to stop the end of the world by the creator of the universe, and that – the Aura – is why I got picked. No idea how come you have your memories of the future, but…well, we can wonder that later. For now, we need to think about what to do next. We need to visit Cameran castle to pick up Sir Aaron's gloves, which will make it a lot easier on me, but if we walk there we'll have to beat Brock first. And I don't know if I _can _bring myself to catch Pokémon I didn't know… before."

Pikachu thought for a second, before asking if Ash couldn't just catch the same Pokémon again.

"And how do you expect me to recognize them, especially if they look just the same as other Pokémon?"

By way of answer, Pikachu covered his eyes, before saying something that Ash translated as 'Aura sight, you fool!'

After a few seconds simply staring, Ash facepalmed and focussed. When he felt the sensation rise up in his eyes, he closed them.

It was the first time using it in the real world. It was breathtaking.

He could see the world, but that was a thing of outlines in grey and black. More importantly, he could see _life_.

Every tree had a faint green glow around it, and a few stronger points of browner green light indicated what he thought to be Pokémon in the trees. Perhaps they were bugs… the colour presumably had some significance. Pikachu was a blinding yellow that hurt to look at. He would have to test this later.

But there was another bright light, a purplish blue glimmer, moving towards Viridian city from behind him. Presumably still a way off, but there it was. It somehow drew his eye… Perhaps that was Misty, on her as of yet undestroyed bike.

Well, looked like she was an hour or so away. May as well get started on something else that was bothering him.

Opening his eyes, which were momentarily bright blue as the power faded from then, he looked across at Pikachu, who had sat down in the meantime.

"Okay, Pikachu. Something I think you should learn, if you want to."

"Pi?"

"The ability and skill to manipulate Aura, of course. Partly because teaching this sort of thing helps the teacher learn as well, partly because it's genuinely useful in all sorts of ways, but mostly because that way you can beat up Rock types."

Pikachu's eyes glistened as he turned to fully face his trainer.

* * *

><p>"Okay, close your eyes, breathe evenly. Now, pay close attention to this feeling."<p>

Ash was kneeling in front of his first Pokémon, who was sitting cross legged on the bulge around the roots of a tree along the path.

As he sPoké, he put his hands on Pikachu's, and then channelled at first a tiny amount of Aura, gradually increasing it until the glow was clearly visible.

"Can you feel it? Good. Now, I want you to focus only on that feeling. Pay as much attention to it as you possibly can. Don't worry if it changes, just make sure you can still feel that thrill of power in your hands. Are you paying enough attention? You should be. You are. Good, that's right. Has it stopped changing? Then open your eyes."

Pikachu lazily cracked an eyelid and looked at the glow around his hands. It was yellow, which was interesting. Hadn't it been blue?

Then he noticed Ash was about six feet away. On that realization, the glow died as he startled out of the meditative state.

Ash was grinning from ear to ear.

"Now you know you can do it."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Pikachu could reliably form his Aura outside his body, albeit only as a surface effect.<p>

"Good. Even being able to form Aura means your attacks will be a great deal more potent – it's half the secret of the power of a Legendary Pokémon, that they have good Aura control." Ash chuckled. "In fact, the Eeveelutions have a natural production of a tiny amount of Aura. That's why they have such good focus on their elements. Now, the next step is to try and reduce the effects of your natural element of electricity. When it's a neutral Aura with nothing attached, that's when it's the blue I had. That's the most useful type of any one, and it opens the door to further type compositions. So while you learn to produce untyped Aura, I'm going to be trying to add a type to mine. I'll start with electricity myself, because you're readily available for me to check against. But I think first a little practice on something else. Throw a Thundershock at me."

"Pi?"

"Trust me."

Pikachu nodded dubiously, and threw a tiny electric shock at Ash. It hit, but barely made him twitch.

"Come on! Something bigger, you know I've handled Thunderbolts before!"

The next shock was more in line with the Thundershock – on their original first day together.

"More! Come on, I'm asking for it!"

Ash was electrocuted about a dozen times a minute for the next half hour, always insisting they keep going over Pikachu's protests.

He ended up looking like he was about to drop from exhaustion.

"Come – _huff_ – on! One more time!"

Pikachu was really worried now, Ash couldn't even keep his eyes open. What was he doing?

"Just – _huff_ – one more, then we – _phew_ – call it quits. Okay?"

"Ka."

The sizzling bolt of electricity flashed towards Ash – and was turned aside by a green shimmer in front of him, arcing off towards the left.

"Yes!" Ash's fatigue seemed to evaporate. "I knew I could do it! I just need to see where it's coming from – and that means Aura Sight!"

The sudden celebration and Pikachu's realization that Ash was trying to make sure he could manage Protect still were cut off by a shriek from the road.

Ash covered his face with his hands.

"We just blew up Misty's bike, didn't we."

Pikachu nodded. "Pi…"

* * *

><p>The young gym leader was lying in a heap in the road with the bike collapsed around her. The tyres had been exploded and at least some of the structure looked bent.<p>

_Oh, man, it's worse than last time._

If he were the age he was immediately before the time jump, he would have been getting thoroughly flustered over meeting Misty again. Now, though, there was none of that. One good thing about getting younger was that it meant you didn't have to handle puberty for a year or three.

"Can I help you up?"

Misty looked at the boy and his Pikachu over where she had heard the offer.

Her eyes narrowed. _So that's where the lightning came from._

"Why should I accept your help when you did this in the first place?"

Ash looked abashed. "Well, it was an accident… and I feel kinda guilty… It feels like my responsibility, right?"

She huffed. "Fine. But you better pay for this!"

"Story of my life…"

"What was that?"

"I don't know what you were talking about. Now, take my hand and I'll pull you up."

On touching the young boy's gloves, Misty had the most amazing experience. Several years' worth of life flowed into her memory, and a light static charge passed into her, tingling at her belt where the Poké balls were as well.

Misty, reacting instinctively, punched Ash onto the floor.

"Okay, Ash! What the hell just happened!"

Ash grinned up at her, unfazed. "What just happened is that, as far as you're concerned, you travelled back in time and so did I. There's more to it, but that's the simple version."

Misty considered this. She was indeed younger than she had been (_nooo!)_, only had three Pokémon (_if anything, worse)_ and was barely outside Pallet Town.

"Okay, spill it. Why, how and why you?"

"The world apparently ended. Some nutcases called Team Galactic tried to take over the world by rebuilding it from the ground up with Dialga and Palkia. Arceus picked me to go back because I was the chosen one, good with Aura-"

"With _what?_"

Ash stopped for a second. "I'll be willing to demonstrate, and indeed have a go at teaching you, just let me finish first. Anyway, Arceus got another Dialga to throw me back in time to this morning – and apparently I can restore the memories of others of the future. Now, this is Aura."

Ash closed his eyes for a second, and held out a palm. A thin, pale blue fire glowed there for a moment.

"I'm still not really any good with the big stuff, I was more taught how to train than trained, but I know how – well, where – to get the big power and control boost I need."

"Right. Ash is somehow magic." She shrugged. "Seen stranger things travelling with you weirdness magnets. So… we're saving the world?"

"Pi!"

"Brilliant. So much for _my_ plans for the decade."

"Not necessarily. I can do the memory thing on any Pokémon – or apparently person – I spent enough time with. Think of it as: you start where you were before the whole mess happened, and you get to go on from there."

"Well… I suppose that makes sense. So what now?"

"Now we try to make it to Viridian before that storm gets here."

Misty looked round. Sure enough, there was a thunderstorm on the horizon.

It was a good few miles to Viridian, and last time she hadn't made it on the bike before the storm caught her.

"Damnit, now I'm going to get wet! This is your fault Ash!"

"Misty?" Ash waited until she was looking at him. "You're a water trainer who spent three hours with a rebreather once."

"Okay, so maybe it's not as much of a problem, but still! Besides, that's a thunderstorm and I don't like lightning."

"Ah well. Things get to worst, apparently Pikachu can deflect lightning bolts, so we'll be OK."

* * *

><p>The walk to Viridian, even through the thunderstorm, was surprisingly pleasant for Ash without the horde of rampaging psychotic Spearow from last time. Though the occasional flare of yellowblue across the sky was a slightly less pleasant reminder of how close he was repeatedly coming to wholesale electrocution.

Huh. Strange. Those bolts weren't being deflected so much as bounced right back into the clouds.

After a few hours and a stonker of a storm, the rain slowed to a drizzle, then vanished completely.

Ash was now looking up at the clearing sky in anticipation.

"Ash, what are you-"

"Ssh. I'm looking for a legendary I first saw on this exact day, one timeline ago. Look out for a whacking great phoenix headed west."

"Phoenix? Ash, are you sure-"

"I am very sure. Ho-oh, that's what it is. And I met it later on too – just after you and Brock left."

"How convenient."

"I swear! It flew overhead, right about now!"

_I see you have come into your power, Chosen One._

Ash froze. "Misty, did you just say that?"

Misty replied, similarly unmoving. "I was about to ask you."

Without moving a muscle on their upper bodies, the two turned to see an _enormous_ Pokémon in the shallow valley to the east of the ridge the road rested on.

_I am surprised. Last time my Suicune checked on you, bare months ago, you showed no real sign of what you could inherit. And here you are flaring your Aura with a strength I could have felt clear from Tin Tower._

_So, Ash Ketchum of the line of Cameran, why has this change occurred?_

Misty staggered over to lie down on the grass. Pikachu was looking confused – he'd believed in Ash, of course, they'd both seen Ho-Oh before – but had not expected the current course of events.

Ash was utterly flabbergasted.

"The line of WHAT?"

_There is much to tell, and little enough time to do it. I request a mental link._

"Ergh… Yeah, sure. That needs contact, right?"

_Correct._

The huge right wing moved forwards.

_Simply take one of the feathers, that will suffice._

Ash reached out to the Rainbow Wing.

The world fell away.

* * *

><p><em>Colour<em> surrounded Ash, as once more he became a mere viewpoint, looking upon something he could not understand… though there was something about it…

_Thought _was what it was, he realized. He was seeing the mind of the Legend of the Storm's End, a humbling experience. But there seemed to be some kind of message meant, perhaps, for him. He concentrated-

_History._ A few thousand people, dressed in archaic outfits and many of them armed, kneeling before an assemblage of all the legendary Pokémon Ash had ever seen – except for the Isshu pantheon – and apparently pledging themselves to aid their nation's protectors.

_These are the Chosen, who defined these islands as a contiguous whole. They all possessed gifts that allowed them unusual skill._

_War._ Battles, from the time of the Jomon to the Meiji restoration. Pokémon, in roles not as companions, but as warriors, shock troops, medics, cavalry.

True battles of the type the formalized sport bore little resemblance to.

And everywhere, the Chosen or other heroic figures in the vanguard.

_Peace. _Man and Alakazam climbing to the top of a mountain, to meet an aged priest there, a venerable figure seeming to radiate an inner tranquillity.

_The man is another of the Chosen's descendants. They were the most powerful, most skilled, the servants of their people._

A flash of movement. The sight of a great flood, and of a strong man pushing, pulling, cajoling and carrying vulnerable Pokémon to safety. The… memory?.. showed everything, even to the man losing strength as the cold sapped his muscles, slipping into the water having saved every other man, woman, child and Pokémon in the path of the flood.

_But every line is vulnerable._

_The champions died most often, it was the nature of their calling._

_Once, every city had one or more. Now, there is often only a single one of the warrior Chosen across an entire island. Johto and Kanto are bereft but for the Dragon Tamers, Hoenn has only the Stone clan, and Sinnoh is overseen by but a single person._

_I must beg of you, as one of the heirs. Do you wish to join this elite brotherhood?_

Ash was overwhelmed by the news. _"So… why me specifically?"_

_You are of the line of the knights of Cameran castle. Few know it, the line of descent has lost much of its' power and lore over the centuries, never truly recovering after the loss of Sir Aaron. Your father found out, at the end, but died in the discovering. It was he who broke the great wave that threatened to sweep away the inhabitants of Pacifidlog._

_I am sorry if discovering this truth causes you pain. I had not thought of the effect it might have._

"_No, it's kinda nice. To know that he was… well, a hero. To know that he didn't leave by choice… I always feared that."_

_You have a noble heart. And I feel that you have already accepted this destiny. Very well, now there is one more issue to handle. Do you know what a Poké ball does to those it captures, that can never be undone?_

"_Er… never undone… oh! It makes it so that the Pokémon can't be caught again! Because that stops people stealing them!"_

_Correct. So, I ask this. Catch me in one of your Poké balls, then release me again and let me go on my way. Then do the same with others of the legendary pantheons who request it of you. You are a good man, and we will be safe in this way from those who would seek to chain us._

There was the sense of a grin's reflection, ethereal in the shared world. _And who knows. We might pitch in from time to time. Imagine the spectacle at a contest!_

"_So… is that sort of thing why I occasionally saw people with legendary Pokémon in Hoenn or Sinnoh?"_

_Same principle, they're presumably well trusted. To be honest, were it not for their duties Pokémon like the Shamouti Lugia would have followed you to whatever end._

_But enough. Time marches on, and you have work to do – as do I. But rest assured, I and mine will do whatever we can for your cause. There is, after all, not often a time someone will be able to legitimately say "Arceus told me to do it."_

And with that, the link faded.

* * *

><p>"Wow…"<p>

"Piii…"

To those outside less then a second had passed, but they saw quite the impressive blue/gold light show for the brief contact time there was.

Then it was gone.

Ash stumbled as he got used to controlling his body again.

_Do you accept this charge, Chosen one?_

He looked almost weary for a moment…then pulled himself up again. "Sure! After all, it's not as if I have nothing to show for it this time, so why should I not do something I did before?"

_An admirable attitude. And now, the Poké ball?_

"Oh, sorry." Ash took out one of his Poké balls from Oak and tossed it at Ho-Oh. The Poké ball did its work and lay there unmoving, at least until Ash picked it up and promptly released the Phoenix Pokémon.

_My thanks. And fare thee well._

The trio gazed at the majestic _fenghuang_ as it took to the air and winged off to the west, headed for Ecruteak and the Tin Tower.

Well, at least until Ash jerked as if stung and clawed his Pokédex out of his jacket. "Damn it, I can't believe I forgot! Professor Oak'll have to believe me this time!"

He pointed the scanner at the receding Ho-Oh.

No data. There are still Pokémon yet to be- Ash hit the machine with the palm of his hand. Bzzrt…Compiling…New program structure successfully loaded. Analyzing… Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon. Sometimes called the Guardian of the Skies, or the Storm's End. Legends claim this Pokémon flies the world's skies continuously on its magnificent seven-coloured wings. It is said that those who see Ho-Oh are promised an eternal happiness.

Accessing… Total remaining Pokémon in National Dex: Two. Conjecture is that they are evolved forms of Porygon. Forme database also still incomplete.

Ash, Misty and Pikachu stared at the little red machine.

"I'd say you broke it… but it seems to contain all the stuff we haven't done yet. How is the professor going to take this?"

"Eh, he's time travelled before, he'll come around. And if he doesn't, we'll just convince his past self in a year or two."

Ash paged though the various pictures of Pokémon that had been recorded for the database, from the bland images of things like Weedle, to Charizard posing against the backdrop of Ash with his hair on fire, to the Phanpy that Ash had raised, to the somewhat startling image of Mew and Mewtwo firing great blasts of energy at one another… and Ash, frozen in the act of running into the middle.

"I don't remember that one. Hey, Ash! Do you remember apparently committing suicide by legendary?"

"Well, when I was getting the short version of my own life something like that turned up…" Ash scratched his head. "But I don't see why I wouldn't recall, it seems kind of important."

Nobody does. The Mewtwo (the Genetic Pokémon) in the picture wiped everyone's minds. But I am electronic, and unaffected.

"_Ash, you did remember to clear the cache on that thing once in a while, right?"_

Ash was looking a little frazzled. "I'll be happy to answer that in a second, Pikachu, right after we find out why I just understood that!"

Pikachu was not coping all that well himself. "Ka-Pi?"

"Yeah, I did hear the thing about the cache, it's just I don't know _how_. Unless it's another thing with Aura, like how I could hear some of the thoughts of that Riolu in Sinnoh."

Pikachu frowned in concentration. _"That's probably it. I mean, you already awakened my Aura to some degree, maybe that pushes it over the edge into communication."_

"I heard that one as well! Wow, this is awesome!"

Ahem. And yes, that is correct. Normally this would never happen, but then most computers aren't involved in half the stuff that fills the average week for you crazy people. And with no cache clears, I developed a personality. Good thing too, as it means you've essentially done your duty to the Professor and can do other stuff without feeling guilty.

"This is going to be weird…"

"_Tell me about it."_

Misty had wandered off to where Ho-Oh had been. "Hey, guys, look!"

She was holding a rainbow-hued feather, and a small drawstring bag.

* * *

><p>"Sacred ash… how ironic."<p>

"Shut up, Misty."

"It's perfect! I didn't even see the joke before you mentioned what it's called."

"Please, stop. I have enough trouble knowing an ancient prophecy has a _pun on my name_ in it, let me retain a shred of dignity."

"Oh! I just thought, if we're doing everything again that means…"

"What _now?_"

"You're going to be turned into a Pokémon! Oh, and have to crossdress a few times."

Ash slumped over the sign proclaiming the city limits of Viridian. "Why me, Arceus? Couldn't someone else have been stuck with this?"

Misty was unrepentant. "Because you have a stupid impossible childhood dream most likely, now get going! It's almost dark!"

* * *

><p>Ash and Misty walked into the Viridian Pokémon centre. Misty immediately went off to have some time with her Pokémon – and would shortly discover, much to her surprise, that all three had been included in the memory transfer – while Ash headed straight for the computer terminal.<p>

"Pikachu, can you make sure the Rockets haven't turned up yet?"

"_Of course. Be nice to see them again, really… Hopefully they won't waste years of all our lives trying to catch me in one of those horrid Poké balls again, though!"_

"You're telling me…"

Ash was of course familiar with the way the phones worked this time and was the one to place the call to Pallet, rather than the other way around.

"Ah, Ash my boy!"

Ash felt faintly embarrassed. "Professor… the other camera."

Oak looked round, startled, then brought up the correct camera.

"Eh-herm. Sorry. Anyway, what news, Ash? I take it you made it to Viridian alright. No problems along the way?"

"None at all. And I wish to report on the Pokédex project."

"Well done, my boy! Progress so soon? I hope you found more than Gary. Apparently he accidentally caught a Spearow flock leader and they nearly outflew his car, so he didn't have time even to scan a Ratatta!"

"I have a little more than that, thanks." Ash grinned at the private joke. And, for that matter, the news that the incredibly psychotic Spearow was now Gary's problem. "But first off, I want to tell you something of the utmost importance."

"I'm sure it's not as big a deal as you make it out to be, I mean, things always seem important at ten. But when you grow up, they're not as big a deal as you thought."

Ash dropped the easy humour that he'd developed over the past few years with those he was familiar with. "I know about Celebi."

It was interesting, watching a world famous researcher choke and fall off his chair.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes, the conversation resumed. Oak was holding a flask that seemed a little too likely to hold something alcoholic for Ash's taste… but then, everyone had their vices.<p>

"Dear lord. Time travel?"

"Well, it didn't actually involve Celebi, but yes. There was indeed time travel. As far as things go, mentally I'm about fifteen, and have saved the world a minimum of nine times. If this works, it'll make ten, irrespective of all the things I'll stop twice."

Oak took another pull from the flask. "I wouldn't believe you… but in my case that'd be hypocritical."

"I remember that. Tell me, if I got up first were you planning on hiding the other starters?"

Oak looked even more evasive. "Actually, the Charmander hasn't been taken yet. That trainer slept in… stayed up all last night… I hope she gets up tomorrow."

"Right." Ash slid his Pokédex into the peripheral slot. "Transfer all the information, if you please."

The lot?

"Yeah, may as well."

Professor Oak was glaring at his hip flask and occasionally shaking it.

"Okay, next question. What's the League limit on the Pokémon someone can have with them at one time – and what are the specifics?"

The professor looked thoughtful. "I think it says that all battles must use only up to six Pokémon at a time… but in practice since the belts with the Poké ball supports can't take more than six, people don't carry any that are over that limit."

"Right, not going along with that custom. I'm taking everyone with me I can, I don't want to leave anyone behind who doesn't want to be."

Actually, I think if I got a satellite uplink then you could use the transfer system at any time! That might help.

"Okay. Next, when is the next tournament at Cameran Castle? I have business there, and fairly urgent at that."

Professor Oak was by now discovering that a motivated Ash ran roughshod over just about anything in his way. From jumping into a clash of two of the most powerful Pokémon on the planet to hurling one of those same Pokémon into a lake to save it, Ash was not one to mess around, that was for sure.

"Er, hang on. The professor typed away furiously at his keyboard. "There we are, it's in about two weeks. Do you want me to enter you?"

"That would be great. And can you also look up the articles on claiming one's inheritance here in Kanto?"

Pikachu looked over from his vigil at the door. _"You do not do anything halfway, Ash."_

"Well, we all knew _that_."

"Did… did I miss something?"

"Eh, Pikachu and I are now mutually telepathic. It happens."

Thankfully for the professor, Ash's Pokédex let out the chime that meant it was finished uploading.

All done! Don't stay up too late looking at them!

"Okay. And I'll get back to you on the other stuff."

"Thanks, professor."

Ash stretched, and grabbed his Pokédex back from the computer.

"Any sign of them yet?"

"_Not that I can see."_

"Right." Ash pulled his cap back and shut his eyes.

_There._ They were somehow obvious in Aura sight, glowing in a more intense way than those nearby. Perhaps this was because he held their memories?

In any case, it was time to put the plan into action.

"Pikachu, with me."

"_You got it."_

* * *

><p>"Well, are we all ready?" Gloved hands twirled a rose in intricate patterns.<p>

"You bet, guys! Dis time we'll do even better than before!"

As should be clear already, this was Team Rocket. And "Before" was when they completed their last successful mission. They stole a sleeping Caterpie.

Not much… but better than they ever get around Ash, that's for sure.

"So many injured Pokémon… all of them for the taking! This was such a good plan!"

"What, ambulance chasing?" James snarked.

"Shut up, this works!"

"Hey." The gang members looked up to see a young boy in front of them, a Pikachu riding on his shoulder. "I want a word with you."

"You? Talk to us? Sorry, we're far too classy for that."

Ash grinned. "Perhaps it'd help if I told you I know you're Team Rocket members, and that you plan on stealing all the injured Pikachu that overloaded in the storm?"

"Well, dat seems about right."

"How dare you!"

James looked confused. "For that matter, how does he know that? And it's not as if Meowth reveals that he can talk very often, yet this guy seems completely unsurprised."

"Never mind that! Get him, Eka-"

"Thunder wave."

Electricity flooded the alleyway, catching two humans and three Pokémon in its' grip.

Ash moved fast, lightly touching first Ekans, then Jessie, then Meowth, James and Koffing.

As he'd hoped, he had known them easily well enough to complete the transfer.

"Right," he began, even as Ekans and Koffing both began to evolve. _Huh. Seems like it's knowledge rather than physical training that leads to evolution._

"Here's the deal. I need to save the world. That is why I am back in the past, and why I have restored your memories. So, I am considering this to be a permanent truce situation, similar to all the other times the world or a large part of it has been in danger.

"I do, however, know that you're not going to be all that happy with the idea of just leaving off, so: Every week or three, sure, you can try and attack. But we're going to make it look good. You have evolved Pokémon with years of experience, use them. I'm not planning on being a pushover. We want this to look like you're not bumblers, but elite gangsters who are the only ones who stand a chance against me.

"You make it look good, so do I. We're talking about probably doing some damage to the scenery, at that. And of course any other Rockets that I run across I don't hold back against in any way.

"You in?"

Nothing. Then the outer layer of Arbok's skin cracked off and she emerged from the inside with some relief.

"Oh, damn. This was looking so very awesome and such… then I forgot you're still paralyzed."

Jessie jerked violently and started moving again. "Gah, twerp! How could you forget that?"

Meowth gradually fell over, unable to correct himself with the paralysis still gripping him.

James looked thoughtful "So what happens if we catch other Pokémon?"

"If they're ones you used to have, then I'm pretty sure I can do the same to them. If not, then I'm afraid you're out of luck – you'll have to train them the old way. But I for one got best results by caring for my Pokémon."

Meowth was still paralyzed. Arbok seemed concerned for a moment, then reached into Jessie's backpack and pulled out a Paralysis Heal.

"Hey, that's right!" Jessie was almost bouncing on her feet. "We have equipment at the moment! Back in the future we spent everything on elaborate traps, balloons and giant robots."

Ash sighed. "So. Are you willing?"

Meowth looked from his human partners to their Pokémon… then shrugged, and sPoké for all of them.

"Seems ta be the best thing ta do."

"Right. Oh, and James? First suggestion is to find some way to sneak that Growlithe of yours out of his kennel and onto your team, you could really do with some diversity."

"Oh, Growlie… How could I have been so cruel as to forget you…"

Somehow, despite the complete ridiculousness of Team Rocket, despite their behaviour… witnessing it, Ash felt like things were _right_ again.

"Okay, see you in a week or so."

"Wait! What are we going to tell the boss?"

Ash turned to walk away. "Just tell him that you were going to attack the Viridian Pokémon centre, but I made a pre-emptive strike and the chance was lost. It's technically the truth, anyway."

* * *

><p>"Okay, now, think of electricity. Think of storms, power lines, the corona around an antenna, lightning, everything you know that's connected to electricity, and think: left. Left. You want to think of electricity. You want to think of left. You want the two concepts to go together, to flow into one another like they can't be separate in your mind.<p>

Now, keeping that separation there, move your paws apart again. Electricity. Left. Keep thinking that. Left. Electricity. But the other feeling isn't all electric, so you need it in both paws. Keep that pattern. Keep remembering that. And… open your eyes."

Misty watched, amazed, from her side of the room as Ash coaxed Pikachu into separating the natural electric aspect of his Aura from the energy itself. Pikachu's left paw was crackling with intensely yellow lightning, but the right was a shimmering azure blue.

"Remember how that feels… and see if you can replicate it in a minute or so." Ash stood up from his crouch. "Want me to see if we can unlock yours, Misty?"

"Er, no thanks. I'll pass – at least until we have Brock back with us. That will hopefully lessen the number of times you have to do this."

"Not by much… but thanks for thinking of me."

"Heh… What are friends for?"

Behind Ash a small explosion went off. "Oh for… Pikachu, you're meant to do it _slowly _at first!"

"_You never mentioned that."_

"Well, maybe that's because I thought it was obvious!"

"_You? Think going slow is obvious?"_

"True. But still!"

Misty lay back on her bed with a small smile. "I've missed this…"

* * *

><p>Morning broke on a new day in Viridian city. The travellers and their Pokémon got up, stretched, got dressed, went down for breakfast and were abruptly reminded that yesterday's events were <em>not<em> merely a dream, but had actually happened.

Ash, after a few seconds nearly freaking out, remembered some of what Sir Aaron had taught him about emotional control – that is: Recall your purpose, subordinate all to it, and nothing can sway you. That said, don't mind having fun.

Sir Aaron was like that. All serious and staid one minute, then playful the next.

_At least I'm coping better than Misty…_

"Ohgod! Ohgod! We have to go through Viridian Forest! The Bugs, Ash! You know how much I hate… Bugs!"

Ash stifled a grin. _Wonder how Misty would take some of the Pokémon I met in Sinnoh… would a Surskit cause her to short out?_

Regardless of that amusing thought, she was still a friend, so Ash resolved to put her mind at ease.

"For goodness' sake, just teach your Staryu Power Gem or something! Or get a fire type…"

Ash, it should be noted, is not good at setting people at ease.

* * *

><p><em>You understand your duty?<em>

_Yes._

_You know the honour that we are done?_

_I understand._

_You are confident in your ability to fulfil this charge?_

_As confident as any can be._

_Then go, and fair weather speed you on your way._

* * *

><p>AN: Really, I had to. Watching Ash and Pikachu start all over again would have been heartbreaking.<p>

Just because a friendship is forged by life threatening events does not mean that life threatening events are desirable, and without them... well, here we go.

As should be clear, a lot of battles are going to be fairly easy. This is done for humour and a reprise of the series' events, not necessarily epic battle.

And finally... this is in keeping with the way Pokemon works. Who remembers the whole thing with Sam time traveling? He set that up deliberately with Pikachu, don't think he didn't. Probably why he ordered insufficient Pokemon for the new group of trainers-he-knew-since-childhood._  
><em>


	3. Chapter 2

"We are lost."

Ash sighed. "I know."

"We are lost in a forest." Misty continued, twitching.

"Please stop."

"We are lost. In a forest. Full of Bug Type Pokémon. I am quite proud that I have not freaked out already."

"Yeah, I get the point." Ash sighed again, feeling thoroughly weary despite the early hour. "I'm sorry that we're lost. I'm sorry we've been in here for a week. I'm sorry that Sammy from Pallet with the Charmander passed us four days ago. I'm also sorry that you feel a little freaked out whenever Pikachu and I practice."

"Well, can you blame me? You're teaching a Pikachu the skills of a fighting type, and you're trying to learn how to infuse yourself with electricity. Even for you, this is not normal."

"Well, I am also working with him to help his electric attacks…"

"Ash, you're trying to invent an electric version of Hyper Beam! Forgive me if I, a Water type Gym Leader, don't feel too happy about the prospect."

Ash groaned, and sat down, performing another of his periodic Aura Sight scans of the forest, only to be surprised when a gray-green light blazed at the edge of his range.

"I think I see something! It looks like it's another bug type – but it's showing up more brightly than the rest were."

Misty shuddered. _Bugs…_ "I don't understand. Why head towards it, if it's stronger than the others?"

"Well, I _think_ that those who I knew well enough to restore glow brighter – as, indeed, you did last week."

Misty perked up. She hadn't minded Butterfree… it had been very nice – for a-a… bug. And at least he'd evolved quickly. No reasonable girl could consider butterflies creepy. Nobody could… Yeah, she could handle this. Besides, Butterfree only ate fruit…

Ash was already speeding through the forest. "Hey, Ash, wait up!"

* * *

><p>Ash was confronting a difficult moral issue. Well, most trainers wouldn't even consider it something to think about, but Ash had never been particularly usual.<p>

_Should I try to beat Caterpie like last time, so that it's not just pathetic and vaguely sad, or should I get it over with by just having Pikachu use Thunder Wave?_

_Hey, _that_ might work._

"Pikachu, mind firing a Thunder Wave at him as soon as I can point him out?"

"_No need. I remember his scent."_ At Ash's look of confusion Pikachu elaborated._ "I _was_ a wild Pokémon… and anyway humans have among the worst senses of smell of any creature I can think of. It may not be on the level of Odor Sleuth, but smelling things out is a survival skill out here."_

Ash felt vaguely uneasy, as he often did when this sort of topic came up. "I don't really feel comfortable when you casually mention the prospect of death… especially yours. I – you know I care for you."

"_I know. But if it helps, intelligence is a survival skill too. Most of the Pokémon that people actually see are the smarter ones, living in the areas closer to humanity and understanding that the strange non Pokémon aren't all evil, or giants or whatever._

_That said, I would rather be with you than anywhere else. You know that."_

"Thanks, buddy. That means a lot to me."

"_That's why I reminded you. Now, then… there!"_

Yellow, jagged arcs of lightning flashed from the mouse's body, surrounding and immobilizing a certain Caterpie among six on a nearby tree. Ash momentarily closed one eye. "Yep, that's him alright."

"_What do you plan on doing?"_

Ash grinned. "Asking politely."

The trainer walked over to the little bug, and gently touched his antenna. A spark of blue flashed at the contact, light filled the clearing…

And Butterfree flew off the trunk.

"_Hello again, Ash."_

"Okay, what the hell?" Misty had arrived. "Is everyone polyglot these days but me?"

"You're hearing Pikachu and Butterfree, right?"

"Yeah, but still! I thought you had to train a Pokémon in Aura at least somewhat before that happened."

"_I'm already psychic. Butterfree generally are, not sure why."_

"Okay, so what now? Do you want to have a battle, to… I dunno, feel like things are being done properly, or just have me catch you?" Ash asked.

"_I think a battle. I haven't had the chance to show off in a while."_

"Okay. Now, in accordance with ancient custom… _leg it, Misty_!"

The humans dived behind trees just before the blast of a Bug Buzz and a Thunder colliding in mid air, sending a rain of leaves towards the dirt.

"I don't remember your Butterfree being this strong, Ash!" Misty called to him from her tree.

Overhead Butterfree began weaving in a complex pattern, moving faster with each motion, glowing with power. Pikachu, not one to miss a trick, began Charging, further boosting the effect with some of his electric Aura.

"He was strong enough to impress an entire swarm, and he's been presumably protecting them for five years! I have no clue what he can manage!"

* * *

><p>"<em>So, what's that? It looks new."<em>

Butterfree didn't cease the looping dance. _"It's Butterfly Dance, a special technique that relies on repetition to energize the scales. Like it?"_

Pikachu grinned. This was part of what made him follow Ash. The general strength of every one of his Pokémon… you knew you could rely on any of them, and even the boy himself, no matter what.

"_But enough of that. I bet you noticed the problem I have with this elemental matchup, being part Flying type. Well, I have a solution."_

The sun burst through the light cloud cover, forcing Pikachu to squint into the sunlight and throwing off his aim. He wasn't yet good enough to just use Aura Sight instead… and he knew what the sunlight might mean apart from that.

_Brilliant. Incoming Solarbeam… And I can't even make Agility afterimages to dodge, he'll spot the real one in seconds._

_Ah well, improvisation is the name of the game._

_Iron Tail!_

Butterfree opened fire. The Solarbeam didn't even need to charge, simply lensing the sunlight already in the air into a scorching beam of laserlike light.

He was understandably surprised when it bounced back.

Surprised, but no more. The attack was almost nothing against him. But the distraction did allow Pikachu to use his high speed to close in on Butterfree, jumping from trunk to branch to crown and into the air.

"_So you know a few tricks. So do I. This one's called the Counter Shield."_

Butterfree found himself enveloped in a cage of lightning, one centred on the electric mouse. It was one of the genuine innovations Ash and his team had developed in the future.

"_Interesting… one assumes that this means I can't leave?"_ Butterfree was impressed. The level of control required for this sort of thing was nothing to sneeze at, as this function alone was a whole new trapping move.

"_Sorry. Unless you want to be electrocuted. But a battle's a battle."_

"_Damnit… I'm going to have to follow you down, then. I hate it when my opponents are clever."_

"_Don't be like that. Now,"_ Pikachu continued as the two Pokémon dropped back to the forest floor, the electric fence preventing Butterfree from getting the distance he preferred, _"here's another new one. The Volt Tackle."_ The fence shrank to a narrow path, with Pikachu at one end and Butterfree at the other. _ "Do hold still."_

"_Not something I'm planning on, my old friend."_ Butterfree flapped his wings, and the spores and powders of Stun Spore, Sleep Powder and Posionpowder filled the tunnel. _"I'm not giving up, not while I can still fight."_

Pikachu quirked an eyebrow as the Counter Shield spawned a second layer across his fur. _"That's supposed to be effective? Electricity can burn things."_

"_So, that incinerates the spores. Brilliant. My luck hasn't improved."_

"_I thought you were living the dream? Powerful, important, and with a great mate?"_

Butterfree shrugged. _"Still true."_

Yellow aura flared as Pikachu began his charge. Butterfree's antenna twitched irritably.

"_And now you have superpowers. Anything else I missed?"_

The entire clearing lit up with a mighty explosion, and scorch marks from errant lightning appeared on the trees, as the overloaded Volt Tackle ended the fight in the trademark style of those trained by Ash.

Neither of them could move anymore.

"_I'll… ugh… fill you in on the whole save the world thing later."_

"Ash… did Pikachu just use Iron Tail to bounce back a Solarbeam?" Misty asked, not quite trusting her own eyes.

"Yes. Yes, he did." Ash replied.

"Oh, I thought I'd check."

"I think that from now on, I'm merely training them," mused Ash, "if they're this good without me shouting my head off at them in actual battle."

With a thump, a large bird landed next to them, and after a quick check Ash walked over to it.

Yep, it was Pidgeotto. Ash had forgotten the two had been caught so close together.

_Well, at least blind luck is _on_ my side sometimes…_

* * *

><p>Ash had a tearful reunion with Pidgeot, apologizing profusely for leaving her for so long in the Pallet area without ever coming to visit. He'd felt guilty for over a week – ever since being reminded and coming back – and was glad to know that no hard feelings existed. Though he <em>was<em> slightly scared at the sheer power she too had developed, protecting an entire forest for years.

He had to talk her down from showing off with a _tornado._

* * *

><p>"So. What's next?"<p>

Ash looked over from where he was applying medicine to Pikachu and Butterfree. "How so?"

"Well, last time we were stuck in here for a good few weeks, but if we retrace our path not only is it annoying but we miss the Cameran Castle appointment you wanted to make."

Ash nodded, already planning on what to do next.

"I think we'll be ready for Brock's gym in a couple of days, we'll handle that bug samurai guy and get going. Pikachu's getting better at Aura control, at least."

Since Pikachu was still unable to generate untyped Aura straight off, Ash had been having Pikachu practice splitting it into the electric and untyped and then attacking with the two alternately. Since the Force Palm was essentially the most basic Aura attack there was – blasting a pulse of Aura without attempting to shape it or maintain coherency – this was a relatively quick solution that worked. _And won't it be a surprise…_

Ash himself was also engaged in practicing, of a different sort. He _knew_ he'd been able to pull almost unreasonably large amounts of Aura before, and not being able to do so could be seen as a weak spot. So he was trying to teach himself the ability to harness his emotions, using them as a catalyst without letting them affect his behaviour.

It wasn't going well. At least once he'd pulled up that same thrill of power, but it had been while he was too angry at his own slow progress to notice, only Misty's shout letting him know that he was starting to crack the tree he was sitting against.

_So,_ Ash mused,_ Where is that Samurai person anyway?_

"You! Are you from Pallet Town?"

_Right. And he's even more of an idiot than I remember. Not only is he asking Misty – who's pretty clearly from Cerulean gym once you know to look, she's more like her sisters than she thinks – but he's going to end up challenging someone with a Pidgeot._

_Ah, Honour._

"Actually, she isn't, that would be me, Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet." Ash smiled at the in joke.

"Aha! Then I must challenge you, just as I did the others from that town who passed through here!"

Ash sighed. "Okay, did you happen to notice a trend? First there was the Bulbasaur. Easy. Then the Squirtle. Harder. Then the Charmander. Nearly impossible for a Bug trainer to beat. And now you want to fight someone who has two fully evolved Pokémon and a Pikachu, in a clearing with gigantic scorch marks all over it from a Volt Tackle?"

"That is irrelevant!" the diminutive, er, 'Ronin' proclaimed. "Samurai do not shy from battle!"

Ash turned to his Pokémon. "Which of you wants to handle it?"

Butterfree flapped excitedly. _"I call the Pinsir!"_

"_And I'll settle my old score with his Metapod."_ Pidgeot's translated voice was – surprisingly for such a large Pokémon - a cool soprano, but with the slightest hint of steel beneath it._ "Let Pikachu rest for a while."_

"Fair enough. Battle on three?"

"Yes! I must redeem my honour by defeating at least one of the Pallet Town trainers!"

"Good, you agree." Ash gestured Pidgeot forward. "Misty, call it in if you would?"

"Sure. One, two, _three!_"

* * *

><p>We draw a veil over the scenes of indescribable carnage.<p>

* * *

><p>"No… how could I be so shamefully unskilled?" the Samurai asked plaintively, slumped in the ruin that was once a small forest clearing.<p>

Ash felt kinda bad. "It's more that I have… certain advantages, put it that way. Don't feel bad about it, just improve and do better next time. And perhaps get more diverse bugs, like a Scyther – or a Scizor for that matter, that'd be a great help."

"… I understand." The boy smiled shyly. "And sorry for going on like that, I felt so sure I could win once… Is everyone from Pallet town this strong?"

"I like to think I'm the best, but since Professor Oak lives there that may not be accurate."

"… I see." His voice firmer now, the young samurai got to his feet. "Then I hope that when you pass through again, we have both improved enough that our match is more even. Of course, this means I'll have to improve a lot more than you…"

"Don't sweat it! I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Thank you."

Ash and the Samurai parted on relatively good terms, in fact, despite the ever so slightly one sided defeat. Though it wasn't until Ash and Misty were setting up camp for the night that Ash thought about the moral issues with leaving the boy in range of a major Beedrill swarm.

Ah well, wasn't as if he was unskilled with bugs, and presumably he knew how to handle it.

* * *

><p>"Okay, left! Right! Left! Right! Keep up the separation!" Ash barked out orders at his sweating Pokémon, refusing to delay the trip through Viridian forest more on account of any laziness, real or perceived, in Pikachu's training. "Le-"<p>

"_For goodness' sake I'm trying, Ash!"_ Thwack.

"Then try harder! You need to keep the separation up, that's why you're hitting a rock now not a tree, so you can tell which one's having the effect!" Thud.

"_And it's not easy to concentrate on two things at once!"_ Thwack.

"You think I don't know that?" Thud.

"_Of course! Concentrating on one thing is such a step up for you that two doesn't seem too hard in comparison!"_ Thwack.

"Well excuse me for trying to find a way to actually earn the Boulderbadge!" Thud.

"_Why not just use Butterfree?"_ Thwack.

"Because the gym's indoors! Nowhere to get the power for a Solarbeam!" Thud.

Misty blinked as the friends devolved into a shouting match, Pikachu was still punching the rock as hard as he could. "I will never understand boys…"

Pidgeot chirped softly in agreement.

"_Damnit Ash, you can be so STUBBORN!"_ Pikachu's blue-sheathed fist smacked into the boulder.

Which cracked in two.

The two stopped their arguing as if a switch had been thrown.

"Did… did that just work?"

"_I think so."_

They both stared at the smashed rock in some disbelief, until the halves fell over.

Ash exulted, "Yes!"

"_Take that, rock and ground types! At last, the dream of Pikachu all over the world is coming to fruition!"_

"Don't you know Iron Tail?"

Pikachu waved his paw dismissively. _"Eh, it's not nearly as good. Gives you a real ache in the tailbone. Have you ever tried swinging a three kilo weight by your pinky? Because that's what it feels like, my tail is pretty narrow at the base."_

"Okay, do you want to start learning the next one, Aura Sp-" Pikachu was already asleep. "Or you could get some rest, that works too."

* * *

><p><em>Mountains ahead. Quickest route is through the pass to the west. It is inhabited. I must use stealth to avoid being spotted.<em>

_There are too many to avoid being seen in some way. There is a cloak – that will do._

A cloaked stranger passed through the sleepy village of Ōtama, maintaining distance from everyone - as if, perhaps, afraid of what they might do.

A few people tried to follow this mysterious cloaked figure, but the figure fluidly avoided the net closing around them and disappeared over the fence at the edge of the village proper.

When the curious villagers followed, they found only the cloak, hooked carefully over a gatepost.

* * *

><p>AN: Ōtama is a real village in Japan, in a mountain pass to the north of the Tokyo area (which is where Kanto is, if one converts to the real places from their analogues). This kind of correspondence between real and fictional places in general is actually really interesting - for example, the shape of Sootopolis is because it's based off Santorini in the Mediterranean Sea, a dormant volcano that blew the Minoan civilization off the map in a massive steam explosion a few thousand years ago. And that's where land and sea fight in Emerald - a reference, perhaps, to that long ago explosion?<p> 


	4. Chapter 3

"_There you go."_ Pidgeot flared her wings, dismissing the altered air around her form, and gently glided to alight at Pewter city limits.

"Thanks, Pidgeot." Ash slid off the huge avian's back as she stopped.

Ash's Pidgeot was a marvellous specimen of the species, at least in part due to her years of training and experience having a chance to express right from the get-go in the evolution. It was easy for her to convey Ash and Misty to the outskirts of Pewter City at a mere hundred miles an hour, diverting the wind around them to make for a smooth and comfortable flight.

It had been one of several measures planned to ensure that the timing all worked out.

"Now, onto Brock's Gym! Oh, sorry, guys, I think that in town I'll have to have you in your Poké balls… they won't mind Pikachu, but an eight foot bird of prey is something else. Sorry again."

"_We don't mind, Ash. It's good that you do what you can."_

"Thanks, that sets my mind at rest."

Pewter city was an interesting place. Largely a mining town at first, it had developed into a centre of culture with its museum of science and nature, it's position on the main route north out of Kanto and, of course, one of the League gyms.

Guess which one Ash was interested in.

"Alright! Time to get started again on becoming a Pokémon master!"

Misty shook her head as Ash charged off towards the Pewter Gym. "Some people…"

* * *

><p>Pewter wasn't particularly big – Ash was barely even winded when he reached the home of the Boulderbadge. "All right! I'm here to challenge this gym!"<p>

"You are, are you? Well, hello then. Name's Brock. And I assume that you're not going to fight with that Pikachu?"

"Actually, I am. I feel confident in his abilities." replied Ash, laughter dancing in his eyes.

"Well, it's your choice," Brock said dubiously, "so go ahead."

"Sure thing. Mind if we shake before the match?"

"Not at all, it's nice to see someone with manners for once. That kid with the Squirtle…"

Ash grinned. "Yep, that's Gary alright."

"You know him? Can you explain to me what was with the car?"

Ash shook his head. "Nobody knows."

Brock shrugged. "Oh well, never mind."

They shook, and a spark of blue light flashed in the darkness of the gym.

"Ah… what just happened? Ash? And… what?"

"I'll explain later. For now, we have a battle to get through."

Brock nodded. "Go, Marshtomp!"

Nothing happened. At all. Brock just kept trying to grab a Poké ball that wasn't there. It was actually kind of embarrassing.

"Brock, we've gone back in time." Ash pulled his head back up out of his hands. "You only have the Pokémon that you have now, when we first met, but they should be as strong as you remember."

Brock nodded. "I see… this has interesting implications. Well, go Geodude then!"

"Pikachu?"

The mouse nodded. _"I know what to do."_

* * *

><p>Pikachu squared off against Geodude, the latter hovering gently in the air. Last time, both knew, the battle had been resolved by abuse of Pikachu's Lightningrod ability and a hydroelectric power plant. Not this time.<p>

"Geodude! Sandstorm!"

_I was hoping he wouldn't do that…_ Pikachu flickered into the air, Agility accelerating his speed relative to his already slow foe. A sandstorm couldn't blow in every direction at once, and Pikachu was able to move fast enough to prevent his foe targeting correctly.

Geodude angrily shouted something along the lines of 'stand still so I can hit you'.

"_Er, no._

"This isn't getting anywhere. Dig!"

"Dude." The rocky Pokémon disappeared into the floor.

"Heh, won't you have trouble? Pikachu's on the roof."

"_Ash, this is bad."_ Pikachu commented urgently._ "Brock isn't an idiot unless women are involved."_

"Good point." Ash closed his eyes, and gasped. "Pikachu, the walls are rock too!"

"_Sneaky little thing!" _Pikachu dropped from the roof just before the rock type burst from it, and had to use Quick Attack to get out from under a Seismic Toss.

"_It's a fight you want, it's a fight you get. Iron Tail!"_

"Mega punch, Geodude!"

The two clashed, rock arm against metal tail.

Pikachu was sent flying, but managed to recover with another burst of Quick Attack and somersaulted back towards the Rock type.

"Try to catch him in a Seismic Toss!"

"_I am so glad Ash released me to act on my own initiative… otherwise this would seem stupid."_ Pikachu dodged… but not wide enough. He deliberately aimed so he would pass Geodude, but not so he'd be entirely out of reach.

"Pikachu!" _Oh, that's right, I forgot to let Ash know. Ah well_. Geodude had made a mistake. Pikachu was facing away from the rock type in the grip… and he still had his Iron Tail up.

As the Seismic Toss windup progressed, Pikachu slapped Geodude in the face with his metallic tail as fast as he could. His promptness paid off, as Geodude lost his grip shortly before hitting the floor and Pikachu just managed to escape the falling Pokémon.

"Wow, not bad, Ash. You've really improved."

"It's all Pikachu's improvement, thanks. I trained him, no more."

"So. You did well against Geodude, but how will you manage against Onix! Go!"

Brock's Steelix roared his power to the heavens.

"Yeah, that happens too," Ash called from the side. "They evolve to whatever they were."

"Oh. Well, you're in even more trouble now! Steelix… Dragonbreath!"

"_Oh, crap. Well, let's try this thing."_

The Counter Shield sprang up around Pikachu, forming a dense net of lightning bolts. It barely slowed the attack, but by then Pikachu was out of the way with Agility and onto the roof again. He dropped down from there into the centre of Steelix' coils.

Brock began to chuckle. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? That's not the smartest move you could do!"

"_One…"_

The yellow-wreathed punch fizzled out on the steel snake. Brock snorted with laughter. "Hah, no luck with that Thunderpunch!"

"Pikachu doesn't know Thunderpunch." Ash grinned in triumph.

"_Two!"_

The blue-wreathed Force Palm strike lifted the Steelix bodily into the air and blasted him across the huge artificial cavern, sending the limp body up against the wall and clearly out of the fight.

"He has recently learned Force Palm, though."

Brock looked stunned. "So… the fight with Geodude… it was all an act to make Steelix overconfident?"

"Pre-tty much, yeah." Ash rubbed the back of his head. "I feel sorry for you, actually. I mean, we had to trick you to beat you."

"You probably would have won somehow anyway, Ash." Brock said solemnly. "I remember the Indigo League, and you were the one who competed, not I. And the same later on."

Brock reminisced for a moment, then became more businesslike.

"So, is there a slot still open on your journey?"

"Suppose so… Any idea if your dad is around?"

"I think he is, he said he used to watch me between coming back and admitting it. But we'll never catch him at it…"

Ash smirked, closed his eyes for a second, and pointed out the window. "Pikachu, Thunder Wave!"

* * *

><p>"Well," Misty said brightly, "At least that's sorted out. It wasn't very nice of Flint to leave you alone for so long, Brock, but now you get your own chance for adventure!"<p>

Ash nodded, the three friends heading north for the mountains and the town of Rota.

They had picked up the Pokédex uplink that the Professor had sent ahead for them at the Pokémon Centre, and Ash had also found a short message on his rarely-used mail account.

_6935164 – JJMAW_

The three were still discussing what it meant.

"And now, we have about five days before we're scheduled to go through Mt. Moon. Since, unlike the other cases, a Pokémon could die if we're too late to get to Charmander, I want us to delay as little as possible. In other words, Brock, is Steelix recovered enough for us to ride on him?

"Ah… I think so. We're headed for Cameran?"

"Yes, I have business there. Now, any problems with that?"

"Not at all." Brock's eyes began to glow. "Especially with… Queen Ilene… oh, my sweet-"

BAM!

Misty picked up Brock from where she'd smacked him into the floor… with her Goldeen. "Don't start this again, Brock, or we _will_ make a special trip to Sinnoh to find your Croagunk. _He _could keep you in line."

"My devotion… is only overshadowed… by my pain…"

This time it was Ash's turn to grin at the bickering.

_This, this is what I would never give up. No matter what._

_Companions._

* * *

><p>Two days later, Ash, Brock and Misty were walking the last mile or so to along the small kingdom's only link with the outside world, a tree lined path through the mountains.<p>

Ash checked their surrounds, and froze. "Guys… trouble. Aura, strong one, coming up on the path ahead… no, not quite." He covered one eye with his palm and opened the other. "The Aura's moving through the trees at crown level, really fast. We could be in major trouble here."

The shape blurred across the woods towards them, stopped for a moment high in a tree a hundred yards away, then flashed towards the group, aimed directly at Ash.

The boy yelped in shock and crossed his arms, the weak flicker of his Protect stopping the assailant from knocking him down, but the force of the blow still left him sliding back into a tree.

The strange form wasn't done yet, disdaining the other humans and batting aside the attack sent its' way by an only now reacting Pikachu, still moving so fast that all anyone could catch was a vague sense of blue and black.

Ash's mind was working faster than it ever had, as he flooded his entire nervous system with Aura to boost it. _What the hell? That was one strong blow, and I expect – whoever this is – is going to deliver more... what's going on?_

Sir Aaron had taught him one simple tactic for facing faster, more skilled, more powerful opponents. Don't.

_Bit late to apply that here… okay, based on the force of that blow I think I can take one if I don't mind a few bad bruises on the hands… and possibly a broken arm. Joy, in both senses of the word. Ah well. Needs must._

As the foe blurred in, Ash's still active Aura Sight revealed to him that the next blow, like the first, was a punch – along with where the overly telegraphed, wound up blow was going.

So he caught it.

Ash's friends heard a sickening crack, not really seeing the source as the entire battle thus far had taken a bare few seconds – they hadn't quite realized what was going on at first.

The pain was intense, and the feel in his arm was that of at least a hairline fracture, but that didn't matter at all. Not at this moment of clarity.

Visible blue Aura arced from the catching left hand, around Ash's back, growing all the time, and flooded the right as _Ash_ swung an even more powerful haymaker at his stalled attacker's side.

_Counter!_

Something gave slightly at the impact.

The blow seemed to have knocked it for a loop, as it flew off to the side a little before skidding to a halt by braking with both hands, and with the blur of speed from the Agility gone its' identity was clear.

A Lucario.

As Ash steadied himself and everyone else looked on in shock, the Pokémon kneeled to Ash, before gripping its' upper body for a moment.

"_Greetings, Chosen One… and ouch."_ Her voice transposed itself via the basic Aura trick into a comprehensible alto tone, wavering slightly as she prodded her ribs._ "I should not have doubted your ability."_

Ash was pained and confused – and angry. "Why did you attack me – and for that matter, why aren't you now? What's going on?"

"Yeah, what he said!" Misty weighed in.

"_My apologies. I have been given a task, the accomplishment of which requires that I identify the Chosen of Aaron's line. Since the line has been dormant for a millennium, I was sceptical of your ability to handle the task I must now transfer to you… and I was overeager with my test. I forgot, sorry to say, about the frailty of humans._

_Nevertheless, what you have done is more than proof that you can accomplish what I will ask of you, on behalf of my kingdom."_

"What. The. Hell." Ash cradled his injured left forearm. "Why on earth you thought that was a reasonable test escapes me! You could have killed someone! It could have been me, had I not managed that Protect!"

"_You exaggerate. I aimed for extremities, and not to cause too much lasting damage. Besides, the Pokémon centres can heal humans as well, can they not?"_

"Rrgh…. I suppose it's excusable, if the task is as important as you imply – and I'm not convinced on _that_ front yet. I still wish you'd waited until this evening though… What is it, then?"

The jackal-like Pokémon flickered over to the tree she had stopped at before, and returned in seconds, holding a small over-the-shoulder bag.

Setting the bag down, she knelt again.

"_Ash Ketchum of Pallet, will you accept this charge:_

_To educate in the ways of Aura._

_To keep morality, and to ensure the same of your charge._

_To protect those weaker than yourself, with all the breath you have in your body._

_If you so swear, then we beg you accept this scion of our noblest line as an apprentice and companion."_

While Ash and Misty were looking confused and Brock incredulous – he'd worked it out already – the Lucario drew back the strings of the bag to reveal an egg.

* * *

><p>"Wow… I mean, just… wow. I can hardly credit it. That they think this highly of me…"<p>

Ash and his friends had withdrawn a short distance to let Ash get over his shock, deal with his broken arm (They had Butterfree douse it in Sleep Powder as anaesthetic, and then locked up the arm's muscles using a Thunder Wave to hold the break until they could access the services of Rota Pokémon centre) and discuss the next step.

Brock nodded. "She said they heard from the Suicune from these parts. I assume that the Ho-Oh you met has been doing some groundwork in the last week or two."

"Well, you heard the question, Ash. Want to accept?"

"Want to?" Ash raised his head. "Yes, so much it hurts. I'm still, at heart, the little boy who wants to have cool Pokémon, and likely always will be. But I don't know if I can… It's a dangerous life I lead, and not one to accept a baby into lightly. Even a Riolu… I feel like I couldn't guarantee it's safety."

"_She didn't ask for safety, just that you do all you can. Ash, stop being like… well, you… and accept. It's a great honour, and I think it's the very reason that Sir Aaron had a Lucario as a companion, why Riley does… probably the reason behind Steven's Metagross, as well."_ Pikachu then gave a small grin. _"Besides, you handled Phanpy, Larvitar and Gible well enough when you looked after them."_

"It's not the same. Before, I just blundered into trouble, and now I'm actively seeking it out."

"_And ten minutes ago you cracked the rib of a Steel Type! You're not the same either, Ash. Have a little faith in yourself for once."_

Ash wasn't sure. Not about something of this magnitude. Things were going to get fast paced… perhaps too fast paced… and it would be too dangerous.

But with every one of his friends encouraging him, Ash relented. He wasn't infallible, after all, and maybe they had more faith in him – rightly – than he was willing to give himself.

And if the members of a society based on honour felt him ready for this, then maybe he should trust their judgement.

Then he thought – hadn't Sir Aaron, hadn't _anyone_ who raised Pokémon before the Meiji for that matter, brought them up in an environment of chaos and war? Compared to that, this was small stuff – and the Lucario kingdom knew it.

_Time to take the plunge._

He got up and walked over to the patiently waiting Lucario messenger.

"All right… I'll do it. I so swear."

"_Thank you, Chosen."_ She reverently drew out the egg and handed it to him, making sure he had a good grip. He did, despite the injured left arm – Ash had often carried eggs before.

"_Now, it should hatch in a few months, so – what the..?"_

A familiar white glow suffused their stretch of path, and when it faded, instead of the egg, a Riolu was cradled in Ash's arms.

Ash, meanwhile, was overwhelmed with a rush of sensation.

_Lab attack captured escape hurt friend close friend Aura attacked again frozen stolen-_

_Rescued._

Ash looked down with tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, and shifted the young Pokémon to a better grip in both hands.

"No. I don't believe it. No way am I this lucky."

"_Believe in the evidence of your eyes and the light of our spirits. It's me. Hello again, friend Ash."_

Ash's legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees, still holding the Riolu up by the shoulders.

"I think I must have really impressed someone up there."

"_Of course you did._" Riolu stated, with unshakeable confidence._ "It's you."_

"_Can someone please tell me what is happening?" _The Lucario messenger asked, confused.

Ash put his new charge down, wincing at the effect the strain had had on his arm. "As you may or may not have been told, one of the talents I possess, thanks to confusing situations involving time travel-" Ash grimaced; he'd been getting headaches trying to understand it himself," is that if I encounter a human or Pokémon I had some bond with, met often, that sort of thing… I can restore their memories of the future that was. And by the most incredible good fortune, the egg you conveyed to me – had this all not happened – would have hatched into one of the guardians of the kingdom, trained to use Aura while still a Riolu. I would have met him in about… four years, I think, and saved him from Hunter J, a Pokémon kidnapper. Even then, with no training on my part, our Auras resonated enough that I could feel some of his emotions, and find him with the Sight."

"_Well… that's both the most unorthodox and fastest way of fulfilling the teaching criterion I've ever heard of."_

Ash was grinning, barely visibly, struggling to contain his emotions. "And it puts paid to my thoughts about danger, at least. Right now, he's better than me."

"_You know it!"_

"Well, I suppose… thanks. Even if I don't approve of your methods in testing me," Ash rubbed his paralyzed forearm again, "at least it's set your mind at rest for the future."

"_I thank you for understanding. Fare thee well, Ash Ketchum."_

She fell back into her Agility technique and raced off to the north.

"…well, that was strange."

"_Strange things happen."_ Riolu – Ash's Riolu, he thought with a little thrill – was climbing onto his left shoulder.

"True. Now, on to Cameran Castle!"

"_Wow, we're going there?"_ Riolu perked up. _"I never got to go there before. That's where Sir Aaron lived, isn't it? He was amazing! He's an inspiration to Riolu and Lucario everywhere, because he was known to wield the powers of Aura as well as any of us despite being a mere human!"_ He suddenly remembered who he was sitting on. _"Uh, no offense meant."_

"So long as I can put you in a little red ball whenever I really want to, I won't take any." Ash chuckled.

"_Meanie."_

"And yes, we are. Though it's for more than one reason. A tournament – I won't ask you to participate if you don't want to – but more than that, there's something I want to collect."

"_Ooh! What?"_

Pikachu climbed onto the other shoulder. _"It's his inheritance, of sorts. Aaron's gloves and staff."_

Riolu looked at Ash like he was a ghost.

"_You what."_

"Uh, what's the problem?"

"_You didn't mention that. How can you _inherit_ something from Sir Aaron?"_

"Hey, give me a break! I only found out a couple weeks ago that I'm descended from him. Hell, even he didn't mention it!"

The young Pokémon's eyes were spinning. _"You… you met him?"_

"Time travel, a quest, Legendaries everywhere and by mighty Arceus – and because of him, and his little Dialga too – my life is bizarre. I'll explain on the road."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, somewhere in a really rather nice district of Kanto…<p>

An anguished voice rang out.

"Oh god, NOOOO!"

"Dat's James's voice! What happened?"

"Well, whatever it is it doesn't sound good." Jessie turned to the two Poison types in the basket. "Arbok! Get the balloon ready!"

"Chaa!" The serpent wound up the ropes supporting the basket and began to prepare the burner. (Arbok have very dextrous tails.)

"Good thought, Jessie!" Meowth said. "Now, what's happening down da road?"

Jessie and Meowth squinted. "I think I see something.."

Meowth nodded. "Looks like…"

"There's definitely something coming towards us!" Jessie exclaimed, pleased with her deduction.

"Yeah. And it looks like it's a person, quite tall, running alongside a canine quadrupedal Pokémon-"

"Heeelp! Please!"

"Hey, I recognize dat voice from somewhere!" Meowth muttered.

"I think I do too. Now, who could it be?"

"FOR GOODNESS' SAKE YOU COMPLETE IDIOTS!" The mysterious figure roared, "THROW ME THE DAMN FIRE STONE!"

"Oh, now I remember! It's James!" Jessie thought about that for half a second, blanched upon realizing that Jessiebelle was likely just behind him, and threw the… "liberated"… elemental stone with about at much skill as one could expect from someone in a rocking balloon twenty feet up. Who only threw perfectly round Poké balls little more than a foot or two at a time.

James saw the abysmal toss and pointed at it, calling "Growlie, FETCH!"

James' faithful puppy leapt into the air, swallowed the stone in one gulp… and _changed._

The Shisa - the fiery Arcanine that James' little puppy had become - skidded to a halt, crouched to allow it's trainer to climb on, and shot off into the morning mist at ridiculous speed.

Even though she was _still_ convinced that her betrothed was not getting away for long, Jessiebelle had to admit, that took some beating as an exit.

Her backup plan to deal with his friends in the balloon was likewise stymied by the Mist/Haze/Smog/Smokescreen… er, smoke screen James' Weezing was laying down from the basket.

_Right, next time screw subtle, it's straight to the helicopters. And if that doesn't work… I think I still have Hunter J's number, and James will do anything for that pet of his._

* * *

><p>AN: Riolu is the first really major divergence in the story, but then this particular Riolu is a significant one in Ash's development. Not to mention he opens up some fun avenues for me.<p>

And that's what the little bits at the end of the previous two chapters were, if anyone's wondering.

Ash at this point is still not a match for a proper Pokemon in a fight, mainly due to his low Aura reserves, low durability and low fitness. Basically, because he's a ten year old human. Counter is his only realistic choice to do damage, as it only requires that you survive the blow.

But, of course, since he's sensible (really. Well, sometimes.) he's working on that.


	5. Chapter 4

As the group of friends left the Rota Pokémon centre, Ash swinging his recently healed arm, they were accosted by a man in the muted regalia of a minor official, holding a clipboard.

"Welcome to the town of Rota, the site of Cameran Palace! Today we have the annual tournament of arms before the Queen. I understand that you're one of those who registered to compete?"

Ash nodded. "Yep… but everyone else is wearing wonderful old costumes. I feel kinda out of place… mind if I see if there's something I can put on? I mean, this is the first I heard of the theme."

"Understandable." He made a tick on his clipboard. "There's a dressing room in the palace, on the second floor. You have about two hours before the tournament starts. It's full of old outfits that nobody's claimed, should be a good place to look. But remember to check next time, young man."

"Got it. Let's go, guys!"

Ash and friends walked off towards the castle, the orderly they'd left behind looking faintly confused. _I thought Riolu were native only to Sinnoh and west Johto…_

* * *

><p>Ash was excited. More than that, he was excited and with someone else who was excited (for a slightly different reason). Riolu wanted to see everything he could about the place one of the greatest heroes of the country had lived in, so long ago.<p>

Brock and Misty were getting a little tired of Ash bouncing off the walls in excitement.

"Oh, come on! It's the tournament! It's going to be amazing! I've looked forward to this for weeks!"

"_And is that a painting of the battle of Crane Wing, where Sir Aaron challenged the entire enemy high command to single combat at once and then didn't even bother to get out a weapon!"_

Pikachu rubbed his long ears and sighed. _"Please quieten down, you two, I have sensitive ears. And you're not off the hook Riolu, just because this little Aura trick provides translation does not make you any less loud."_

Ash was briefly contrite, before spotting the door to the dressing room and jogging ahead to it.

"Now, where is it…?" The room was full of costumes, not all of them from the past. Ash saw there was a _spacesuit_ in there, complete with the holsters for Poké balls and the embossed warning only to use primary Steel types, as they often were incapable of depressurization due to lack of breathing in the first place.

Not that Ash paid much attention to it, Riolu and Pikachu jumping off his shoulders to aid his frantic search. He was so _close_, the anticipation was almost painful.

"_Found it!"_

"Brilliant!" Ash moved over to where Pikachu was, and stared for almost half a minute at the complete set of clothes, pristine and waiting.

"_Well?"_

He started. "Yeah, sorry." Ash took the outfit and moved on into the changing room.

* * *

><p>The next few minutes were quite an experience. The main body of the outfit was perfectly normal – apart from being surprisingly tough for its' weight – but the rest… every single accessory bar none had some important or useful purpose.<p>

First, the boots. They pulsed for a moment, questing for their wearer's Aura, then apparently accepted Ash's and drew for a second. Then it was as if Ash was suddenly about ten kilos lighter. He could feel a little mental switch, somewhere in the back of his mind, controlling the amount of Aura sent to the boots. Presumably they could be left off until needed, so that the body didn't atrophy – or perhaps reversed. It would be like the old trick of training while wearing weights.

Then there was the pouch. It likewise tested Ash, drew for a moment, and went inert. But upon opening it Ash found that it was huge, bigger by far than the exterior, and full to the brim with useful items, kits and what felt like a full set of notes in neat notebooks. Already, this alone was more precious than gold. The private notes of an Aura adept would aid Ash immensely – even a week solid in training hadn't let him learn all that the ancient knight could _remember_, let alone his more difficult to recall techniques, tweaks and perhaps useful knowledge of other sorts.

The cape had it's own purpose as well, and when Ash put it on he could feel a tingling about his collar as it recognized the wearer's awakened Aura and began pushing ambient Aura on it's master's frequency into him, providing a gradual recharge for Ash and Sir Aaron and presumably rendering any Adept thief unable to properly control their Aura with what would to them be a taint. Ingenious design, really.

After the last three Ash was almost nervous about the hat, but put it on anyway. There didn't seem to be anything different, though there _was_ the normal probe, accept, draw… then nothing.

"_Ash?"_ A trickle of thought came across from his mental connection to Riolu – only noticeable because the Pokémon was on the other side of a door, and his voice wasn't audible.

"What?"

"_Your Aura just… dimmed. Not much, but noticeably."_

"Huh. Interesting. Maybe the notes will explain it." _Oh, I'll have a lot of late nights with those._

Now it was down to the final item, the gloves.

The gloves were sized perfectly, as indeed everything else had been, despite the five year difference with last time it had been worn. Or the fact that neither time had Ash been in full growth, and Sir Aaron clearly had been.

_Probably more strange uses for Aura… ooooh wow. That feels very nice._

Ash had drawn the gloves up his arms, and they had promptly begun resonating with his Aura, the stones on them building up a charge that was connected to his reserves, the charge being drawn from his ambient leakage. They effectively meant both that he did not lose Aura to the environment unless the glove reservoirs were full and that his immediately available pool had grown massively – and closed up the envelope of his frequency too, boosting his precision.

Before they'd amplified him to the point he could manipulate Aura untrained. Now he felt like he could take on anything.

That might just be tested soon.

* * *

><p>As Ash left the changing room, he was faced with Pikachu explaining the events of the last time their group had been to the castle. The story of an ancient warrior, a message from the past, human greed… and a noble sacrifice.<p>

"_Wow…" _Riolu breathed. _"So you're saying that you actually _met_ Sir Aaron's student, and the Mew of the Tree of Beginning, and went inside it? That's amazing, you must have been just stunned!"_

Pikachu scratched the back of his head awkwardly. _"We didn't really view it that way, to be honest. I mean, if we're talking weird and wonderful there's the time we met the legendary birds responsible for the Orange islands' climate… or the massive duel between Groudon and Kyogre… or the time Ash got possessed… or the time _I_ got possessed _by_ Groudon… or perhaps when I vanished from existence for a few seconds because of nearly five thousand years of time all but being cancelled out…"_

Riolu stared at Pikachu. _"You people… That thing with Hunter J wasn't anything special for you, was it?"_

Ash butted in. "It was a _bit_ unusual. That was a slow week."

* * *

><p>"I can hardly credit it!" Ash stormed around the salon in a black mood.<p>

"Calm down, Ash, it's not that bad."

"Where did they even _get_ a Ghost/Ground type? That's not fair."

Isshu, Dexter butted in, It's a Golem Pokémon, called Goruggo – I think they call it Golurk. Though even _I_ think the ability to punch out Pidgeot when she's a hundred feet up was just unfair.

"Still, third place. Not bad at all, Ash." Misty tried.

"We're so very coming back next year. With more team members to handle ridiculous immunities." Ash gave up his pacing, and slumped down onto a chair. "But yeah, I get the point. When's that audience? Good thing I got to talk to her after the third/fourth playoff to arrange that."

You should set off in… ten minutes.

"Okay. Probably better get going now then. Brock, mind coming with me? I mean, I'm ten after all."

"Yeah, sure. Don't want it to seem like you're a kid playing dress up, do we?"

"_That and he wants to see the queen…"_ Ash's Pokémon entered, Butterfree gripping a Poké ball that was presumably Pidgeot's.

"Oh, hey guys! You all healed up?"

"_Yes. But next time please make sure that our foe isn't that nasty."_

"Won't be a problem, you'll learn Foresight. Right?"

Riolu blinked, then his eyes flickered red briefly. _"Well damn. I completely forgot about that."_

"Oh, for goodness' sake…"

* * *

><p>"Ash Ketchum of Pallet town, his two Pokémon, and Brock of Pewter to see you, Milady."<p>

Queen Ilene turned to the door. "Ah, I was expecting them. Thank you."

Ash, Brock, and Pikachu and Riolu walked into the audience chamber. Ash knelt briefly, remembering a little of the etiquette crash course Sir Aaron had tried while Ash was concentrating on drawing out power.

"Ma'am. I have something important to discuss."

She gestured for him to rise. "Then get to it. No need to stand on ceremony."

Ash began to feel this might actually go well. "Okay, first thing is… did you know that this outfit I'm wearing is more than a replica of Sir Aaron's clothes, but is in fact the genuine article? Or articles, I suppose, since it's clothing."

The queen of Cameran arched an eyebrow. "Indeed? And how is it that this has not been noticed? Many Aura adepts have visited the castle in the two thousand years since his death, and none of them have said anything."

Ash smiled weakly. "The special properties of the outfit only activate when worn by someone of an identical Aura signature. Like mine. I've recently discovered I'm his descendant."

Queen Ilene nodded, this not seeming to surprise her. But then, an integral part of her palace was crystals from a ridiculously vast supernatural tree made out of rock, so perhaps this was fairly mundane. Ash hadn't considered that maybe _other people_ also had the crazy kind of love/hate relationship with luck that he had.

"Anyway, I'd like to, I suppose… take these with me. I could say they're my inheritance, I could say that they're not doing much good where they are, I could say they'll help me save people, but since I've just made all those points I'm going to mention something else. That staff - the tournament grand prize - contains, frozen in stasis, Sir Aaron's companion Lucario." The moment the two took their eyes off it, Brock picked it up and started looking at the quality of the crystals, unsuccessfully trying to distract himself from the Queen. "Since he's been in stasis since before the Yamato period, he's probably going to mistake me for him and not know about the whole heroic sacrifice thing. So we need to be able to deal with him in a calm environment, and – _what is it Pikachu?_"

Pikachu stopped tugging on Ash's ear and pointed at Brock. That teen was practically vibrating in place, staring at the Queen.

"Aah! The vision of loveliness is one I can no longer ignooore!" Brock threw aside the staff he was carrying and rushed towards the Queen, arms outstretched.

Her Mime Jr. promptly tripped him, being used to amorous visitors, but that wasn't the problem.

The problem was that Ash had reflexively caught the staff as it sailed towards him.

And it was glowing.

Ash breathed, "Oh, crap."

* * *

><p>"I wonder how Ash is doing," Misty said, looking out of the window at the vale below the town of Rota, taking in the sights of the beautiful pocket country. "I mean, you know how he gets."<p>

Butterfree nodded, floating a few feet from her to give her some space. He himself was astonished by the sheer size of the Tree of Beginning, seen far off in the distance.

Pidgeot chirped to herself, barely able to fit in the room.

At that moment, a horizontal pillar of debris erupted out of the wall in the area of the Audience Chamber, showering some of the gardens below with pebbles that used to be masonry.

An azure light could be seen inside the hole, before a blue-clothed figure jumped out barely ahead of a pulsing Aura Sphere.

Ash – for such it was – hit the ground feet first and started running, showing no ill effects for the drop. A Lucario, blurred with speed, followed him out the hole. Seconds later, what looked like Pikachu and Riolu appeared in the gap, staggering back from the sudden edge.

Misty reached for Pidgeot's Poké ball on the side. "I'll send you out there, then you grab those two and get them to him!"

Seconds later Pidgeot was gliding over to the hole in the wall, where she picked up Riolu and Pikachu before vanishing to the north, where the Aura wielders had gone before.

* * *

><p>"<em>First a traitor and now an incompetent liar! How I once respected you is beyond me!"<em>

Ash backed away desperately, dodging as many blows as he could and flaring his own Aura to cancel the hits he could not dodge. "I'm telling you, I'm not Sir Aaron! You've been in that staff for a couple thousand years!" The two were fighting in a small, rocky depression in the valley – where Lucario had finally caught up with the retreating human.

"_Why should I believe you! This is some form of trap!"_

"I'm his direct descendent-" Ash raised a Protect, the field no longer weak and momentary but standing like a wall in Lucario's path, "-so you're confusing our Auras. I'm not him!"

Lucario broke the barrier with a Force Palm strike, the Aura spike widening swiftly from the needle point that breached the technique to force the whole thing to pop._ "Exactly the sort of excuse a dishonoured cur would use!"_

Ash sighed, briefly feeding far too much power to Aaron's boots and jumping back about thirty feet, before closing his eyes as he skidded to a halt. He'd need every edge he had, and it still wouldn't be enough.

He saw Lucario spinning up an Aura Sphere.

_Oh crap. Let's see, how did he do this… Mirror Coat!_

His left hand flashed out, translucent in the counterattack technique, while he began building his own Sphere in the right – flung back behind him still from braking his slide.

All too soon, Lucario was charging, the Aura Sphere flying just ahead of him. Presumably the intent was to stop Ash from switching to Counter in time for the physical attack that was on the way. Well, Ash had a way of handling that. Hopefully.

The Mirror Coat caught the Aura Sphere, wrapped it in Ash's own Aura and turned it over to him to control, giving him one in each hand.

He forced his right forward to match the left and lined both up with Lucario's palm strikes.

_This is gonna _suck_._

Ash caught the twin blows in his Aura Spheres.

The impact almost knocked Ash off his feet – even with the boots being used to anchor him, Ash's raw strength was no match for that of his opponent.

There was a crackle like fireworks as the Pokémon tried to force through the human's new defensive measure by main strength. A plan that was depressingly likely to succeed, to be honest – the gloves didn't enhance replenishment rate, just gave larger storage capacity, while the cape worked too slowly.

"_How the mighty have fallen, former friend of mine!"_ Lucario practically spat._ "Fleeing from justice, and then finding yourself too weak to avoid it on top of that?"_

"_Thunder!"_

Ash gained a reprieve as Pikachu and the others arrived like the proverbial cavalry, the overloaded electric attack knocking the Aura Pokémon aside.

"_And now you have more servants – I see that your Pidgeot is still with you, as well. Did he not flee from your iniquity?"_

The entire battle seemed to freeze in place.

Ash sighed internally. _That's torn it._

"_I'm a girl, you complete IDIOT! SKY ATTACK!"_

The huge, nearly instantaneous phoenix of pure energy rocked the small rubbled depression… leaving a rather larger blast crater.

Lucario coughed, straightening up. _That was… unexpected. No matter_. The bird had presumably caught his foe in the blast as well, so this could finally be ended.

As the residual energy from the attack began to clear, he closed his eyes once more, in the familiar mode of behaviour of Aura adepts, to find his target.

There he was, doubled over in pain and held up by the electric Pokémon that had saved him last time, but-

There was a Riolu standing in front of him, hands glowing, ready to defend.

A Riolu.

Lucario knew, he _knew_, that it was literally impossible for any of his species – or their pre-evolutions – to support evil. Their sense of morality was _genetic._

But then…

He realized then that the other was correct. He had been in the staff for far longer than he had expected.

"_Erm… oops?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>I am starting to think that maybe I should just go back in."<em>

"Oh, you can't go and do that! I mean, were you released a few years from now as was originally planned, you'd be too weak to prevent the necessity of purifying the Tree from draining you all the way and killing you." Ash then gestured towards the crystalline organism. "As it is, if you get back to the meditation and training that builds Aura reserves, you ought to be able to survive even that drastic measure from being able to finish you off. And then Rota – and the Mew associated with the Tree – would have a guardian again."

"_Very well, then. If it is as important as you claim. Though to be honest I am still trying to get used to the whole time travel concept."_

"I finally managed to tag you with the memories, right?"

"_True. But there wasn't nearly as much as for some. The bit about chocolate interested me, though…"_

"I'll drop some off when I get a free day. Thanks to Pidgeot, we have more flex in our schedule than before." Ash grinned. "She might have even forgiven you for the mistake by this time next year."

"_You can hardly blame me."_

"Actually, yes I can. A lot. But I won't, because you were confused and because I was really expecting it."

"_Thank you."_ Lucario then looked more slyly at Ash. _"And I'll try to make sure that the Queen isn't too upset you're taking Aaron's staff."_

"…I'd ask how you knew, but it's probably Aura again, isn't it."

"_There are a myriad of uses, most of them more subtle than much of what you've done. Though holding several millennia of life experiences in your head is rather more impressive than that attempt at combat."_

"Come on! I've had, what, a month at most? That's not bad."

"_You could have been training for a good year now, had you paid attention the last time you met me. But enough of that. Get going, young Chosen. You have far to go still."_

Ash palmed his forehead. "Do you know about that too? This is ridiculous, why didn't anyone tell me about it?"

"_I only know because it's hereditary and you're Sir Aaron's descendant. I have no intention of being an apologist for all the gods you've met, though."_ Lucario gave a crooked smile, the same one Sir Aaron had displayed whenever he found something completely hilarious. _"Come to that, my next few years sound like bliss. Just hanging around here, meditating on the nature of the universe… and absolutely no being possessed by the spirit of the king of a land that sank under the sea a thousand years ago."_ As Ash's incredulous look, Lucario relented. _"All right, Sir Aaron sent me a memory packet of what he saw of your life. He thought it'd be funny, and he was right. Ever considered selling your life story to an anime company? You'd be pretty popular."_

"This is just getting ridiculous. How do you know about anime?"

"_Because you do, of course. I can just see it now. Aura's Glow, starring Ash Ketchum! With Brock as the comic relief, that girl you travel with as the love interest, of course, and-"_

"Wait, what?"

"_-who could have foreseen just how close the two of you would become when you met thanks to the chance destruction of her bike!"_

Ash's eye began twitching. "Please be more specific. You just described most of the girls I know."

"_That would be telling. The hero never actually works out he has feelings until-"_

"Until what? Puberty? That would at least be a help!"

Pikachu shook his head vigorously. _"No, it wouldn't. It never is."_

* * *

><p>Riolu glanced up at Pidgeot. <em>"Will I become that weird later?"<em>

She gently caressed him with a wing. _"Scarily, I think the weird ones are the strong ones…"_

"_What about you?"_

She flapped her other wing at the crater lip. Riolu saw that the kanji characters for "I'm female, twit" were carved on the surface in a tracery of molten glass. _"I just hide my neuroses better. It's a much better way to do things – go _partly_ nuts as an outlet."_

* * *

><p>The knight of honour gripped his implements tightly. This was a matter of great importance, and he needed all the help he could get. Glancing at the huge forms all around him, he closed his eyes…<p>

And was slapped by one of the Thousand Hands of Arceus.

_No cheating with Aura Sight, Aaron!_

Sir Aaron rubbed his side. "Why not? I mean, you're God, Dialga can look into the future to see what everyone has and I swear Palkia has been grav lensing to give him viewpoints behind my seat!"

_It's the price you pay for playing Pokér with deities._

"Mrf… pity Lucario isn't here… he'd back me up…"

_It's a good thing he's unavailable, it means he's actually alive._

"Regardless, I insist that Aura Sight also be allowed unless you want to disallow spatial and temporal tampering as well."

* * *

><p>AN: Wow, that was a fun one. Ash with some actual competence at using Aura, and the reserves to back it up. He's still ten, but at least he's ten with useful assistance.<p>

As for the enhanced clothing, well, the gloves and staff did something, and the clothes fit Ash in his early teens as well as Sir Aaron at full growth, so why not?

Also, the Hero of the Wave and his allies are getting bored in their subspace pocket. Very bored.


	6. Chapter 5

The travellers walked up the gently sloping foothills of Mount Moon, easily one of the stranger places in the world. It was a place that seemed to attract meteorites, hundreds of them being found in the area. In the time of the Samurai, it was a major centre of the smith's art, many legendary blades of "meteorite iron" coming from the small cluster of peaks.

Nowadays, of course, it was more of a thoroughfare from Pewter to Cerulean, linking together the northern cities of the Kanto region proper.

It was also infested with Zubats, Geodude and other such pests.

"Gah! Damnit, not again!"

The rock that Ash had tripped over glared at him before rolling off in a huff.

"_I thought you were supposed to be using that blindfold to practice Aura Sight?"_

"It's hard, damnit! If I leave the blindfold on, I can't see the real rocks well enough, and if I take it off, then I can't tell which ones move all over the place!"

"_Twit."_

"What?"

"_You heard. Put it over one eye, idiot."_

Ash stared at Pikachu. "You… couldn't have mentioned this earlier, perhaps?"

The rest of the group just shook their heads.

"He may be training as an Aura guardian, but he's still as stupid as the Ash we all remember…" Misty muttered to them.

Brock nodded. "Tell me about it… it's like he's a different person in a battle, though."

You have one new text message.

Ash and Pikachu stopped staring at one another in mutual exasperation, and turned to Ash's backpack. Neither made any other move. Rolling his eyes, Riolu reached into the backpack and drew out the Pokédex.

"_Let's see… says 'Battle in ten mins, will be filmed so the Boss gets why we're focusing on you, don't break character. J,J,M,A,W,G.' Huh. These are the guys you told me about?"_

Ash took the device from his newest Pokémon. "Yeah, but… I didn't expect there to be that extra letter… hey! Maybe that thing they left us was their phone number or something!"

Brock slapped his forehead. "We. Are. Idiots. How we didn't see that one coming…"

Ash was concentrating hard. "Extra letter… and it's a G. Initial G… Team rocket…"

This would normally be a chancy prospect for him, remembering such a detail over a five year gap.

"It must be James' pet Growlithe!"

Ash _had_ seen his entire life twice, most recently less than two months ago.

Misty looked relieved. "Well, a Growlithe we can handle. Okay, everyone, looks like we're 'on', then."

* * *

><p>"Mwa ha ha ha!"<p>

Jessie's maniacal laughter rang out across the sparsely wooded, grassy plain, and Ash's companions prepared themselves for yet another Team Rocket encounter.

The month or two of break had been nice for Ash, at least. He'd never gone more than a week or so without meeting the team since his eleventh birthday, and by twelve they were often multiple times a day.

But enough of reminiscing. Ash gasped dramatically.

"That symbol… Are you members of Team Rocket?"

Well, maybe a bit of reminiscing. It was kinda fun.

"That's right, brat!"

James joined in. "Now, pay attention."

The two emerged from the trees, trailed by their three Pokémon, or two Pokémon and third team member depending on if you asked Meowth.

* * *

><p>"Prepare for trouble!<br>Make it double!  
>To protect the world from devastation!<br>To unite all peoples within our nation!  
>To denounce the evils of truth and love!<br>To extend our reach to the stars above!  
>Jessie!<br>James!  
>Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!<br>Surrender now, or prepare to fight!  
>Meowth! That's right!"<p>

* * *

><p>Ash looked askance as the trio. "You going to do that every time?"<p>

James smirked. "Maybe, maybe not. But it was certainly handy this time, wasn't it?"

Ash angrily began, "What do-" before being interrupted by Misty.

"Guys, look around!"

Brock saw it first. "They've boxed us in! There's fire in every direction!"

Jessie joined her counterpart in a cocky grin. "Yes, there is. All thanks to Growlie, and of course the fact that you're twits enough to let us get through the whole motto."

James nodded. "Now, Growlie, split them up with a little Flare Blitz."

The sound of tearing silk was all the warning the group got. Diving to the sides, Ash and his Pokémon were separated from Brock and Misty by a wall of fire and molten stone. The cause skidded to a halt in front of James, revealing to all and sundry that yes, James now had an Arcanine.

Ash was already scrambling for his gloves – luckily for him, he'd been wearing the boots as a quick form of training. Just make relative gravity for you slightly higher than normal, you build up muscle at an amazing rate. "Damn, this isn't good. Any way we can link up again?"

Brock and Misty were sending out their own, sadly short by their estimation, teams. "Steelix can't take the heat, and Geodude's too small. Misty?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll have a go – ack!"

Poison clouds began to fall on the separated groups from overhead, as well as a rain of Poison Sting barbs. "Steelix! Block the barbs! Geodude, set up a sandstorm to blow away the poison!"

Misty gasped for breath, before grabbing a handkerchief and tying it over her mouth. "That's not much better."

"I'm working with two Pokémon here, like it or leave it." huffed Brock. "At least we have a Steel type."

James' voice floated over the sound of the roaring fire. "Thanks for reminding us. Growlie, Fire Blast!"

Misty turned in shock. _That's not good!_ "Starmie, Ice Beam on Steelix! Staryu, Goldeen, best water attack as a counter to the fire!"

Steelix started to glow cherry red as the leading edge of the attack approached, before the water and ice attacks blunted the worst of it to result in an uneasy stalemate barely within safe temperatures.

* * *

><p>The poison duo had floated over to the other side of the firewall. It was clear what was going on, Arbok was wrapped around Weezing for better mobility.<p>

Ash had a problem here, he had no Steel type like his friends did.

He rapidly released his team anyway, throwing the balls one handed as he pulled the other glove on with his teeth.

"Pidgeot, can you blow away the gas?"

"_Easily."_

"Without fanning the flames?"

"…_not quite so easy, but still manageable."_

"Good, now-"

Meowth leapt onto Pidgeot from above and started clawing. "Not forgotten me, had ya?"

"Ack!" Ash scrambled for a solution. "Riolu, get Meowth off there! Butterfree… see if you can handle the duo in the sky."

No sooner had he spoken than Arbok uncoiled and leapt off, plunging deep into the ground.

Ash's mind flashed, discarding plans and modifying others. There was only one choice. "Ergh… Butterfree, stay up there. Confusion if you can get in range. Pikachu, can you take the snake?"

"_Yes, I most certainly can."_

"Good. As for the Arcanine…"

Ash pulled on his new gloves. "I'll handle that."

"_Ash! Wait!"_

Ash charged, feeling the power in the gloves beginning to surge and heedless of the calls of his Pokémon. Everyone else was occupied… he needed to stop Growlie before Brock lost his Steelix…

The strange icy detachment of battle descended, a zen-like state… but merged with training so that body knew what to do without instructions, and yet mind whirred too fast for the body to keep up.

"Force! _Palm!_"

Ash's aura-enhanced blow blasted Growlie off his feet and sent him rolling over and over into the brush, before the Legendary Pokémon pawed the ground and charged back at him.

Ash took the roaring blow of the Flare Blitz, feeling it's heat surge up his crossed arms – defended with what looked/felt like a bastardized Reflect and some elements of Endure – before launching a kick that threw Growlie once more.

He was running high on adrenaline and Aura, using it to reinforce his body and empower his blows, fighting as an Aura Guardian, and in this perfect state he could fight one of the most powerful kinds of Pokémon – and he could win.

So long as it was dealt with in only a few seconds, of course.

_Oh bugger, he's getting back up again._

Growlie shook his mane, rolling back to his feet, and began to gather the heat for another Flare Blitz…

And was blasted far enough back that Jessie and James had to step out of the way of his rolling form, by three Water Gun and a purple Dragonbreath.

Ash collapsed to his knees in exhaustion – _note to self, remember you're not quite eleven yet –_ as the rest of Team Rocket's Pokémon fell back past him, pursued by his vengeful team, and Brock and Misty steamrolled past on his other side.

"Well, it looks like you held out this time, but you won't be so lucky forever!" Jessie called, while James hauled Growlie into the basket of a balloon hidden in the brush. The rest of Team Rocket piled in, and Growlie bit through the mooring cable, sending the entire contrivance shooting up into the air at ludicrous speeds.

* * *

><p>"What the hell?"<p>

Pidgeot answered for them. _"Double balloon, Hydrogen on the inside, Helium outside. I saw a few near Pallet. Incredibly fast riser if it's set up properly, and I think they recalled their Pokémon as it took off. They're long gone."_

"Flipping hell… They're more competent than I expected."

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

_But-_

"NO. I don't care how much you're all inexplicably fans of it, we are NOT doing sumo wrestling next."

_What's your problem with it?_ Arceus looked hurt.

"You all weigh at least eight times as much as I do, for a start!"

_Oh, all right then. Badminton?_

"Why not Monopoly?"

Dialga perked up, and rushed over holding a small metal boot.

_Fine. Have it your way, we'll play Monopoly. Red and Blue version?_

"Pardon?"

_I said Kanto version?_

Sir Aaron looked suspicious for a moment. "Sounds alright."

_Okay, Dialga gets the boot, Palkia has the car, I get the Growlithe, and that leaves you the bowler hat._

"It's not as good as my proper hat. My proper hat does cool things, like-"

_Sh. The readers don't know yet._

"Readers?"

Arceus, creator of All, looked distinctly shifty. _Nothing._

* * *

><p>The tape wound to a close with the ground receding at a breakneck pace, before the image cut out.<p>

Giovanni allowed himself a small smile. And then, seeing the trepidation on the faces of the agents who'd presented it, widened it into a full – though still exquisitely controlled – grin.

"Well, well. I am _most _impressed. So, you seem to have chosen something of a difficult target this time, but then you've shown quite… astonishing skills. I must say, using the chivalry of a hero against them seems to be quite the innovation, though I doubt it would work on the conventional police we normally deal with."

His face hardened. "Now. On to more detailed business. First, why did you choose them in the first place?"

Jessie spoke, her voice slightly uncertain. "We first met him a couple of months ago, in Viridian. At the time he had only the Pikachu, and he was able to shut down our plan before we even initiated it. With this to consider, we tried to get hold of heavier firepower to overwhelm him."

James took over. "And as you can see, it almost worked. We managed to occupy every one of their Pokémon, despite fighting at more than two to one odds against some real rarities like that Pidgeot and the Riolu he got from who knows where, and were only beaten by that weird thing he did where he beat up Growlie and took the pressure off."

Giovanni frowned. "Yes, that was the most troubling bit. He said 'Force Palm', yes?"

Meowth nodded along with the humans. "Yep, I tink so, though I was more concentrating on fightin' off that Riolu."

Giovanni made an understanding noise. "Fortunate that the cameras captured it, then. Yes, that's quite troubling. Not only did this 'Ash' use a Pokémon move – moreover, a move that as far as I know is unique to a very few Pokémon, but he also took a Flare Blitz head on. That is not something I like to have happening among my foes. Then you have to consider that these gloves," He rewound the tape and paused at a point where Ash was in full light, during his charge, "resemble quite closely those of the legendary hero Sir Aaron. It may well be that he is possessed of the same talents as that legend. Very disquieting, especially as he is in possession of, as you say, both a Pidgeot and a Riolu."

Giovanni fell silent. After almost a minute, James spoke up.

"Anything else, Boss?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. That Arcanine of yours, I want it."

James jerked as if stung. "Boss?"

"You heard me. Hand him over, he's clearly an exceptional specimen of the species if his Flare Blitz can melt rock. That's the kind of firepower that Team Rocket needs. And it needs it where the higher ups can access it. The Pokémon, please."

James reached for the Poké ball on his belt, hesitated, then drew his hand back again. "No – n, er, I… No."

"You are sure of this? Defying your leader?"

Jessie and James shrank back, and Meowth fell off his chair, as the leader of Team Rocket rounded on them. "W-we'd never defy you, Boss!"

"Then _hand over the Pokémon._ Need I remind you of our motto? Our real one?"

The trio shook their heads. "Steal Pokémon for profit. Exploit Pokémon for profit. All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket."

"Then what's the problem? Will you defy me over this trifle? You can most certainly requisition more and more diverse Pokémon from the team pool."

Jessie and James looked at one another, then both shared a glance at Meowth. The three nodded to one another and, visibly trembling, James gave their answer. "With all due respect, Boss, you'll never get Growlie. He's… a good friend of mine."

Giovanni glowered at them for a moment more, then suddenly smiled. A genuine one this time, full of warmth. "Very good. You pass."

_Crash!_ Jessie and James fell off their chairs.

"Ya mean to say dat was a test?" shouted the irate Scratch cat from the floor, before flinching as Giovanni's Persian bared his fangs.

"Well, yes. That stuff about profit is all very good for the grunts, but we have a broader mandate than that. We're about control, yes, but for that we need to have somewhere _to_ control. And you three have – perhaps astonishingly – just qualified for Executive status. The lowest rung, perhaps, but you're privy to the true purpose. It's even in the public motto – layers within layers. _Protect the world from devastation._ We need the place standing to get anywhere in it, and so we have the secondary purpose of finding global threats and stopping them. Working with heroes is a must for that, even taking on many of their traits. Something you just displayed rather well."

Giovanni tossed the trio small badges. "Here, these are your new rank insignia. As of now, your task is to build up your cell, trail this 'Ash Ketchum', test his strength every so often, and try to lead him into getting involved with stopping any new regional or global scale threats. Oh-" and he smiled at them again, "Don't boast about any of this to the other members. You might need to sacrifice other Rocket plots to the hero you're trailing, after all, and we don't want people slacking off."

* * *

><p>AN: Team Rocket is competent! And actually plan things out. Same for the main organization, too, as there has to be someone to corrupt. And to make money off. Team Rocket plans aren't aimed at destroying the world, or even changing it much - just repositioning themselves in it.<p> 


	7. Chapter 6

Brock tossed the Poké ball between his hands. He'd caught his Crobat earlier that day, and found that he was more or less the same as memory stated, but with the addition of Cross Poison - apparently from training at the Pewter Gym.

"You going to keep doing that?"

Brock nodded, not taking his eyes off the small red and white sphere. "It's nice to know another friend's back with you, you know? Feeling exuberant is only natural."

"Yeah, whatever. Hey, Misty?"

"What is it, Ash? Planning for Cerulean gym already?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Want me to restore your Gyarados for you before the battle?"

"You would just love that, wouldn't you, Ash Ketchum? A water/flying type? Not a chance. I'll just use what I have and what the gym has." Misty began to grin evilly. "Actually, what about if we make it a 3 vs 3 match, three independent battles?"

"Sounds interesting. So you mean I can't just sweep you with Pikachu?"

Misty winked. "That's certainly the plan."

"_Spoilsport."_

"_You already called the Vermillion team leader, you don't get to have them all."_

"_Not another word from you, Riolu!"_

"_Make me. Bleah!"_

Ash sighed deeply as the two Pokémon riding on his shoulders had a shouting match that began to devolve somewhat into a cringe-inducing slap fight. "I might have preferred it when I didn't have the translation…"

"Oh, it's sometimes inconvenient, but the benefits more than make up for it, right? To say nothing of last night's display!"

Ash nodded, feeling self conscious. "Last night's display" had been a three way mock battle between him, Pikachu and Riolu. Aura flaring, Protect, Detect, enhanced close combat blows… and Ash had finally managed to recompose his Aura, paralyzing Riolu with an electrically imbued Force Palm that had unfortunately also locked up his own left hand, so hence the victory had gone to Pikachu seconds later.

The next step would hopefully be _preventing_ that backlash.

But the fireworks involved had been quite impressive, actually lighting up the sky almost as much as the jury rigged moon rocket that had soared up early the next morning.

Damn Clefairy…

"How far is it to Cerulean from here?"

Misty glanced around at the terrain. "I'd say… about a day's walk, maybe a little less."

"Right, so a long way still to go. Good to know." Ash took a small notebook from Aaron's bag, labelled "medical use of Aura", and held it up to the Pokédex scanner, flipping through the book at speed so the entire thing could be recorded. "Got it?"

OCR complete. Audiobook version ready.

"Thanks." Ash then pulled a recessed headphone out of the side of the red device, slotting it into his ear. He had decided that listening to Aaron's notes while walking would save at least a little time.

The use of Aura to heal or treat wounds is one of the earliest uses of all, dating back at least a thousand years to when the use of internal Aura was called "Ki". The "Ki-dancers", as Aura adepts were known at the time, were capable of pushing their own Aura into that of an injured person to supercharge the body. While this was relatively ineffectual compared to the effect of healing magic or the Recover psychic power, it was nevertheless amazing to the peoples of the time, allowing healing rates in excess of three times natural. This, however, was only really possible with diseases, and gross physical trauma was extremely difficult to handle…

The audio file went on, Ash listening to the accumulated knowledge of generations of Aura manipulators. The bit about reinforcing the body to make broken bones less likely or even temporarily "splint" them with solidified Aura was… intriguing, especially as Ash had broken all the bones in his left arm at least once since Pewter city alone.

Hang on… was that how the Bone Rush technique worked?

That had _interesting_ implications.

* * *

><p>"Right, the first stage of building an Aura Sphere is to get used to releasing power constantly, and then being able to stop it when it starts to protest the amount being fed in. I mean, it's possible to overload them to slightly ridiculous levels, but the basic attack is pretty constant in size."<p>

Pikachu frowned in concentration, blue Aura flickering more or less randomly. _"So that's the first step for a usable attack?"_

Ash waved his hand; maybe yes, maybe no. "Technically speaking, the first stage is an attack on its own, but it's not very often used because it's a constant release of several times the power of a Force Palm per second, for only a little absolute increase in damage capability. It's just inefficient, especially compared to other melee attacks." Ash stopped for a second and put a finger ponderingly on his chin. "You might have a point though, as perhaps it could be modified to act as some kind of booster on other attacks, having an Aura curtain around the body. But if you experiment in that I recommend using your own element first."

Pikachu nodded, still trying to even out the little surges and dips in his flow. _"What are the other stages?"_

"Second one's containing it, that's when it stops being nearly so wasteful. It sort of fills up a shell and then stops – the natural size it takes is the one with the least energy, smaller ones are more powerful and focused, while larger ones just sort of explode… violently… when they hit basically anything more solid than a good fog."

"_That's different to any other attack in the universe how? I seem to recall a _Bite_ attack blew up once."_

"Okay, good point. But at least this one detonates _towards_ the target." Ash formed a standard Aura Sphere with an effort of will, and held up the gently glowing blue ball. "As this is, it's a good melee attack, but the third step is the most useful one. It gives it a gyroscopic spin," Ash demonstrated by setting it gently whirling for a second, "and it can hence be thrown properly. It also gives it the punch and penetration power that make it work so well against otherwise tough materials like steel and rock."

Ash formed another sphere in the other hand and spun it up, then threw them in succession at a convenient dead tree. The first wobbled unsteadily through the air and detonated when it hit a twig, producing a concussive wash of air that snapped a few small branches, but little else.

The second flew arrow-straight and blew a crater halfway into the trunk, sending splinters all over the clearing and producing an ominous creak.

"_Wow."_ Pikachu commented absently, his Aura stream now a little more constant.

"There are other tricks to it – for example the fourth stage is to add a pattern to the central component that tracks an Aura signature and adjusts the path. That can't be evaded, but it _can _be dodged or decoyed into an obstacle, especially if it's already gone a long way and is slowing down. It's called terminal attack manoeuvres, I have no clue why, I just call it never-miss. I'm still working on that one."

Finally getting frustrated, Pikachu switched to electric Aura and produced a steady flow, before wrapping it in a globe and throwing it into the ground. _"_There. _I did it, now can I get some sleep?"_

"_Wow, you managed to use Electro ball for three times the normal energy cost, go you." _Riolu snarked from his perch on a tree branch.

"He's got a point, Pikachu, the reason you're practicing with blue Aura is to avoid getting into bad habits."

"_I don't care, I managed a steady flow and I'm using that as a learner step."_

* * *

><p>"Unfortunately all our Pokémon are too tired, so why don't you accept this Cascade badge?"<p>

Misty ground her teeth. They'd arrived several _hours_ before last time, and yet still her sisters were giving up without a fight.

_Well, screw that._

"I'll fight him!"

Daisy glanced round. "Oh, look, the runt. Why should we let you?"

"Because I'm as much a Gym Leader here as you three, I did the test too!"

Ash leant over to Brock. "Test?"

"You have to fight the Elite Four, your advantage is knowing their order of battle. I think I heard that Misty flattened Bruno and Lance, whereas I only managed to take Lorelei, and that was a close one."

"Wow…"

Brock grinned. "You should see the Elite Four entrance tests. They involve legendaries…"

Ash looked over at the massive argument that was developing in the centre of the room, now involving all four 'Sensational Sisters'.

"I'd certainly prefer to earn the badge if there's a choice…"

Misty nodded at the words, before walking off into the bowels of the gym, apparently deciding to simply ignore her sisters. She returned a minute or so later with two Poké balls, and added a third into her collection from her belt.

* * *

><p>"The battle will be three matches, each one on one. Neither winner nor loser may join another match. Understood?"<p>

Ash gave a wide smile. "Perfectly!"

"Right. Choose your first Pokémon, challenger!"

_Hmmm… Pikachu, it's best to wait till the end before using him… Pidgeot's honestly a little too big for the _gym_…_ "Go for it, Riolu!"

The little Pokémon nodded to him, hopped onto one of the floating platforms and took a stance.

Misty nodded. "Starmie!"

_Oh crap._

"Riolu! You haven't learned any Dark type moves, perchance?"

Riolu had Shadow Claw, which would do some damage at least, but the real danger was offensive Psychic attacks. A Dark type move would allow for countermeasures against it, were one available.

"_Nope… damn it."_

"Right, Misty is sneaky as all get out. Just… do your best."

"_Planning on it."_ Riolu closed one eye, allowing him to mix Aura with regular sight.

Brock had moved to the side of the pool; the trio were essentially ignoring the Sensational Sisters by now. "Begin!"

* * *

><p>Riolu immediately dove into the water as a thunderbolt sizzled past, before grabbing back onto the platform and detonating an incoming Water Pulse with his own Aura Sphere.<p>

The plucky little Pokémon had a problem. He was a close range fighter, and his opponent was not only skilled at ranged combat, but was psychokinetic.

_Well, where there's a will and all that…_

Riolu was forced to try out something new. He'd discussed the possibility with Ash and Pikachu, but the three had never tested it. There was a first time for everything.

He skidded across the slick platform, dodging another Thunderbolt, an Ice Beam and slicing through a pulse of Psychic force with hastily formed Shadow Claws. Only his running Detect through the open eye let him dodge through the gap thus created, and he heard a gasp from the other three Gym Leaders.

_Wait till they get a load of this!_

Riolu sprinted forward, not stopping at the edge of the platform… and ran across the water on blue-glowing feet.

"What the hell?" That was Misty. Apparently she hadn't heard. What a pity.

_Okay, got one shot at this, that Starmie's currently low down enough to reach._

"Starmie! Get up, away from him!"

"_Too late! Eat Shadow Claw!"_

The flickering phantom claws that extended from the little nubs on Riolu's wrists bit deep, one of them scoring a line across the core and a third of the way through it before another psychokinetic pulse threw him back into the water.

_Okay, so much for plan… what is it by now, F?_ Riolu formed yet more plans in his trained mind, discarded two of them because he didn't know Starmie's entire moveset and another thanks to the absence of a convenient palm tree, then decided to just wing it.

Barely had Riolu broken the water's surface when another Thunderbolt sizzled in to attack from the hovering Starmie.

_I thought this was the water gym!_

_Oh well, this can help._ His eyes flashed._ Copycat!_

Eyes widened all over the gym as Misty's Starmie was blasted with a high power lightning bolt, it's core dimming from a steady glow to more of a flicker.

Riolu was hardly unscathed, of course – he had had to absorb the power of the bolt first – but felt triumphant as he began to charge another Aura Sphere.

And then the starfish glowed softly, and the core shone brightly once more.

_Oh, damn and blast it, Recover!_

His hastily thrown Aura Sphere blocked the Psychic, and his Aura Sight prevented any effect from the Confuse Ray, but a trio of Water Pulses in rapid succession slammed him into unconsciousness and deep into the water.

Brock dove into the pool from the referee spot, retrieving the little Aura user before he swallowed too much water, and had Lily carry him to the Gym infirmary.

* * *

><p>"Not the best start, perhaps, Ash?"<p>

"Shut up! I believe in my team, we'll make it yet!"

"So you say. Well, pick your next Pokémon."

"Butterfree!"

"Okay, Seel!"

Misty's two present sisters gasped in shock. "Misty! What are you doing with Seel, he's not a combat Pokémon!"

"Butterfree… do as you see fit. You know your own style better than I do."

"_With pleasure!"_

"Seel! Double Team and Safeguard!"

Butterfree watched from above as the seal seemed to shatter into a half dozen copies, which began to glow softly. _Well, a defensive strategy is it, then?_

Butterfree began smoothly tracing a complex path in the rafters, dodging the occasional Aqua Jet or Water Pulse attacks being launched up there by the Cerulean Gym's Seel. _Butterfly Dance again… It's a good start in long range battles, let's see how long before she notices._

"Seel, Natural Gift!"

_What does that do ag-_

_Ocrap._

Butterfree broke the Dance and went into a falling-leaf manoeuvre as a blast of flame scarred the ceiling.

_I now officially hate Occa berries._

Misty had pulled a huge basket of the things from somewhere, and was tossing them to Seel whenever he needed to reload.

The butterfly thought for a second, and called upon a tailwind to give him a speed boost.

_This will be ironic._

"Okay, Seel, Natural Gift again!"

The Seel blinked as a pale blur snatched the berry out of midair, gulping it down before turning to face them as the spice flared off heat, his body temperature dropping with it's lack to the minimum safe for his species. _Hah! So much for my Fire weakness! Bug Bite is such a handy move sometimes._

Misty shrugged before giving new orders to the Cerulean Gym Seel. "Aurora Beam."

_Why, Arceus, why?_

"Ice Shard as well."

Somehow Butterfree avoided being hit as the barrage of Ice attacks covered over the ceiling with a thick rime.

_Okay, enough with the running and hiding, it's time to take the initiative. Sunny Day!_

The translucent roof of the Gym began to glisten with the supernaturally intense sunlight that the move called down.

"Seel, use Rain Dance!"

_I said Sunny Day._

The incipient rainclouds cleared away from the Gym.

"Hail!"

_Once more, I said._

_Sunny._

_Day._

The weather roiled above the Gym for a few seconds, before expanding circles of clear sky pulsed outwards and banished all the clouds within about twenty miles.

"Fine, then. Ice Beam!"

_Solarbeam!_

The bolts of glowing light collided about halfway to the roof of the Gym and detonated, blasting shattered ice and snow outwards.

As the humans flinched away from the cloud of diamond dust that resulted, a sparkling wind blew lazily down towards Seel, who dodged the attack despite vision obscured by sparkling ice crystals.

Unfortunately for Misty, that wasn't the point of the attack at all – or at least not the only one.

Butterfree _glowed_, the secondary effect of Silver Wind infusing him with natural Aura.

_Time for an end to it. Aerial Ace!_

Seel was hit a glancing blow on the flank by the speeding butterfly – going fast enough that the wind shock produced managed to clear away most of the dust in the air along his path.

Barely had he noticed when Butterfree bore in again from a different angle, this time releasing an Energy Ball on the way past that blew Seel into the air.

Now Seel was out of his element, Butterfree wasn't about to let him back in, and peppered him with Energy Balls from enough angles at high enough speed that the little water Pokémon was effectively juggled.

"No! Seel, Aqua Ring and then Disable!"

Butterfree wasn't going to let that happen, and used the sunlight still pouring into the room to launch a massive Solarbeam, one that shot Seel into the pool and hence drenched everyone in the room.

Brock lowered his hands from protecting his face, and stared at the devastated room. "Er… Butterfree wins the battle for Ash's team, the score is tied…"

Ash jumped in the air. "Yeah, nice work Butterfree!"

Misty and her sisters were staring at the ice sculptures all over the ceiling, the water dripping down the walls and the occasional crack in the tiling.

* * *

><p>Ash startled them out of it. "Well, Misty? Third match?"<p>

"Er, yeah. Send out your choice!"

Ash nodded. "Pikachu! Go for it!"

"Chinchou!"

The little angler Pokémon materialized on one of the platforms, with Pikachu on the other.

"Chinchou, eh? Not one I remember seeing before, is it one of the Gym Pokémon?"

"Yes it is, Ash, and I chose her especially to beat Pikachu!"

"Pikachu can't lose against a water type! Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu nodded, and sent a Thunderbolt snapping downrange.

It did absolutely jack.

"What the hell!" Ash shouted indignantly.

"_I second that!"_

Chinchou has the ability Volt Absorb, meaning it's not harmed by electric attacks but is in fact healed by them, Dexter chimed in.

"Damnit! So what _does_ work on them?"

Not much. Grass attacks, ground attacks, everything else is not much use. And what's more, some of them can absorb water to heal.

"Surprised, Ash?" Misty called over at him. "I knew you'd use Pikachu, so I got Chinchou out from the tanks. Of course I prepared to deal with any of the Pokémon you have, I know what they are!"

Ash groaned. How had he not remembered? Misty was hardly going to just _let_ him take the badge. This was even worse than if she'd found a Wooper in there, though the lack of ground attacks was at least something.

"_Need a little help here!"_

Ash looked back up, and saw Pikachu scampering around on his platform dodging salvos of light that looked like Ice and Signal beams. "Okay, I have an idea. First, see if you can get onto the roof!"

Pikachu complied, making for one of the still dripping walls. Chinchou got there first, however, freezing the walls and making them too slick to get up. Pikachu replied by firing another sizzling Thunderbolt at his foe.

It didn't do anything, but it made him feel better.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes had elapsed.<p>

Pikachu was starting to get _really_ annoyed by now. The constant dodging was getting on his nerves, though he _had_ managed to catch the Thunder Wave sent at him by Chinchou in his Lightningrod ability and avoid getting paralyzed.

Ash had explained his plan over the few brief snatches they could seize while Misty couldn't hear, and the first part was still getting to the ceiling for cover.

Up to now, though, there'd been essentially nothing he could do to get up there – the wall was slick, his legs weren't developed enough for Bounce and he had no wings.

"Pikachu, I have an idea!"

"_About time."_

"Hit the wall as hard as you can! Try to shatter enough of the ice!"

Pikachu simply nodded. He had just the new move, too.

Volt Tackle was a simple concept – slam yourself into the opponent while covered in lightning – but actual execution was somewhat more complex. The electricity had to be used to propel the movement of the user, and be released properly on impact. There was a reason that it was normally only Pichu and their evolutions who learned the attack, as it was hard to do properly without their internal voltage stores they could use as the leading edge of the electron envelope.

Pikachu was currently performing it with the lightning replaced by his newly mastered steady flow of electric Aura, making it a _much_ more powerful version of his Double-Edge. It had some minor difficulties.

_Oh holy Arceus, my face feels like it's on fire!_

The entire gym shook as Pikachu hit the wall like a freight train, the ice on that wall shattering and the sculptures on the ceiling, already dripping with melt, shook dangerously.

Fortunately nothing actually fell.

Pikachu shook himself back to muzzy awareness after the impact, reflexively (training had _some_ benefits, after all) forming an Iron Tail to bounce away the Signal Beam that Chinchou fired his way.

_Where am I, and what kind of building hit me?_

"Pikachu! Get up the wall!"

_Oh, now I remember. I hit it. _Pikachu shook his head to clear it. _Thank goodness I'm good at climbing._

The electric mouse dug his claws into the spiderwebbing fractures along the wall of the gym battle chamber and hopped up to the roof, hiding away from attack in the ice sculptures.

_I have a couple of minutes before she can beat her way in… more than enough time._

* * *

><p>Misty stared up at the roof as yellow lightning began to crackle around the cloudy image of the mouse, forming into an indistinct circle as she watched.<p>

"Ash? What's going on?"

"Oh, I think Pikachu's just using Charge at the moment… nope, that's the other move now."

"What other move? No electric type attack can hurt Chinchou!"

"Well, see, I was thinking that there's no way he can win so long as there's water for Chinchou to heal with."

Ash broke off for a second as Pikachu leapt out into clear air, three circles of lightning independently rotating around him.

"So we decided to get rid of it. Pikachu, Volt Crash!"

The three circles locked together into one at a horizontal angle, and a bolt of electricity at least a foot thick blasted down into the Cerulean Gym pool, evaporating the lot in a massive steam explosion.

Volt Crash had a major drawback – that as Pikachu wasn't fully evolved, one use completely discharged his voltage sacs for almost a minute. But that wasn't a problem in this fight.

Misty doubled over, hacking and coughing from the dust in the air.*cough*"That Hyper beam-"*cough*"variant, you actually"*cough*"finished it?"

"This morning, Pikachu told me he had it done. We wanted to save it for a special occasion. Now, Earthquake!"

"_My pleasure!" _Pikachu clapped his paws together in mid air and then drew his right back, burning with a blue flame.

Misty's hair _toinged_ out. "Can he even learn that?"

"It's just the ground shaking, not terribly hard to fake."

Pikachu slammed into the ground, balled fist first. The building shook, ice rained down, the grounded Chinchou flinched – and the cracks in the walls grew wider.

Ash noticed it first. "Crap, everyone out! The roof's about to cave in!"

The four Sisters, Ash, Brock and the Pokémon not involved in the battle fled through the emergency exits as the roof fell in pieces on the combatants.

Pikachu was able to dodge all the bits and, being a chivalrous Pokémon, even broke the one headed for Chinchou in half with a quick Force Palm.

Being a pragmatic Pokémon, he pinned her to the ground with his Iron tail and slapped her in the temples, finally knocking her unconscious.

_Holy… that was more effort than I would have liked. I am so glad we won't be facing any _more_ gym leaders with future knowledge._

* * *

><p>"Yes! I got the Cascade badge!"<p>

Misty ran after the laughing Ash, reaching for him with the clear intent to try and strangle him. "It wasn't enough to destroy my bike, you had to break the Gym as well?"

"Come on, Misty, what else could I have done?"

"That was supposed to be an impossible fight to teach humility, you jerk! The Gyms aren't just about battles, they're supposed to be character tests as well!"

Pikachu looked up at Brock. _"Really?"_

"Yeah, each Gym follows some philosophy usually related to their element. So some of them – like my Rock type – are about endurance and the inability to give up, whereas others are about handling their element, case in point being Cinnabar and their stewardship of the volcano. If someone can beat the Gym anyway, they do get the badge… but that's not their only purpose. Ash won most of his for his strength of character, not the power of his Pokémon."

"_Ah, okay, gotcha. What are Misty's sisters doing, then?"_

Brock looked across. "Huh. Never seen the Water version of rapid construction before. Looks to me like…" Brock squinted. "Yeah, they're getting a Vaporeon to manipulate the groundwater in the area and bring up silica, then crystallizing it into opal. It's only a stopgap, but not bad at all. 'course, Rock types are better at rapid repair, they have to be as most attacks that work well against Rock also work well against the entire building… I'd guess that Vaporeon is specially trained for construction rather than combat."

* * *

><p>In the trees near Cerulean city, a sinister presence was watching the actions of Ash and his friends…<p>

"Ah, shaddup! I'm only using da binoculars!"

Yes, it was Meowth, who admittedly couldn't be sinister if his life depended on it. But the binoculars were large and black, so that counts. Right?

Anyway, he was keeping an eye on them because James and Jessie couldn't.

No, they were far away, leaving Meowth here with only Growlie to keep him company.

"Stupid humans… heading off all the way to Lavender Town, it's not right… left me with the mutt-"

GRRRR

"Yipe! Sorry, big guy…"

* * *

><p>AN: That's my private theory about the gyms, that their battles are as much about character tests as actual victory or defeat. It explains where Ash got all his from, at any rate.<p>

And Pokemon can help with things other than battle, right? All we see are the combat arts, but in a society like that, there's presumably many others.


	8. Chapter 7

"Well, James? How near are we?"

"I think the exit's just a bit further south and then… Oh, we should have brought Growlie! He'd be able to light our way through this stupid tunnel!"

"Quiet, or you'll wake the Zubat… we don't want that, do we?"

The two shivered. They'd already had to flee from hordes of Zubat no fewer than three times, they did _not_ fancy having to do so _again._

The problem was, they were in Rock Tunnel. Which, as anyone familiar with the geography of Kanto will know, is pitch black. They were navigating largely by guesswork and slightly via infrared, thanks to Jessie and her Arbok.

"Well, any more bright ideas, James? Perhaps next time we battle the twerp while directly underneath a powerline?"

James perked up. "Yeah, that might work, actually. The powerline would draw the electric attacks and-"

BAM!

Jessie knocked James to the floor. "And then we collapse it on us, or Magnemite try and beat us because we messed up their power source, or the ground caves in or something. We have terrible luck, remember?"

James was about to retort, when a fluttering noise was heard in the distance. He flinched in an almost Pavlovian reaction

"Oh…"

"Oh, no…"

"We didn't, did we?" James slumped to the floor in defeat.

Jessie pursed her lips. "Actually… I don't think so. Look at the time."

James pressed the button on his expensive watch (He claimed it was a holdover from his time as a rich kid. Jessie suspected he'd stolen it from his room when they picked up Growlie last week, which technically counted) and checked the lit up display. "Looks like it's the evening. So?"

"So? So? Zubat fly outside at night! We can follow them!"

"Oh, I see. Clever. Weezing," James sent out the only Pokémon he had at the moment, "Go the direction Arbok's going. Arbok, follow the bats. Jessie, you and I can grab onto Weezing and that way we'll know where to go!"

* * *

><p>Though they spent almost as much time being chased by the Zubat as vice versa, they did eventually stagger outside into the evening light, north of Lavender Town.<p>

"Next time, we take the balloon!" Jessie ranted.

"Well, how was I to know that Rock Tunnel wouldn't be lit up like Mount Moon is?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, this is the place," James looked up from his guidebook, "The map note said there were interesting Pokémon around here, which will be a help."<p>

Jessie snorted. "Tell me about it. We're just a bit specialized, aren't we?"

"We're more diverse than most Rocket teams, we have a fire type!"

Jessie looked sidelong at her teammate. "That's all very well for the grunts, but we're Admins now. Remember Domino's trio, back when they were low Admins?"

"Oh, yeah… Roselia, wasn't it? And her old team had an Exeggutor and a… Farfetch'd, right?"

Jessie shivered. "That lot were freaky… the girl threw roses, the boy carried a bokken and called himself the "Blue Thunder", and the father had a palm tree on his head and didn't shut up about the Orange Islands. There's working with your Pokémon and then there's going completely mental, you know?"

James nodded. "When Team Kuno broke up, Domino got so much more sensible, it was amazing…"

"Anyway! Keep a lookout, this trip has a purpose and don't you forget it!"

"Sure thing, Jess-!"

James tripped over something.

Jessie rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "James, for gods' sakes, I _just_ said – oh, what's this?"

James scrambled to his feet to see what he'd tripped over, and was startled to find it was a sleeping Abra.

"Well, not how I guessed we'd find the first possible catch… I suppose that maybe we should…?" Jessie tailed off.

James nodded, but fumbled as he took his new Poké ball – a Luxury Ball, similar to the ones they'd earlier decanted their others into - out of the bag. He dropped it, in fact, completely losing his grip.

With a flash, the Abra materialized below the descending ball and was promptly caught.

The Rockets stared dumbfounded at the ball. James eventually broke the silence. "Well, that's one way to ask…"

Jessie nodded, before motioning for James to pick up the ball. "Now we've done that, we still have to look for a new Pokémon for me, remember? And we have to get back to Cerulean as well, which will take _ages…_"

_Or I could take you there in a second._

James jumped. "Gah! Voices in my head!"

_It's me, dumbass. The Abra that you just 'caught', get it? I'm p-s-y-c-h-i-c. Means I can read minds, communicate telepathically and, just incidentally, teleport the lot of us to wherever._

Jessie looked contemplative. "That's… really cool, actually. Any limits?"

_I need coordinates of some description or other, either a memory or an accurate map reference. GPS should do on that score. And I can't manage teleports between regions… but I can do it pretty often, and when it's just myself I can be all over the place. Not that I want to, though, too much effort._

"Too much effort? Are you lazy or something?"

_It's genetic. I'm an Abra, not a Vigoroth._

"Fair enough, you did volunteer after all. So, Jessie, any ideas?"

Jessie considered. "I think a type advantage for once would be nice."

"Sounds good. Hey, Abra! Anything nearby that might qualify?"

_Third tree from the left of the signpost pointing the way to Saffron City, now shut it, I was asleep._

The two Rockets looked at the Poké ball in something akin to awe. "He fell asleep in that short a time?"

"Truly he is the slacker god."

James pressed the mute button on the controls of the Luxury Ball, to let his newest Pokémon sleep. "Well, we best be over there. Weezing!"

Jessie sent out her own Arbok, and they moved carefully towards the indicated tree, senses alert for whatever they would find.

What they found was a small, reptilian Pokémon shivering with terror as it stared at the Arbok transfixing it with a stare, the fear in the youngster's eyes evident even through the bone sockets she was looking through.

Yes, it was a Cubone.

Jessie smiled slightly. "Looks like the little sweetie is scared…"

The Cubone glanced round at her, and then smacked Jessie's Arbok into the ground hard enough to leave a dent.

Her smile grew. "Well, I like her attitude!"

James groaned. "Sometimes I don't like _your_ attitude…"

Jessie chose to ignore that. "Well, little one? Want to come with us?"

Cubone cocked her head to one side, thinking it over. Arbok woozily rose back up from the ground, and frantically shook his head at Jessie. Cubone noticed this, stuck her tongue out at the snake and jumped into Jessie's arms.

Arbok sighed. Just his luck, the two new members of the team could both beat him up by type advantage. Ah well, at least he was back with Jessie after all those years apart. Why had he ever left? Even if she made dubious decisions now and then, she was generally pretty awesome.

He noticed Weezing laughing at him. Most wouldn't notice as it sounded like laboured breathing, but when you know a mon…

"_Oh, shut up. Levitate isn't perfect, you know."_

* * *

><p>Ash and co. set up on a wooded hill for the night. They'd planned to find a clearing, but the night was rainy and it was easier to just stay under the trees that they'd encountered for the past day or so, leaving the Hidden Village where they'd picked up Bulbasaur and celebrated Ash's eleventh birthday… well, physically at least. But reuniting with his first one of the normal Kanto starters had been a great 'present', he'd been through more with Bulbasaur than almost any other Pokémon short of Pikachu.<p>

Ash privately suspected that last time they'd been too horribly lost to know what day it was. They had, after all, managed somehow to travel from Cerulean to Vermillion without passing through Saffron, which had to mean something was up. And… wait a minute…

Ash flipped open the Pokédex. "Could you give me a map of the Kanto region, please, with Bill's Lighthouse and the major cities marked on?"

Of course.

Ash traced out a path with his finger. "That's just silly… last time we actually went _north?_"

Looks like it.

"Er… where did we pick up Charmander again?"

Another blip appeared on the map, followed by a 'you are here' symbol.

Yep. Somewhere near Route 24. That's due north of Cerulean City, whereas you're currently somehow to the west.

Ash sighed. "Arceus above, we really suck at finding our way."

True. I recommend doing aerial reconnaissance tomorrow.

"Sounds good."

Ash lay back under the waterproof canopy and sighed. The only disadvantage of time travel was that all the getting lost from the first time happened again.

Or at least it did if you were Ash.

Pikachu wandered over. Unlike most of the rest (though like Misty's Pokémon) he had little trouble with the rainstorm and had been enjoying the way his power flowed more precisely in the beating rain. He had been using it to get in a bit of practice aiming Discharge so it didn't hit certain places – he thought a radial pulse variant of Shockwave was in the offing.

"_So, what's happening tomorrow?"_

"As I recall, we should meet Charmander fairly soon. Probably the day after tomorrow, though."

"_Heh, yeah. He was a real trooper, wasn't he? Even back then, he sat on that rock for days waiting for that jerk Damian."_

Ash's face went chalk white. "Days? CRAP!"

"_What's wr-oh. Oh, no."_

Ash fumbled out of his sleeping bag and lunged for his pack, throwing it around one shoulder even as he snatched the Pokédex with the other hand. He grabbed his third ever Pokémon and threw the ball on the run, jumping astride Pidgeot before she had properly materialized. "Pidgeot! North and east, fast! 'Dex, give me a more precise location, please!"

Bearing 027, thirty miles.

Brock and Misty jerked awake in their own sleeping bags as a rippling BOOM filled the trees. Neither had heard it often, but it was the almost unmistakeable sound of something going transonic very nearby.

"What the hell was that? Brock, is Crobat having fun with Mimic again?"

Brock looked equally confused. "No, he's asleep, or was… Do you think that was Ash?"

Misty made a disapproving sound. "Well, if it was, I hope he understands how inconsiderate he's being!"

* * *

><p>It was cold. It was wet. It was raining.<p>

These three facts were all that filled the mind of a certain thoroughly miserable Lizard Pokémon, curled up on a rock in the driving rain.

_Damian will come. I'm sure of it._

He sneezed as the rain infiltrated his sinuses, before blowing a little flame onto the rock beneath him to keep safe the refuge for his tail flame.

_He'll come. He has to._

Inquisitive Spearow were starting to circle once more. Charmander sent them scattering again with an Ember, but he was running low on energy. They didn't flee as far as they had before.

_Damian… where are you? I've become stronger, haven't I? I've stayed out here waiting for you, no food, no protection from the elements, for three days… I wish I knew how much it will take. For you to consider me worthy._

He was feeling sleepy. He didn't want to go to sleep, he might miss Damian's arrival… but it didn't feel as cold, when he was asleep.

_Maybe… just a few minutes…_

He slipped into grey and black half-sleep, his wariness of letting his tiny tail flame flop into the rain all that staved off deep slumber.

Charmander gradually realized that falling asleep would be a really bad idea, but he couldn't focus enough to consider what to do.

…_I'm sorry, Damian. I wasn't strong enough._

* * *

><p>"There!"<p>

* * *

><p><em>What's that? Am I imagining things?<em>

* * *

><p>A rushing wind, a thump, the sense of cradling arms.<p>

* * *

><p>"He's freezing! Butterfree, I don't care what it does to the weather patterns, give us some clear skies!"<p>

* * *

><p>The rain's impacts on his scales began to peter out.<p>

* * *

><p><em>I suppose it's a pleasant dream to have, being rescued. But I feel afraid it's too late to be a convincing hope…<em>

* * *

><p>He returned to bleary awareness what felt like seconds later, but since an intense sun was beating down on him, Charmander assumed he'd spent hours in a comatose state.<p>

"_Ah, good! You're awake!"_

Charmander rolled onto a side, looking at the speaker. He found that it was a Bulbasaur standing next to a trio of Pokéballs, only one of them with the indicator light that denoted it being full.

"_Who are you?"_

Bulbasaur looked saddened by the question for a moment, before replying. _"I'm just called by my species name, like most of Ash's Pokémon. I have experience taking care of sick Pokémon, so I volunteered to watch over you while Ash went to look for some berries with Butterfree." _Charmander looked lost. _"Ah, sorry. Ash is my trainer and the one who saved you last night. He barely got to you in time, your flame was all but invisible."_

Bulbasaur broke off for a second and concentrated, blasting away the few wisps of cloud that were beginning to form. _"There we go, best thing for a recovering Fire type. Intense sunlight and sunbathing, if nothing better is available. Oh, that reminds me."_

Charmander's caretaker lifted up a faintly glowing blue leaf in his prehensile vines and dropped it onto the lizard's tail flame, producing a flare in response.

"_Few more magical leaves and you should be much better."_

Charmander rubbed his brow, confused. _"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"_

A new voice piped up. _"Because we're concerned, that's all. You deserve better than dying in the rain."_

Butterfree had returned, bearing a Yache berry in his feet. He dropped it in front of their patient. _"Eat up. It raises body temperature, it's exactly what you need."_

Behind the Bug was a large shape that Charmander assumed was the human they spoke of, this "Ash".

He'd think about that later. For now, it was time to recover his strength.

* * *

><p>"Charmander… I want to tell you something."<p>

Charmander looked around, startled. He'd got much more into eating than he had thought, clearly, if this human had got that close without his noticing.

"This is going to sound strange, probably unbelievable, but…" Ash smiled gently. "This isn't the first time we've met. It's just the first this time around."

_You're right, that is unbelievable. What are you even talking about, time travel?_

Ash crouched down, took out a small red box and flipped it open. "That's you."

Charmander inspected the picture carefully. There was the tiny, almost invisible scar on the tail… there was the eye fleck… everything about the picture was incredibly familiar. It was good evidence, to be sure.

The device spoke as the picture changed. This is also you.

Charmander now looked astonished. That was… certainly not a Char_mander_. This person was saying that in the future he would evolve into a Charizard? That he wasn't too weak, too feeble to ever manage such a thing? But Damian had said he needed toughening up… was that right instead? Was it the toughening that led to this evolution?

The human was now looking strangely sad. "I have a certain power. If you want, you can be… sort of reminded of what happened to the Charmander I remember. To the… _you_ I remember. But I'd never do it without your permission."

Ash sank to the floor, sitting on a tree stump. "So, what do you think?"

* * *

><p>"Grrrh, that Ash! I swear he does it to annoy us!"<p>

Misty forced her way through yet another bramble bush, in the direction Pikachu had been pointing that morning. They were trying to find the wayward member of their party, but unfortunately he'd shot off practically directly between the two easiest paths in the area - and this had led to the current circumstance. Brock and Misty using the Pewter man's heavy hitters to break trail through increasingly hostile terrain, while Pikachu and Riolu made some pretence of scouting despite their anxiety over Ash.

"If it wasn't bad enough that we got lost barely two days travel form my home town, we turn out to be lost in the same way as before. And we all know what that means, we'll take two weeks to make a three day trip. And if we take two weeks, then we don't have time to detour back to Cerulean to grab the particular Magikarp I need, much less see if Ash can evolve it, and that means… grrah! I hate being this specialized! I used to have a Corsola, a Dewgong, a Togekiss! Now all it takes to beat me is a grass or electric type!"

Misty continued ranting for a few more minutes, then calmed down slightly. "Ah well, at least you share my pain, right, Brock?"

Brock cast around desperately for something to divert Misty from remembering that he was in line to have bug, grass, water, fighting, normal and fire types in the course of their journey, many of them in the next year. "Uh…"

He was saved by Pikachu and Riolu suddenly starting to shout, jumping up and down on their tree branch with such energy it looked like it might break.

Misty looked interested. "Well? What is it? Where did Ash go? Is he coming back?"

Brock glanced through his binoculars, then lowered them. "See for yourself."

With a mighty roar and a pair of slamming wingbeats, Charizard triumphantly landed before them in a clearing of his own making, Ash laughing and waving from his grip on the fire type's neck.

* * *

><p><strong>The enemy approached the shores of Indonesia in a stunning outflanking manoeuvre that took them straight past the defences… from <strong>_**Iceland**_**?**

"That's not how the game works."

"Pal-kia?"

Sir Aaron sighed deeply. "Boss, back me up on this one."

_I see no problem with it, Knight of Honour._

"Risk does not work this way! He just created a wormhole, for Your sake! And I don't think Dialga also playing in the past on a second board is very fair, either."

_Once we finish the game, then it's your turn to decide what we play next again._

* * *

><p>AN:The abandonment of Charmander by Damian is probably the single most reprehensible act in the early series. Even more so now that it's much clearer Pokemon are every bit as smart as humans.<p>

It's somewhere between a murder attempt and a really vicious betrayal/abandonment.

Also note the butterfly effect kicking in, specifically because a certain butterfly has been messing with the weather._  
><em>


	9. Chapter 8

"Are you Damian?"

The indicated boy paused in enumerating the virtues of his Pokémon collection to turn to the speaker. "That's me, why? Want a battle?"

Ash smiled. It had very little warmth. "Not me, no. I thought I'd make you aware of a few of the laws here in Kanto, that's all."

"What do you mean?" Damian was puzzled. He'd grown up here, of course he knew what the laws were.

Ash flipped open his Pokédex, accessing one of the pages of notes he'd made in preparation. "First up, an old law from well before the invention in Johto of the Poké ball. One that references the position of Pokémon that willingly follow a trainer, as – in fact – in a similar position as household members of a feudal lord, the initial intention being a comparison with hunting dogs and such but for more than just Houndour and Growlithe."

Damian merely looked confused. "So?"

"I'm getting to that. Second is a UN resolution from the fifties, defining the legal status of a Pokémon as being dependant on the tested intelligence of that Pokémon. Since the intelligence of Pokémon varies wildly within a species, ahem, 'In cases where the tested IQ and reasoning capacity of a Pokémon falls within the bounds of one standard deviation below the human average or higher, that Pokémon will be considered to be in an equal legal status as a human for all intents and purposes."

"Still not seeing the point."

"We'll get there. But in the meantime… I heard from someone that you had a Charmander. Where is it?"

Damian laughed harshly. "That weakling? I told him to wait for me on a rock out of town, a few days ago. He's probably still waiting, heh. Fool, I'm not coming back for him."

Ash glanced at his companions. "You two?"

"Heard and witnessed."

Damian looked suspicious all of a sudden. "What was that about?"

"Finally, a law from the Tokowuga shogunate that states: In case of a loyal retainer being betrayed unto death by a lord through no fault of his own, and he survive, he may make one return strike if the plot is proven."

Despite the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Damian tried to stay defiant. "And the point of all that is?"

Brock held out a Boulder badge, the special one that confirmed his post. "Gym leader of Pewter, fully accredited by the Kanto League."

Misty held up her own Cascade badge. "Gym leader of Cerulean, same."

Ash's smile was now positively arctic. "Gym Leaders used to _be_ the courts in their areas of jurisdiction; their testimony still holds up legally thanks to the rigorous character tests involved in assuming the position. Your abandoned Charmander is intelligent enough to count as human, and hence a retainer; you left him to die in the rain with malice intent; he gets a return strike; _he's behind you_."

Damian froze, then turned jerkily, looking at about two feet above the ground.

When all he saw was a pair of enormous legs, he looked up. And up.

Charizard waited until Damian was looking him in the eye, terrified and about to pass out, before inhaling massively.

To Damian, there were comparisons to looking down the barrel of a gun. There was a gaping maw, a dark tunnel behind… there was a glow around the bend of the tunnel now, swelling in intensity and transiting from red to orange to yellow to bluish white…

Charizard bent down to bring his huge head to the same height as that of his former trainer… and blew gently, knocking Damian onto his backside with a painful thump.

Then he wrinkled his nose; apparently Damian's fear had loosened his… let us just call it his 'control' and leave it at that.

Ash strolled over to the thoroughly humiliated trainer and pointed his thumb at Charizard.

"He's a better person than you. How does that make you feel, that – if he hadn't been willing to forgive you abandoning him to die – you'd be a smear of soot?"

Damian choked out a whimper.

Ash looked down a moment longer, then turned his back. "Come on, guys, let's head over to route 9. I think that's where we have to go next."

And they left him in the dirt, not bothering to spare him even a backward glance.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ash… something I want to ask you to do for me."<em>

Ash looked at Charizard, puzzled. They were stopping overnight in Cerulean City, and Misty was planning on picking up her future Gyarados the next morning. Her Aura training with Ash and Brock had progressed far enough that she could – just – manage a bastardized form of the Sight. It should be enough to tell which of the Magikarp she had a certain connection to… hopefully.

"What is it, then, big guy?"

"_You know I trained for years at the Charicific Valley? Well… that's the thing. I'll have to approach this slowly._

_Do you know what the most destructive elemental type is?"_

Ash smirked. "I assume it's fire?"

"_Right. The most powerful two fire type attacks really show this. Most potent of all is the one that won the last World War, used twice by a Pokémon that isn't just a user of fire but IS fire, in the purest sense of the world. Vinicti was ordered to use V-Generate… and an entire city was wiped away, just like that."_

Ash was astonished. He knew that Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been destroyed, of course… but _one attack…_

"How do you know this?"

"_I was taught it when I first learned the second most powerful of all fire attacks. It's one I had to submit to strict rules about – it's incredibly powerful. It's called Blast Burn, and it is one I __**absolutely cannot**__ use under my own volition. I __**must**__ be ordered to use it."_

"I don't understand, I'm sorry to say… why?"

"_Because if a Charizard is strong enough to learn Blast Burn, then a Charizard is strong enough that _using_ Blast Burn will actually strip the atoms of the targeted material of their electrons, turning it into plasma. Much like I heard from Pikachu that his Volt Crash at double power from Charge actually evaporated a swimming pool at point of contact, Blast Burn destroys whatever it hits. There is essentially no exception – even legendary Pokémon do not generally have this level of fire power behind them."_

"Tell you what. Can you show me?"

Charizard nodded. _"I believe the peaks of the Rock Tunnel area are sufficiently uninhabited – and I can get there inside an hour."_

* * *

><p>"Okay, um. Charizard, Blast Burn!"<p>

For a moment, it was to the eye as if nothing had happened – though Ash could feel his mount's Aura shifting and roiling with heat. Then…

The air tore as a cone of plasma, a foot wide at Charizard's mouth and focussing down to needlelike intensity at the target, smashed through it for a terrible fraction of a second. The area of impact didn't melt, didn't really vaporize. The energy transfer was too sudden and too fast for that. The entire area simply shattered into tiny chips of granite and rock mush. The heat of the initial attack, however, was still spreading through the shattered region by conduction, melting the entire area down to lava even as it shattered and continuing the process further out.

By the time the effects of the attack were fully visible, it was as a shallow, thirty meter radius crater on the rocky surface of the mountain, mostly full of lava still glowing with heat.

"…holy hell. I see why you wanted to tell me about it, that's practically unsurvivable!"

"_Yes. And what I want is for you to tell me when it's OK to use. I had a mental block artificially created in my mind – all those who learned the attack did – that means we can't use it ourselves. And a good thing too, or we'd most likely use it in anger."_

"I'd say it's unnecessary, but given what we face regularly… Don't hesitate to remind me of it when the fate of the world hangs in the balance."

* * *

><p>"Freakin' brilliant. So we follow dem when dey leave Cerulean, and they go west, then north, then east, then south and end up right back where dey started. Sometimes it's not worth getting' out of bed."<p>

Meowth sighed again, then lay back against Growlie's flank. The wolf's body heat had been essential during the cold nights outdoors, and the two had developed something of a truce. Meowth would try not to insult the larger Pokémon, and Growlie would warn him when he did.

"…wonder when James and Jessie are coming back…"

_bink_

Two humans, a cobra, a floating industrial disaster, a small dinosaur wearing a skull and a levitating fox all materialized in an instant.

"Gah!"

The humans promptly fell over, as they'd materialized at a forty five degree angle to the floor.

"Was that really necessary?" Jessie grumbled as she got up.

_Yes, yes it was. Well, more amusing really, but it's all the same to me._

"Oh, hi, guys!" James sounded inordinately cheerful. Could be that he'd never again have to go through Rock Tunnel. Ever. "Er… any progress?"

"Dey caught dat Charizard and Bulbasaur again. Oh, and Ash blew da Cerulean gym roof off."

Jessie and James looked astonished. "You mean…"

"This happens to them even when we're not around?"

Jessie jumped into the air, punching it in exuberance. "Yes! It's not just us who are chew toys of fate!"

James looked morose. "Maybe if we stay away from him for more of the time, our own luck would increase?"

"Hey, dat's a good idea!"

_I suppose we can use my Teleport to get to them whenever we need to, and do our own thing while they're lost._

Arbok sPoké up. _"What about challenging gyms? They seem to enjoy it."_

Jessie looked blank. Meowth sighed, muttering something about speaking lessons for the entire team, then translated.

"You know, that sounds like quite a good idea. Where should we go first?"

James leafed through the guidebook, a surprisingly comprehensive one by a company called 'Prima'. "Rock...no… Electric? Hell no, _they're_ going there next… I think Sabrina's still bonkers… the Water gym is out of commission… Hmm, Grass is a possibility… aha! Koga of Fuchsia town is a Poison trainer. We've got a ground type, a psychic and two poisons – one of them with Dig. We have a chance. Oh, and he also uses some bugs. That's Growlie's role!"

Jessie nodded. "That's settled, then."

"Hey! Whaddabout me?"

Jessie thought for a moment. "I… got nothing. You really need a more varied set of moves."

Meowth grumbled, and resolved to buy the official guide to his species next time he was in a major city. Surely there was something he could learn…

"Well, since the tw- I mean, Ash, has such a sense of flair… we'll just go and do our thing and then wait somewhere for him. Not as if we could miss him, and we're way faster than him now. That okay with you?"

A snore came from Abra's Poké ball.

"Heh… right, we'll ask him tomorrow."

Jessie looked askance at the ball. _When did he even get in?_

Most of the newly enlarged Rocket cell turned in early, but not all of them. A single figure stayed up far into the night, running through combinations with her club.

_I won't let you down… any of you._

_Not after last time someone trusted me._

* * *

><p>"So that's what's going on, Squirtle. You have the memories of the future back now… what I want to know is if you're going to be coming with me again."<p>

Squirtle nodded contemplatively. After a few seconds, he flared his Aura (A trick that Ash certainly hadn't taught him yet – his training clearly hadn't been in vain) and struck a pose.

"_The reputation of the Squirtle Squad echoes across the land! When people talk about their badass leader, they're talking about me!"_

Ash, Pikachu, Riolu, Misty and Brock all facefaulted.

"Three years since he's seen you and this is the first thing he does?" muttered Misty.

"_Of course I'm coming with you, Ash! I came of my own volition last time, and that's just not going to change!"_

A smaller, goggles wearing Squirtle next to him started going on about his "bro" and how awesome he was.

Riolu shifted over to Pikachu, and whispered in his ear. _"Was he always like this?"_

Pikachu shook his head, but remembered seeing some anime or other on TV, when Ash was crashing out in a Pokémon centre after going uphill on a Cycling Road or something. _"I believe he discovered an anime series or three since I last met him… mostly involving giant robots."_

"Well, now that's settled… we better get moving. Where next?"

Best you travel by Pidgeot and Charizard. Your next appointment is Cerulean Cape.

Misty looked pissed. "What, we go the exact opposite direction to Vermillion again?"

Don't blame me, blame the fact that none of you could read a map.

Not willing to allow another argument to take over, Ash took out his two flyers' Poké balls. "Come on, guys, we've got a trip across water ahead of us."

As he formed, Charizard stretched his wings till they popped. _"Aaaaah, that hits the spot. Gotcha, Ash – oh, hey, Squirtle! I see you've been training too!"_

"_We move beyond the people we were a minute before, each revolution of the Earth driving us to improve more than the last!"_ There was an audible _ting_ of light off Squirtle's shades.

"…_yeah, let's go with that."_

Pikachu shook his head. _"He's got it bad."_

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Fuchsia Gym. I am Koga, the leader, and I will ask you to perform a challenge before I will battle you."<p>

Jessie, James and their Pokémon listened intently to the rules of the challenge. They were wearing tops with "J" on instead of the rocket R, but otherwise their getup hadn't changed. The gyms of Kanto allowed anyone to compete, and as long as it took people a few minutes to link them with Team Rocket they could battle the leader and be away with Abra. Well, that was the theory anyway.

There was one member of their group, however, who was less interested than the rest in the explanation being given.

* * *

><p>"Jessie's right. I ain't no use against a serious battler…" Meowth muttered to himself as he wandered off into the rooms of the gym. "I ain't human enough, I ain't any use as a Pokémon… about all I'm good for is translatin' stuff."<p>

"_Perhaps I can be of assistance."_

"Da hell? Is there another Meowth in here?"

"_There is indeed." _A female scratch cat seemed to phase out of the stonework, a headband with a stylized heart design on her brow.

Meowth, with his experience of being hit with nearly every attack in the book and some improvised ones, recognized the effect as a Faint Attack's precursor stage.

Not that he was paying close attention or anything.

"Er… ya said something about assistance?"

The other Meowth nodded, and stretched sinuously. _"You're depressed, despite your unique skills. I can… remedy that depression quite easily. Come with me."_

He nodded, but looked back almost as soon as he had. "What about da others?"

"_They're taking the gym challenge, I know where they're going. You don't think we have to run an obstacle course every time we need a pint of milk, do you?"_

* * *

><p>"So, that is the basic layout. You have thirty minutes to complete the course, if you want to compete against me in battle. If you do not make it in time, you will have to try again later."<p>

Koga made a few shapes with his hands and vanished in a puff of smoke.

_Tch. Showoff._

James took out his Abra's ball. "What?"

_That was a hidden Koffing making the smoke, he just ran off while he was obscured. Sure, he's good, but he can't teleport. Speaking of which…_

* * *

><p>Koga came out of his body flicker manoeuvre in the main battle chamber of the Fuschia mansion he had claimed as his gym. With a gesture, he activated the cameras hidden throughout the course. He may as well record their amusing antics for later.<p>

_bink_

The challenging team materialized in front of him, the humans – strangely – upside down.

He'd really have to make sure to disallow Teleport in the future, but he couldn't deny that was ingenuity.

THUD

"Ow, that hurt! Get off me, James!"

"Not as if I can help anything…" James replied to himself as he righted himself.

"I am impressed with your speed around the course, challengers." Koga spoke up, reminding them he was standing right there. "Rest assured, it will not be a permissible method to complete the course again, though…"

Abra rolled his eyes. _Brilliant…_

"Be that as it may, I will now begin the battle. Send out your first Pokémon."

Koga put actions to words by sending a Grimer onto the field, starting small to gauge his opponents' mettle.

Jessie's Cubone walked forward into the centre field unprompted, and gestured to Koga, speaking rapidly in her own species' dialect.

"What's she saying? I only understand most Poison types, I'm afraid…"

Abra floated a little higher. _She asks for all your Pokémon at once._

Koga stared for a moment. The little dinosaur wanted _what?_

_She is most insistent._

Koga sighed. "Fine. If you want to lose that much, little girl…"

Cubone's eyes flashed. _No one_ called her that, especially not in that tone!

Koga threw his other Poké balls, assembling his entire team. Venonat, Golbat, Muk, Koffing, and a Skuntank.

"Where did that last one come from?" James exclaimed.

Koga raised an eyebrow delicately.

Looking flustered, James replied shakily, "Er, well, they're Sinnoh native, right?"

Koga coughed. "A-herm, he was a present from my daughter last Hanami festival." He shook his head. "Now, are you ready?"

Cubone nodded, then cast aside her Thick Club and walked slowly into the centre of the arena. Raising her head high, she began to speak in what sounded like a chant.

"Bone bone cu Bone cu cu bone…"

Jessie looked befuddled. "What's that?"

After a few seconds in which Meowth did not volunteer an explanation, everyone noticed he was missing. Cubone carried on with her chant, and Koga's team watched in interest.

Abra eventually put everyone out of their misery_. The first part means, 'I am the bone of my club…' but I don't know what that is supposed to mean, unless…_ he noticed the currents of energy curling around the arena. _Oh, very good. Very good indeed. I didn't even suspect she knew how to do this!_

* * *

><p>"<em>My bones are the earth, my skin is the sky.<em>

_I have wielded the past of thousands,_

_Serving life,_

_Understanding death,_

_Yet on the razor's edge between the two."_

* * *

><p>"What is it?" James asked in concern. "What's she doing?"<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>My past and future collide on the grassy plain.<em>

_I ask for only, the Bones of the hills!"_

* * *

><p>Abra replied tersely. <em>Reality marble.<em>

And then there was no need to explain, as blue and red fire remade the world into a field of swaying grass, a field of bones, under a stormy sky.

Koga gasped. "What is this?"

Cubone ignored him, staring at her opponents. They looked less sure of themselves now, six on one clearly felt much less safe to them. Finally the Skuntank sPoké up. _"What is this? Where are we?"_

Cubone smiled, not that it could be seen with the skull in the way. _"This is my soul. Tread lightly."_

Then she charged, bones flying into her hand from the great assemblages all around – and back out again just as fast, as she preceded her assault with a series of flying bonemerangs.

"_Holy crap!" _several of Koga's Pokémon yelled, flailing desperately at the storm of bones – ribs, tibia, fibula, humerus, scapula and all manner of others.

Cubone was gratified at the effect her distraction was having – and it had certainly served its' purpose by now, she was _in range._

She grabbed a thigh bone that looked like it was off a Snorlax, one that had seemed to just _appear_ as she reached for it, smashed the Grimer into the Koffing, and both out into the edges of her Reality Marble.

"_Two down."_

Next she took the spine of some kind of sinuous creature, perhaps a Dragonair, and sliced Muk in half, before throwing it so it carried the discorporate goop into the distance.

"_Three to go."_

Venonat was next, and was simply bashed on the head with a long, thin bone club – a measured blow that merely caused unconsciousness. She was careful with those targets with skeletons of their own to break.

"_Two left."_

Golbat was high in the air by now, out of range of any throw she could manage with a heavy bone, and started laughing down at her.

"_You think to defeat ninja with a single trick?"_

Cubone nodded, and snapped her claws together. A storm of knucklebones flew into the air, and peppered the Golbat until he was dizzy. Then they all started sticking to his wings and dragged him down.

"_This is my soul, remember? Did you think it would be that easy?"_

She idly conjured a Bone Rush staff from thin air and threw it like a javelin, knocking him on the forehead and putting him out for the count.

"_One left."_

She looked around for any sign of her final foe.

The Skuntank burst from the floor next to her, having Dug underground to escape the bone blizzard, and captured her in his tail.

"_You fought well, but now is the end."_ He gloated, moving his tailtip towards her and letting the pilot light flare up for a Flamethrower.

Cubone pointed over her captor's shoulder. _"What is it?"_

She simply pointed again.

Sighing heavily, he looked round – and saw an enormous skeletal Tyranitar, rearing back as it roared to the heavens.

"_Oh, come on! That's just ridiculous!"_

Skuntank made to flee, but was too late as the construct knocked him out cold with its' tail.

Cubone freed herself from the limp Skuntank's Constrict, and looked over her handiwork. She permitted herself a tiny nod of satisfaction.

"_I won't be weak. Not ever again."_

The flames came again, and the savannah grasses became a distant memory. All that was left was her team, the six unconscious poison types – and Koga, mouth open in shock.

* * *

><p>"You fought… amazingly well. Here is the Soulbadge."<p>

As Jessie accepted the badge on behalf of her Pokémon and James scooped up Cubone from the ground, a voice familiar to the Rockets cried out.

"Yes! Yes! My lady Mew, yes!"

Jessie and James cringed in unison. That was Meowth, but it didn't sound like they _wanted_ to hear where he'd been for the last twenty minutes or so.

Less than a minute later, he walked in with a huge grin, right next to the female Meowth that had originally led him off.

"Guess why da cat's so happy!"

Jessie mumbled something about not wanting to know.

"Ya don't wanna? Fine, I'll show ya."

The Rockets' eyes bulged. _Did he just say he'd show us?_

Meowth drew back his paw, and flung three golden coins into the ceiling.

There was a pause.

"Did you… just use Pay Day, Meowth?" James asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, yeah! This friendly cat here," He indicated the ninja Meowth, "took da time ta show me what I was doing wrong!"

"Oh, so _that's_ what you were doing!" Jessie exclaimed, with some relief.

Meowth looked puzzled. "What else would I have bin doing?"

James coughed. "N-never mind about that."

* * *

><p>"Well, that was… strange?" Misty tried, the first to speak for fully ten minutes after they had left Bill's Lighthouse.<p>

Ash snorted, and moved Pidgeot in closer to his friends on Charizard. "Yeah, strange doesn't begin to cover it. So apparently the Dragonite that Bill signalled was one of the Chinese Dragon Kings?"

Brock nodded. "Pretty much. Why are you going over all this?"

Ash ground his teeth. "I am trying to maintain my sanity. It's quite hard. So, to check I wasn't hallucinating. The dragon king was the dragon king of the south east?"

Misty grimaced. "Yes."

"And south east of China is…"

Brock covered his ears. "Stop, before I start having flashbacks and fall off, please!"

"_I think I could have handled it were it not for the can of Foster's the size of a small truck."_

After a few more seconds and an almost visible shudder, the travellers shook off the memory of the Australian Dragon King, and set course for Vermillion. Pidgeot was showing off her supersonic speed to the slower Charizard, further burdened as he was by two passengers – but declined when he suggested teasingly that they should swap loads.

She didn't fancy carrying _two_ humans and their full weight packs, thank you very much!

At least Ash had remembered to catch Kingler before they went to the cape proper… she remembered the crustacean from their league challenge in Kanto, as a good battler. As he had more of a relationship with Oak than with Ash, he'd been sent to the lab until needed – most likely for the Cinnabar Gym challenge. Make no mistake, he was one heck of a battler, but not one of the easier ones to use – unlike most of Ash's Pokémon, he was a devoted specialist in his type.

Besides, Squirtle covered the Water type already.

* * *

><p>A smirk chased briefly across the features of a silver haired woman, in an airship hovering over Verity lakefront. "Interesting… a job in the Kanto region, huh? I'm not impressed with the starting offer, but the second payment is most enticing. And to be able to catch an Arcanine, too… I notice the task is simply that the Pokémon be caught, not what happens to it subsequently."<p>

She considered a moment more, before coming to a decision. Venturing in range of the skies protected by the Blackthorn clan would be… _unpleasant_, but she was confident her unique technologies would let her succeed.

"Helm. Change course, head south. Exec. All hands commence combat drills and switch to loadout D on the outer cannons. Remain in cloak until we are over the water."

_Come to think of it… I wonder if the Beasts of Johto, or the Birds of Kanto might make interesting targets as well. It's been so long since I broke a legend to my will…_

* * *

><p>AN: Cubone is based in several important ways off Archer from the FateStay Night series. It's a great game/anime series, and I would recommend it.

I essentially couldn't resist the "I am the bone of my club" joke, and from there on the entire Reality Marble aria fell into place. It's an interesting concept, and it says volumes about a person that they use their innermost self as a battlefield.

Hunter J, on the other hand, is a marvelously competent and - above all - vicious adversary. This is perhaps the only person in the entire setting who has no qualms about lethal force.


	10. Chapter 9

As the friends circled the port of Vermillion before landing, Misty pointed out the S.S. Anne. "Well, there it is. It's hard to remember now I loved it so much I built models of it, really."

Ash had caught most of that, and replied soberly. "I suppose nearly dying onboard a sinking ship would affect that."

For a moment the group was silent. Then Ash lifted his head, the melancholy mood simply flowing from his face. "Well, time for me to try for another Gym Badge!" He urged his mount towards the ground.

"You never change, Ash…" Brock grinned, and the two gym leaders followed on Charizard.

* * *

><p>By the time they had caught up, Ash was already at the main door to the gym and sorting through his Poké balls. "Damnit… no flying types, no water types… that leaves Pikachu, Riolu and Bulbasaur for the gym. You guys okay for it?"<p>

The three nodded, just before Brock arrived on the scene. "You sure you don't want to borrow one of my Pokémon, Ash? It would help."

Ash shook his head. "No thanks, I doubt we'll have much trouble."

* * *

><p>"Well, you're a bit young to be battling my gym. Any reason for the tiny little Pokémon? You're not trying the Gym challenge with a newbie team, are you?"<p>

Ash gritted his teeth. The American was incredibly aggravating, even with Ash knowing he _could_ win. "Shut up! I've got several evolved Pokémon, it's just that they're all water or flying types!"

Lt. Surge looked askance at his challenger. "You're a peppy one, aren't you, brat? Fine, then I declare my challenge. You must face me in three separate one on one battles. All three Pokémon you choose must beat their opponent in order to win you the Thunderbadge."

Ash gaped. "What?"

"You heard me. This should teach you to respect your betters, boy."

_Just how old _is_ he?_ Ash mused._ He sounds like Agatha…_

"Fine. You want to open this one, Bulbasaur?"

"_Sure!"_

Surge gave a slight smirk. "Good to see you're not completely clueless. Electrode!"

* * *

><p>Bulbasaur trotted out onto the battlefield, ready for his first formal battle in a good few years. <em>Well, here we go. Let's see, an Electrode. Can't remember what their thing was…<em>

The match began. Electrode revved, blurred into motion, and Exploded at close range to Bulbasaur.

_Oh, yeah, that was it._

Bulbasaur sank his vines into the floor to act as a brake and was yanked to a halt about halfway to the wall. As he retracted them to regain mobility, he saw that Electrode was effectively undamaged from the blast.

This was going to be all kinds of not fun.

Bulbasaur began the fight proper by sending a vine whipping into the ceiling and gripping the rafters, trying to stay out of Electrode's reach by reeling himself up to the ceiling. This did manage to evade Explosion range, but didn't get him completely off the hook.

A bolt of electricity from the alpha variant of Shockwave unerringly homed in on him – actually turning two corners to track his erratic swings before it impacted - sending him out of control and forcing him to disengage before the vine snapped.

_This isn't good… oh, _that_ might work._

Surprising many watching, Bulbasaur hit the ground and left a small, deep crater.

Surge quickly worked it out. "He's used Dig! I didn't know Bulbasaur could even do that!"

Ash gave a grin. "Most can't… but most of them aren't the ones that travel with me!"

"Don't get cocky, brat! Electrode, Shock wave!"

Another of the homing bolts snapped off and, unfortunately for Surge, simply smacked into the ground and did nothing.

"What the… oh, I see. I've never tried that against an underground target, because most of them are ground types and aren't affected anyway. So, where's your little grass type?"

Ash closed his eyes, started, then gave a grin. "He's down there, all right… and he's doing exactly what he should."

Pikachu and Riolu closed their eyes too to take a peek with Aura sight… then ran for the nearest cover.

_Growth… growth… growth… and now, Frenzy Plant!_

An enormous tree of wooden vines sprang up from the ground around Electrode (doing a number on the gym floor) and slammed together with the hapless electric type inside it. After a second or so during which the vines tightened with an ominous creak, the entire construct exploded in a shower of splinters as Electrode blew up again.

Coughing, Ash and Surge both looked towards the centre of the arena. Electrode was badly exhausted, but then again any Hyper Beam variant used by a non fully evolved Pokémon burned out its' elemental ability for a good few minutes. So Bulbasaur was likely in the same state as his opponent, and if so the battle was down to the wire.

No pun intended.

Ash cheered as a foot burst from the torn ground and kicked Electrode into the air – the impact enough to knock the Pokémon out.

He ran over to the exit hole and carefully hauled Bulbasaur out…

_Hauled?_

_Oh, that explains it. Ivysaur, then._

"What happened to _you?"_

"_I overdid it on the Growth, it triggered the evolution. Wow, that feels weird… I've got petals now… and fronds…trippy…"_

"Nice work, buddy." Ash recalled Ivysaur, and flashed a grin at the Lieutenant.

"Hmph. Don't get cocky, little boy. Magneton, show him the error of his ways!"

Ash gestured Riolu forward. "Take him!"

"_Not a problem!"_

_Wow, they're really committed to this… _Pikachu mused. _I suppose it's just the way we all get riled up by a good fight._ He then noticed Surge's Raichu, sitting calmly on the edge of the arena. On seeing his soon-to-be-opponent's attention, the Raichu made a series of gestures suggesting that Pikachu was… a total softy and rather untalented. Let's leave it at that.

_Oh, it's so on._

* * *

><p>Magneton began to glow, sparks dancing off its' various magnets, and levitated a good ten feet into the air – as a Pokémon even weaker to Ground attacks than the rest, it was a standard starting move for the magnet Pokémon.<p>

Riolu affected a bored posture, not particularly concerned with what was coming.

Surge clenched his fist. It was a part of his battle style to piss his opponent off, to encourage them into a straight line power contest (which he would then naturally win)… but it wasn't going to plan here. If anything, he was the one being affected more.

"Magneton! Double Team and Flash! See how cocky he is when he can't even see you!"

Riolu flinched back as the wall of light assaulted his vision. Every single of the dozen or so images of Magneton had lit up like a halogen lamp, instantly flash blinding him but also screwing up his nerves, so he couldn't even hide from it.

Through the shooting headache he was starting to develop as Magneton added Metal Sound to the mix, he faintly heard a voice.

_.iol., .re y.. oka.? .ome ov.. .ere_

How was he hearing anything over this assault?

_.o, .tay ther. .nd I'l. .hrow it ov.._

In fact…

"_Riolu! Stop paying attention to the noise and catch the damn blindfold!"_

That wasn't a voice, but that was certainly Ash!

Riolu snatched the blindfold – Sir Aaron's blindfold, in fact – as it flew past him, and bound up his eyes. With the constant assault of light gone, he could feel his concentration starting to recover.

And with his eyes covered, he could see.

"So the baby closes his eyes to hide from the world. How is he going to battle now, then? His opponent isn't even on the ground, where he might run into it!"

Riolu began gathering energy.

Ash shot a glance at Surge. "Don't you know about Riolu at all? They can sense Aura, like the aura of living things. He's fully aware where your Magneton is."

Riolu nodded as his gathered power concentrated in his palm and began to spin.

The Vermillion gym leader chuckled. "Okay, point to you. But I recognize that attack from your Japanese Anime series – it's a close ranged attack!"

Ash and Pikachu shrugged at each other, mystified. "What anime was that, then?"

Surge looked shifty. "Something about a kid with a Ninetales sealed in him or whatever, I don't claim to be much of a fan…"

Riolu threw the Aura Sphere at Magneton, sending Surge's electric/steel type neatly through the wall.

Surge blinked. "What?"

Ash ran over to check Riolu was okay, before shooting a glance at Surge. "Don't believe everything you see on TV."

"Heh… a good point from you again." Surge sobered, and pointed at the gym motto as a pair of Magnemite floated over to the hole, seeming to repair it with some kind of electrical arc welding. "So, time for the final test. You've had two of the three tenets of Electric power. Speed, you handled. Precision, you dealt with. Now it's time for raw power! Raichu!"

"Pikachu!"

* * *

><p>The two electric mice faced one another in the middle of the arena, neither making a move at first.<p>

"A baby Pokémon for a baby trainer. Do you have some kind of problem with evolving your Pokémon, boy?"

Ash forced himself to stay calm. Deep breaths… deep breaths… focus on clarity…

"Suppose he's just as much of a wimp as you, then!"

Pikachu's eyes flashed. Who did this person think he was? Insulting Ash like that! The Pokémon knew full well that at this point Ash could – were it necessary – beat Surge into the floor, for all the latter's military experience. And with the way this was going, it looked like Surge would just keep up the taunting until he got a response.

"What's the matter? Scared to fight me?"

Right, that was _it._

Pikachu charged forward, surging with electricity in a Volt Tackle.

Raichu yawned, and threw a Thunder at Pikachu that slammed him to a dead stop, before slashing into him with another pair of Thunderbolts that completely paralyzed him and threw him back into Ash's diving catch.

"Pikachu… how?" Ash stood up, glaring at Surge. "How did you do that? Pikachu has faced down dragons and gods before, how did _that_ overpower him?"

Surge chuckled, and strolled forward. "It's not a question of skill, or training. In battles between electric Pokémon, the most important question is how high a voltage they can generate. Sadly for you, my Raichu's electric potential is too high for your Pikachu to approach. That's why I said power was important."

Surge tossed a Thunderstone from his pocket to Ash. "Feel free to evolve him and come back later. I'll even waive the first two battles, isn't that nice?"

Ash clenched his teeth, and curled his arms protectively around Pikachu. "I'll go away, and train… and we'll come back, and _Pikachu_ will kick your ass!"

The American didn't say anything.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Surge pointed down. Ash looked.

"Oops."

The Thunderstone, forgotten in Ash's fist, had just made contact with Pikachu's tail.

"_Well, crap."_

"Pikachu!"

* * *

><p>He came groggily round. The pain had been indescribable after the Thunderstone had contacted his fur, but after a few moments everything had gone mercifully blank. His nervous system had opened of its' own accord to drink in the energy, but his Aura – responding to his will – had fiercely defended him from the effects. He had no idea what the result had been.<p>

As his senses came back one by one, he first perceived the smell of burnt fur, sap and hot metal. Still in the gym then.

His electric sense opened up next, and it was amazingly fuller and richer than before, his power wells so much stronger – like he'd been wearing insulation all his life. He could only remember that kind of boost once before.

And it had been when he'd ceased being a Pichu.

So he had evolved then. That was unfortunate, but it had been mainly his personal preference and his minor pobia of the Raichu he remembered from childhood that had stopped him. He could learn to cope. For Ash.

_Well, better get used to the differences, like the tail._

He tried to curl his tail up close to his body, like he had seen many of his evolved – no, _his_ form do.

_Why is it so stiff?_

Then his hearing returned.

"You okay, Pikachu?"

* * *

><p>Ash hurriedly crouched to the floor, and went for his bag. Notes on evolution, gloves, cape… Pikachu was resisting the evolution, so that helped, but he had only about a minute.<p>

"Riolu, get over here, I need your help on this one!"

"_What do you need me to do?"_

"Force the energy of the stone back into it, contain it, I'll get it out of Pikachu."

The trainer and Pokémon worked as fast as they could, heedless of the awed observance of Surge and his Raichu as the two did what seemed to be magic.

"_Okay, no more is coming out. How are things on your end?"_

"Not so good. I got as much out as I could, but there's still some left. Only a few seconds before it settles, and it'll change wherever it is to match Raichu body structure. Damn… I was so close to getting it all, but it's too deep rooted!"

Riolu glanced at the pained face of his teammate, then had a sudden inspiration.

"_Send it to the cheeks. They're power reservoirs for either form."_

Ash spared a glance at his youngest Pokémon, even as his Aura stopped trying to check the evolution energy's effects and instead forced it as fast as possible to the one place where the change wouldn't badly injure Pikachu. "That's… brilliant! Okay, give me some help here."

* * *

><p>"<em>So… I have not evolved?"<em>

"Not really, no. You've come as close to it as any Pokémon ever has, but you've not evolved. You have, however, picked up the electric sacs of a Raichu, and possibly some kind of other changes. Since you're still able to move, I assume it's nothing serious."

Ash then took something from Riolu.

"This is what's left of the stone, if you want it. Seems weird to me, it's nothing like any Thunderstone I've ever seen before."

Pikachu stared at the bluish globe. It was indeed unusual. Thunderstones held a crystallized lightning bolt, whereas this… the lightning within was dancing, caged but still fully mobile.

"_I think this is… it's a Light Ball. I've only ever heard of them. They're incredibly potent and rare artefacts, they resonate with my species."_ Pikachu tore his eyes away and glanced at Ash. _"Can I?"_

"Of course."

Pikachu took it, and it dissolved at his touch, running into his body like water down a drain. It felt nice, like warmth from a mug of cocoa, and the tingling of three-phase breakfast.

Ash shared a look with his first Pokémon, then turned to the awestruck Surge. "I think we'll take you up on that rematch now!"

Surge's Raichu looked up from where he was trying not to pay attention.

* * *

><p>"Okay, rematch start in two… one…go!"<p>

"_Zap cannon."_

Raichu went straight through the recently repaired wall and vanished off into the distance. Surge gaped.

"Okay, what the hell was that?"

Pikachu ran back to Ash and climbed onto his shoulder, and the trainer took the Thunderbadge from the Gym Leader's unresisting hands. "Superior firepower."

* * *

><p>"Okay, what next?" Ash sat by the side of the road, with the rest of the group.<p>

The S.S. Anne-

"Screw that."

Porta Vista next. Misty's Horsea was caught there.

"Okay, we go there for him, nothing else. Flippin' insane mayor or whatever she was…"

Maiden's Peak.

"Not only no, but HELL no."

The Butterfree swarm passes overhead.

"Right, that's more like it. Butterfree?"

"_I would like to go with them, but retain the possibility of coming back. Any idea if there's a portable satellite uplink and Pokémon transporter package?"_

"We've got a month or so to look in Celadon city, we have the time to check. Next!"

Saffron Gym and all that stuff.

Ash sighed. "Not that nutcase again… I suppose the best approach is to make her overcome her childhood trauma, right?"

Yes. You could go to Lavender.

"I am not dying _again_, damnit!"

Oh, is _that _what happened? We all sort of assumed you were asleep.

"Right, not happening. We may as well use the month and a half of time off the clock to train up, and I'll try and learn Aura Purge from the notes. It's apparently able to calm Shadow Pokémon, so it might well work on mere emotional repression."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Why, yes. Pikachu is now half-evolved. Because he deserved a power up (and a big one, given how important he is to the series and as a character) but making him a Raichu would be somehow wrong.

And a silly little Naruto reference there. The idea of how our media would be altered to fit with the setting is fun to look at.

Edit: I recieved a review asking about it for this chapter, so:

The Pokemon world is based on the real one in a lot of ways. Kanto = Kanto, Japan; Sevii= Izu and Bonin; Johto = Kansai (and Chubu is split between Johto and Kanto); Hoenn = Kyushu and Okinawa; Sinnoh = Hokkaido; Unova/Isshu = Manhattan and the surrounds; Orre = Arizona. Several more specific places are also directly corresponding, and in the anime places like Hollywood are mentioned by name.

In the games themselves, Lt. Surge is described as the Lightning American and Arcanine is said to be in Chinese legends, among many others. The easiest explanation is the one I use - that the Pokemon world differs from ours, but not in the continents or large countries. Hell, one of the anime episodes mentions Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein!

Bulbapedia has a page about the Pokemon world in relation to the Real World.


	11. Chapter 10

"That's enough, Meowth." The frustrated Gloom he was fighting let out a sigh of relief as the cat disappeared.

She was glad that was over. It had been like fighting smoke.

Then Gloom turned grey as Jessie sent out her other Pokémon for this match.

"Growlie, use Flare Blitz!" Jessie called, and her borrowed Pokémon went through the Celadon Gym Leader's team like a plasma lance.

Please, don't even ask me to describe it. It was just _nasty._

"You have won. Here is the Rainbowbadge, and here is the bill for repairs."

Jessie looked over it, and sighed. They'd at least done better than the battle in Pewter Gym, where the place had completely collapsed after Abra had gone nuts and spammed Future Sight _everywhere_ in the gym in order to finish his match and go back to sleep. The little guy was almost fanatically devoted to the principle of slacking off, which seemed strange.

Surge was also upset about Cubone having beaten his entire Gym by simple expedient of using her Marble, and demolishing the main battle chamber with a skeletal Torterra.

"Meowth! Another repair bill!"

Meowth reappeared from Jessie's shadow, and started counting out cash.

"You're really getting into this thing, aren't you?"

"Yeah, it's a pretty good way ta set up a fightin' style, and it focuses more on stealth an' speed than power…" Meowth pulled the last of the coins he needed from thin air, and handed over the bag to Jessie, who passed it on to Erika.

"My thanks. Now, get yourself out of here."

Jessie and her teammates beat a hasty retreat.

* * *

><p>"Growlie! Oh, I missed you too, boy…"<p>

Jessie rolled her eyes. "We were in there for five minutes."

_So, where next?_

James suddenly snapped his fingers. "Of course! The S.S. Anne!"

Jessie stared at him. "Do you not remember? That ship nearly killed us!"

"Well, we did kind of sink it… but I meant that we could go buy a Magikarp again, only this time we actually take care of it!"

Jessie's mind filled with the idea of a Gyarados.

"Well, I'm sold! At least we can avoid Ash messing things up."

James suddenly got a curious expression. "Now I come to think of it, where _are_ Ash and his friends?"

_My guess is in the middle of a training montage._

"A what?"

_Zzzz…_

"Oh, never mind."

* * *

><p>"Okay… form pattern 17 modulated with pattern 6… and externalize through chosen body part…"<p>

"_Any progress?"_ Riolu asked, from his place clinging upside down to a tree branch. He already knew most of the simple stuff one could do with Aura, and the thought of trying things like Aura Purge frightened him, so he was trying to discover new mid level techniques and abilities. The tree climbing thing – Van der Waals force, apparently - was the third, after modifying surface tension (so he could walk on water, or for that matter make it bounce off him) and a neat trick that messed with the Bernoulli effect and caused environmental effects (so rain, blown sand, that kind of thing) to sort of flow past rather than affect him.

"Some, but it's mostly a question of testing it by now. I can create the flow needed given enough time to prepare… but I have no way of telling if it's the _right_ one. That's why I was trying to break it back down into its' components, but it's not much help."

"_Is there anyone you could… test it on? Someone with a minor issue, not a major one?"_

Ash mentally ran through the list of Pokémon on his team, and that of his allies. They were mostly pretty well balanced, actually… surprising, for a team that had fought some (or for Pikachu, most) of the _Kami_ in the country…

"Oh, I know! Misty's afraid of Bug Pokémon!"

Riolu stared. _"She will kill you. From what I have seen of that woman, suggest she's weak and she will turn you into liquid without benefit of Acid Armour."_

"Heh, don't worry," Ash gave a winning smile. "I'll use tact and diplomacy!"

"_You're doomed."_

* * *

><p>"Hey, Misty!" Ash called as he left the trees by the river they'd set up near. "You know how you're terrified of bugs?"<p>

WHANG!

Misty handed Brock back his dented frying pan. "What was that, Ash? I didn't hear you."

"Ugh… I was trying to help…" Ash rubbed his aching head.

"Well, I don't need your help! I have it under control!"

Brock spoke up. "Hey, look, a Beedrill."

Misty started, ran in a random direction, and fell in the stream. Ash sighed, and went to haul her out.

"Misty, you need help. Now, either I try my therapy Aura technique on you, or…"

Misty _hmphed._ "I'll take the other option."

"The other option is that Squirtle gets you over it with sheer distilled awesome. Possibly involving ripping open dimensions, rock music from nowhere, and punches."

"…I'll take the Aura technique."

Squirtle put his sunglasses away sadly. _"And I was so hoping I could deliver a Dimensional Therapy Punch, as well…"_

* * *

><p>"Okay, Riolu, keep watch over us as I do this. Pikachu, Charizard, Ivysaur, come over here. I'm going to handle the trauma, that might entail a battle – and I think I can bring people along."<p>

"_Oh, ok, like we did to Larvitar?"_

"Actually, yeah. Now I think it needs body contact, so…" Ash focused, took a moment to steady his full Aaron outfit, and began to form the Aura matrix required to enter a person's subconscious.

"You know, Ash, maybe this isn't such a good idea after all. I-"

Ash wasn't listening. "Aura purge!"

Blue fire enveloped both their bodies, then Pikachu, Ivysaur and Charizard.

Riolu closed his eyes to improve his Aura sense, and began to wait for his friends to return from their journey.

He was interrupted by the sound of running feet, as Squirtle skidded into the clearing. _"That's no good, they forgot about me!"_

Riolu cleared his throat. _"What are you talking about?"_

"_I thought that if they were going to go into Misty's mind, they should naturally take along a water Pokémon! It'll be a point of familiarity for her!"_

Riolu sighed, turning back to his contemplation of the forest ambience. _"Fine, whatever, go ahead. Just touch them and you go in."_

* * *

><p>Ash and Pikachu were not exactly strangers to travelling into someone's inner mind, and were eager to find out if Misty saw them any differently from how they were. Discovering that Larvitar was terrified of Pikachu, for example, had been of some interest…<p>

Not much was different, really. Pikachu's cheeks were their old red rather than his Raichu-mix orange – understandable as Misty's image of him was built up over the years – and Ash was somewhat startled to find that even when he was merely eleven, Misty saw him as the teen she remembered.

Charizard and Ivysaur, meanwhile, freaked upon finding themselves half again their normal size, with exaggerated claws and natural weapons, and faces seemingly set in permanent scowls of rage.

"What the hell?" Charizard finally shouted after almost a minute of incredulous self examination – and then gasped. "I can speak!"

"She's scared of you. Charizard because he was nearly uncontrollable most of the time she knew him, and Ivysaur probably because she doesn't know if he'll become the same. And as for speech, that's simple. We're projections – we can communicate by speech perfectly fine."

Pikachu looked puzzled. "Did this happen last time?"

"… no. Shut up."

"So, where are we, anyway?"

Ivysaur glanced around at the scenery. "Looks like we're near her home, in Cerulean. Look, there's Mt. Moon."

Ash took out his notes again. "Apparently, the technique gives you a head start on finding the root of the trauma by putting you near the cause of it."

Pikachu pointed. "Look."

The rest of the group turned, and saw a young, orange haired girl running from a trio of somewhat older girls, laughing merrily.

"You think that's her?"

"Probably. Let's follow her."

* * *

><p>The four crept through the woods near Cerulean, Charizard trying rather unsuccessfully to look like a tree. Fortunately, at this point what was playing out before them was more of a memory anyway.<p>

They watched as Misty ran too far from her sisters for them to keep track of her, and came across some Paras in the woods. The excited little girl had tried to pet them, and had been paralyzed by the spores dusting their flanks. The Pokémon had reacted by starting to carry her deeper into the woods.

It was at about this point that Ash recalled the way Paras ate… and simply couldn't take watching any more.

"Right. That looks like the trauma causing event, so, well, Charge!"

Pikachu and Ivysaur demolished the Paras with careful surgical strikes, and Ash picked the young Misty up carefully. As he sprayed her with some of the antiparalysis medication he carried, she began to whimper.

"Calm down, Misty. You're safe now."

She shook her head vigorously. "I always think that when my sisters come, but I never get away from them… run, before they get you too!"

"What do you mean, they?"

Misty pointed into the distance, where a series of seemingly random movements of the grass revealed themselves as the indicators of a truly immense horde of Bug types. Everything Misty had ever seen on her travels that reminded her of this one terrible event had reinforced her fear, and now they were coming for her.

Ash glanced to both sides. "Ivysaur? Charizard? Pikachu?"

They all nodded.

Ash adjusted his hat. "Right then. Misty, I swear none of them will get you. We won't let them." He raised his staff, and focused Aura into it, forming a corona of power.

Charizard roared, and began to punch out heat at an incredible rate. Ivysaur used Growth to boost his size and strength, and Pikachu summoned a snapping curtain of blue-yellow electricity.

The Bug army chittered and charged.

* * *

><p>Misty crouched in a hollow underneath the roots of a tree, unwilling to pay attention to the chaotic battle barely fifty feet away. <em>If I ignore it, they might go away… they might go away…<em>

"Hey."

Almost unwillingly, Misty turned to the unfamiliar voice, seeing a Squirtle leaning against a tree. Something about the Pokémon seemed familiar, though… maybe it was the pair of outrageously pointed shades, or the nonchalant attitude… regardless, Misty was sure she'd seen this Pokémon before.

"What are you doing down there, Misty? "

The little girl sniffed. "Hiding."

Squirtle jumped down from the root he had been standing on. "You can't hide from your troubles forever, you know."

"What else can I do? I'm not strong enough…"

The water Pokémon _tsk_ed. "Now now, there are two options here." He pointed to the grass. Misty looked, and saw a plush toy Seel – and next to it, a Poké ball.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, people often come to crossroads in their lives. And the only thing to do at a crossroads is to pick one of the paths you can take, and give it your all! So tell me. Do you want to hide away from the world, safe but confined, or do you want to be a Pokémon trainer whose reputation echoes far and wide?"

Misty looked torn.

"Go ahead. Just don't be distracted by the What-ifs, Should-haves and If-onlys along the way."

Misty clenched her fists, and then stretched out a hand.

* * *

><p>"You know," Ash called over the din of the battle as he crashed an Aura sphere into another, spawning a dozen little spheres that homed in, surrounded a Ninjask and blew it from the sky, "I really wish Misty hadn't seen all these Bugs now!"<p>

Charizard roared as hordes of Armaldo began to surround the group. They were in major trouble from the Bug/Ground and Bug/Rock types, as none of them had any useful advantage over them.

Ivysaur grunted with exertion, holding a Scyther at arm's length. "Little help here!" Pikachu responded by blasting the offending insect, before both leapt out of the way as Charizard incinerated several of the Shedinja only he could handle.

Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder and began covering his back. "Any progress?"

"Some complete idiot told Misty about Genesect, that fossil Bug type that's an honest to goodness Bug legendary. I assume that's the core of her trauma, we need Charizard to excise it!"

"Well, that's no good, the Armaldo have him pinned. And we can't get to him thanks to the Trapinch." One of the Ant Pit Pokémon was indeed setting up a pit, the ground crumbling into sand that would cause the target to sink inexorably to it's jaws.

Ash summoned another Aura Sphere. "Trapinch. Doesn't. Even. Count. As. A. Bug."

Pikachu chuckled. "Yeah, tell Misty that."

"Any ideas?"

Pikachu began to shake his head, and stopped. "We… could just let them do it."

"Who's them?" Ash almost shouted, his patience beginning to wear thin. He was already relying on the cape more or less entirely for his battle Aura use, and he was not in the mood for Pikachu being cryptic.

"I can't even begin to describe it. Just look behind you."

Ash launched off a wide angle Thunder Wave with electric Aura, punched out the Trapinch, and looked.

"Okay, wow."

Misty was surfing an enormous wave towards them at high speed. And it was the Misty that Ash knew, the one in her late teens to boot, and she was riding on Gyarados.

Water Pulses swept away the fossils pinning Charizard in, and he took to the air just before the tsunami smacked aside the rest of the Bug horde.

* * *

><p>Ash pulsed up some Aura. "Charizard! Over here!"<p>

Charizard was only too happy to oblige. "You want a lift?"

"Yeah, thanks." Ash jumped up the orange flank and gripped hard with his knees, to avoid being unseated by the launch jump and strong first downbeat. "Now," Ash continued as the dragon clawed for height, "We need to take that Genesect out. Problem is, it's got a Protect shield up. I'll have to break it. I want you to promise me, don't stop your attack on my account."

"But Ash-"

"_Don't._ You hear me?"

"Fine." Charizard ground out.

"Right, we're closing in, so-"

**Cassette load: Water.**

**Techno Buster.**

A pencil thin blue beam of light flashed through the sky from their target. It barely connected with Charizard's left wingtip as he dodged, but that contact caused an eruption of at least a tonne of water, knocking the Flame Pokémon further from his original course.

"Damn, that's not good. What _was _that?"

**Cassette load: Electric.**

**Techno Buster.**

The beam this time was yellow, and Charizard did manage to dodge it, but none of them were under any illusion what the effect would be if it connected.

"Pikachu, give Charizard some cover – deflect the buster attacks. I'll give you the opening you need."

Ash hurled himself towards the Palaeozoic Pokémon's shield, heedless of little things like the fifty feet he was from the ground.

**Techno Buster.**

The electricity smashed into Ash's falling body, making him convulse wildly and throwing him off course.

His limp form hit the ground hard.

"Ash!"

* * *

><p><strong>And so it comes to this.<strong>

**Why bother trying to save the girl?**

**She is scared and weak.**

**We will let the rest of you go.**

As Genesect's clicking voice ground out, Charizard and Pikachu barely paid attention. They were looking back at Misty, her Gyarados busily rampaging through the hordes of Bugs. Then to the ranting Pokémon that was almost as old as the Home Islands themselves.

"Pikachu, do you know Brick Break?"

Pikachu shook his head sadly. "No, unfortunately not."

"Charizard!" called a welcome voice. "Blast Burn the overgrown Kricketot!"

Charizard and Pikachu's heads snapped round, the dragon's fire already building in his throat, and saw Ash. He was swaying on his feet, but he still managed to punch a needle beam of Aura through the Protect shield – and then slash his hand to the side, popping the shield like a soap bubble.

**How**

**This cannot be**

Ash smiled weakly. "Endure. Look it up."

**ERROR ERROR ERROR**

**Cassette load: Ice Electric Water Fire**

**Te-techno Bu-ster**

**DIE**

Charizard fired. Genesect fired. The multicoloured beam of light was smashed aside by the shot of hellbore's fire, and the pulse of subcritical plasma incinerated Misty's manifest fear near instantly.

Misty dashed up to the scene of the battle. "Ash! Are you okay?"

Ash replied simply by closing his eyes and concentrating.

* * *

><p>Riolu saw the blue fire around the group dissipate. <em>Ah, good, they're back.<em>

Misty came out of it yelling. "Ash! You didn't answer, are you-"

Ash sprang to his feet, cheering. "It works!" Misty nearly fell over.

"Ash Ketchum, you gave me such a scare!"

Ash gave her an odd look. "That was all mental, Misty. We never left the clearing, I was in no real danger."

He wilted under five simultaneous death glares. "I suppose this means I forgot to mention it, then?"

Misty crossed her arms. "Yes, you did."

"Aheh heh heh… crap, you're going to hit me a lot now, aren't you."

She smiled sweetly. "Think of it as negative reinforcement!"

* * *

><p>"Good, the recall beacon works. Here you go, Butterfree." Ash clipped the small device on Butterfree's left foreleg.<p>

"_Thanks, and thank the Professor for me. If I recall correctly, it's about a day to go before the swarm comes through."_

"You may as well go now, to be honest. Just to get your, er, wings in."

Butterfree flapped his wings, wafting into the air. _"Just make sure to get me involved with the League. It sounds fun."_

* * *

><p>Horsea turned flips underwater as Misty enjoyed their reunion, before producing an ink image of a Kingdra. Misty frowned.<p>

"You want to evolve?"

Ink tick. Followed by a complex series of pictograms that translated best into 'dragons are just cool'.

"Well, fair enough. But where we're going to find a Dragon Scale I don't know… ah well, we can get you as far as Seadra, at least."

Misty was fighting to avoid breaking out in a massive grin. Kingdra were among the strongest Water type combinations, averting all their normal weaknesses, and the idea of having one was tempting indeed.

* * *

><p>"HOLY ARCEUS THIS IS AWESOME!" James called to the heavens as Team Rocket shot through the waves. His reason for saying this was that they were moving at about eighty miles an hour, on (though barely) the back of a Gyarados. James had bought the Pokémon three days before as a Magikarp on board the S., and had carefully trained him until the little fish became an incarnation of pure power.<p>

Well, it had helped that the Magikarp in question had been extremely close to evolving anyway, but nevertheless Team Rocket had another Pokémon to add to their burgeoning team.

Now they could actually get around while Abra was asleep!

Meowth and Jessie declined to comment. The wind was forcing them to keep their mouths closed.

"Hmmm. Guys? Where next?"

Meowth tried to say something twice, gave up and pulled out a coin. He scratched an image on it, and passed it to James.

"A volcano? Oh, I see. Cinnabar Gym… hey, Gyarados!" A muted roar answered him. "South and west, if you wouldn't mind."

* * *

><p><em>I see, a monk of Deja-fu. Good choice, Dialga. And you, Aaron. You said paladin? Who are you a paladin of?<em>

"Well, in this game, since we're in the Orange Islands, I think perhaps Kyogre-"

SMITE

"...you just turned my character sheet into Neutronium! What do you have against Kyogre, Palkia?"

The Dragon of Space huffed and crossed his arms.

_The normal-time Palkia had a bad breakup with her. I think it carried over._

"Every hour I'm in here with you guys, my image of the _Kami_ becomes a little more tarnished…" Aaron picked up another sheet of paper. "Any objections to a priest of Manaphy?"

* * *

><p>AN: Misty has some pretty severe issues. But we all know how to solve severe issues in a Pokemon series.<p>

Dive into the mind and sort it out that way, of course!

Apart from that and blatant skipping of half a dozen episodes of plot, this is pretty much an interlude chapter. Got to let Team Rocket build themselves up.


	12. Chapter 11

"Well, here we are." Ash glared at the building. "Here's hoping it goes better than before…"

Misty nodded. Their experiences in the Saffron gym had not been fun, including as they did being manipulated, danced rings around, and most notably being minimized into dolls.

Ash rolled his eyes at the memories. _At least this time there hasn't been anything from that projection of Sabrina as a young girl…_

Brock squared his shoulders. "Let's get going, then."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Easy for the man with the Steel type to say."

Ash adjusted the Aaron outfit he'd been wearing more and more often lately, and took out a few strips of cloth. "Okay, Riolu, Pikachu, put these over one eye each. That should let you blend Aura sight with normal vision – and I have a feeling illusions will be a problem in here."

"_What about you, Ash?"_

"I'll just check whenever I think I should, don't worry."

"_If you say so…"_

Ash walked up to the gym, but was interrupted by a tall, bearded man. "It might not be in your best interests to go in there, young man."

Ash rolled his eyes. "And why not? It's a gym, it's kinda there to battle."

"You won't win. Not unless you have a Ghost type."

In response, Ash pulled out his Pokédex. "Dexter? Psychic types?"

Effective combatants, but not all powerful. Bugs, Dark types, Ghosts and Steel Types all have the advantage, offensively, defensively or both. Only Fighting and Poison types have a disadvantage. Of note is that several Kanto scholarly articles repeat the results of an experiment in Isshu, mistakenly claiming that Psychic types were immune to Ghost attacks after someone incorrectly recorded Meloetta's type combination – making the advice suspect at best _if_ the interlocutor has kept up to date with scientific literature.

Ash raised an eyebrow.

In addition, the only ghosts native to Kanto are the Gastly family, all of which are part poison and hence as weak to Psychic attacks as their opponents would be to Ghost.

"Huh. So much for that advice. We're going in."

Sabrina's father shook his head sadly. "I warned you…"

* * *

><p>"Ah, so this is where everyone is!" Ash pushed through a door, one that had seemed to Brock and Misty to simply be part of the wall. "I was wondering, the place seemed empty."<p>

A man walked over to them. "What are you doing here, in Saffron gym?"

"Challenging the gym, duh. Is that such a difficult concept in this town? What are you all doing, then?"

The man glared haughtily at the friends. "I am practicing with my psychic talents, as are the rest of the people here. Observe."

He lifted a spoon, and concentrated. Several seconds passed, and eventually the spoon began to slowly bend, until it was about a third of the way to a right angle.

Ash grinned. "Can I have a go?"

The Psychic handed over another spoon, saying "Go ahead, but I doubt you'll do much. You have the tiniest psychic signature I've ever seen."

Ash closed his eyes in response, seeking the inner calm he had begun to attain. Not _emotionless, _but _isolated._ Once he had something along the right lines, he began to execute step three of forming an Aura Sphere – the gyroscopic rotation.

And _only_ step three.

The spoon twitched, before abruptly twisting into a spiral shape of rent metal.

The man's sneer vanished. "What the…"

Misty clapped Ash on the shoulder. "Don't assume you know everything – or that the power of the mind is the only one."

"Heh, thanks Misty… hey! Are you saying I don't have a mind?"

She laughed. "Not much of one most of the time, that's for sure."

* * *

><p>Ash entered the main gym chamber, seeing Sabrina sitting on her chair all but unmoving. "Hey, guys, shouldn't there be a girl somewhere?"<p>

Misty huffed. "Honestly, Ash, you're terribly unobservant sometimes. The girl let us into the room, and she's sitting right there on Sabrina's lap!"

Ash squinted… nothing.

Then the Saffron gym leader spoke.

"Interesting… I didn't know there was such a thing as a human with a Dark subtype. Since my projection cannot affect you, I will speak directly. You will fight me, you will lose, and," Her tone of voice altered, "you will become one of my toys! Won't that be fun!"

_Man, she really needs a friend._

"Er, Ash…" Misty asked, "Shouldn't you be getting Pidgeot ready round about now?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I kinda sent her off on an errand just before we entered the Gym…"

Misty exploded. "You sent away one of your _two_ Pokémon with Ghost attacks – and the other's a Fighting type! What's next, Ivysaur against the Cinnabar gym?"

"Calm down, Misty." Ash turned from the fuming girl to Sabrina. "One Pokémon each at a time?"

"Certainly." There was the emotionless voice again. This was starting to look more and more like a case for an actual psychologist… if any would be able to make it into the building.

_Ash Ketchum, battlefield psychology, worlds saved, possessed more times than I have possessions. My life is so freaking weird…_

"Okay, guys, we might have to do some fancy footwork here. Anyone gets caught, I'll switch them out and put someone else in instead."

"Ready?" Sabrina giggled, back to the child persona.

"Pikachu!"

"Hee, Abra!"

"Pikachu, start with a Shockwave!"

Pikachu pulsed out his version of the never-miss electric attack, an expanding sphere of electricity. There were several types of the attack, and he felt his was better against many-

Abra teleported past the blast front into the safe zone where the attack had already gone.

"_Never miss technique my fuzzy yellow behind!" _Pikachu yelped as he jumped away from the Abra. He slid to a stop as the wave crackled off a shield in front of Sabrina, and Ash simply took the wayward electricity without really noticing.

He'd been electrocuted far too often for that.

_Okay, he's going to teleport spam all over the place unless I can somehow stop him. Thunder wave? Nah, too risky if he can Synchronize. Hmmm… how is he determining when I attack? Most psychics can't do that, it's too deep of a mental dive to actually use the information._ Pikachu backed away further until his back was almost against the wall.

_Okay, got something. This is going to be undignified._

Pikachu bent his neck round so he could bite at his shoulder fur, pulled out some of the stuff and spat it at Abra. It wasn't a very good imitation of Swift, but it _looked_ like an attack, and if-

_There!_

He span around, cheeks flaring, and shot three Thundershock attacks at once, catching Abra on the foot with one of them and startling the psychic Pokémon awake. He'd caught the first half of the teleport since he knew it was coming, and there weren't many places it would normally be safe to teleport to. He'd blasted them all.

_Haha! That got him! That's the downside of combat precognition, it only _shows_ the future – so something that looks like an attack is treated as one!_

Abra glowed, and evolved into Kadabra.

Ash said something he technically shouldn't know at that age. Sabrina looked mildly annoyed.

"Please, not in front of the children." Ash was surprised, it was the first emotion she'd shown in her adult persona.

"Sabrina, I'm the youngest person here who could possibly repeat that."

"Nevertheless."

Pikachu conjured a pair of Double Team illusions as he retreated from the psychic pulses of his opponent, and mentally sighed as – once again – they were completely ignored. _Well, that's just not fair. Then again, Sabrina never was all that interested in the rules._

"Pikachu, back here!" Ash suddenly called, a white beam from a Poké ball flashing into the forming psychic maelstrom. "You're up, Squirtle!"

Squirtle took off his shades and threw them like a frisbee at Kadabra. Halfway there, they glowed blue, inexplicably became two huge identical copies of the originals, and slammed into their target. He was sent flying into the wall, pinned there by the Aura constructs as Squirtle began shouting something.

"_Just who the hell do you think I am? I'm not some kind of two bit conventional Pokémon, who just uses the traditional moves they're supposed to. I go beyond, and in looking one step further I break through whatever veil is laid upon my opponents! This Lock On is my expression that no matter what, I will always find my goal!"_

Brock stared at his friend's Pokémon, currently in the process of forming a gigantic drill out of water. "What. The hell."

Pikachu swallowed his Sitrus berry snack, and shrugged. _"I just try to tune it out, myself."_

"_If there's a wall, I'll tear it down! If there's no path, I'll just make one myself! Horn! Drill! Break!"_

As the enormous, drill-shaped construct of water elemental Aura rocketed from one end of the underground arena to the other, Ash heard Sabrina's voice – somehow audible despite the total chaos. "That's not fair… and I just reinsured this place, too…"

Well, if this was having one benefit, both halves of Sabrina's personality were reacting in the same way – with total incredulity.

Kadabra disintegrated in a blaze of red light under the force of the attack, and when the mist cleared Squirtle was also nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell just happened?"

Sabrina looked down at her Poké ball. It was full. She then looked across at the one Ash was using, and the same was true. "Did your Squirtle just force my Kadabra to return to its' Poké ball, while itself returning as well? That is… impressive."

Ash grinned, reaching to the floor to retrieve his elegant – if drenched - hat. "Not what I was expecting, but it looks like I win then!"

Sabrina's eyes flashed, and air pulsed out from her, knocking Ash to the floor. "I can touch you now, Ash Ketchum!"

Pikachu frowned. Then, suddenly, he realized it.

"_Ash! It was the hat, Aaron's hat! I think it gives you a Dark type effect!"_

Pikachu went flying into the wall as Sabrina glanced at him.

"It was completely unfair, going into a battle with that kind of advantage… Ash Ketchum. Or do you deny that you make use of Aura Sight in your own gym battles?"

"Hey, lady, you're the one reading everyone's minds and turning your own mother into a puppet!"

Sabrina curled her lip. "I have that right. I'm special, that's what they told me… so then if they want me to be more than normal, they shouldn't object if I treat them as beneath me."

Ash shook himself as he stood up. "Right then, I think I know what to do here." He whispered to himself, _"Protect,"_ and a jade-green shield sprang up, blasting away the psychic force. "Looks like I'm going to have to be the inner babysitter."

Sabrina blinked. "Did you steal that line from somewhere?"

"Why can't people ever believe I actually come up with these things?" Ash sighed. "Er, where were we? Oh, right." He lunged for the Saffron Gym leader, and managed to clip her with one glowing hand. Both fell to the floor.

* * *

><p>The heir of Aaron picked himself up from the floor. "Ow… that wasn't exactly a smooth transition. Okay, got to get on my game. Mindscape, right. Sabrina's mindscape… now, what's that going to be like?" It seemed fairly normal, like a house in the suburbs… unusually proportioned furniture… twenty foot teddy bear outside…<p>

A boom echoed through the mindscape as the enormous children's toy marched towards the house Ash was in.

_Crap crap crap crap! Of course her mindscape is that psycho toybox thing!_ Ash spun up an Aura Sphere and rammed it through the wall, making a quick exit before the teddy demolished the house. _Okay, apparently the symbolism here is that she sees everyone as dolls, toys, playthings. That's the sort of thing someone does if they don't have any_one_ to play with, they fixate on things._

Adjusting the hat he was incredibly glad to have again – he guessed Sabrina's memories of him were mostly with the hat on, but he wasn't an expert – he slammed together two more Aura Spheres to construct one about four feet across. Releasing it in front of him, he unlimbered the staff on his back and swung at the large Sphere like a cricketer.

The ball of pressurized Aura knocked the bear over on impact, before detonating and tearing the stuffing out of it.

_One down…_ Ash switched to Aura Sight, scanning his immediate surroundings. Nothing seemed to be a threat.

"Hello."

"Gah!" Ash leapt five feet into the air. Spinning, he got a good look at the person who startled him.

She seemed to be a twenty-something young woman, with a kind of delicate poise and serenity. She also had black hair, and after looking at her for a few seconds Ash realized that she looked a lot like Sabrina.

"Who are you?"

She smiled demurely. "I'm Sabrina. Another Sabrina, I should say, there's quite a lot of me in here sometimes."

Ash nodded. "I'm sort of here to try and help with that. So, where do you come from?"

"When I was younger, before the whole fame thing really kicked off," she began, "I used to be really inspired by shrine maidens. Their calmness, the way they were revered for their wisdom… I used to imagine myself as one. Sort of like how most children dream of becoming a Pokémon master, I pictured myself as a calm and centred woman who everyone looked up to for her kindness. As my psychic powers developed, I – she, they – the other parts of me, they became bitter and jaded to the world. They didn't want people to look up to them, they wanted people to know their place. But it didn't touch me, somehow."

"Wow… okay, any ideas how to solve that little issue?"

She looked down. "I would assume that someone with a truly innocent heart would be able to open to her and prove it, prove that they didn't want to use her or monopolize her… just have fun, and give her fun by being there."

Ash relaxed his shoulders, slumping slightly. "I don't think I qualify… I'm not an innocent, I know that much. I feel fear, and rage, and my soul's too battered from too much of life to be carefree. I can manage righteous, even pure – all I need for that is the thrill of Lugia's song or the fires of Aura – but innocence is beyond me."

Sabrina chuckled. "You sell yourself too short. Too few people can even feel what to aim for in this day and age – the only other people I can think of off hand are Lance, Steven Stone and an old man from the Orange islands who beats up palm trees for a living."

Ash snorted with laughter. "Wow… a Sabrina with a sense of humour, the world is ending!"

She smiled again, more faintly. "I know."

"Er, what?" asked Ash.

"I felt the tiny shift as events were altered by one of the legends, and in you I see the hero of the age. Don't let us down, Ash. And I know, I _know_, that I didn't even need to tell you that. You're a truly remarkable person."

"Wha, guh…how?"

She handed him back his hat with a wink. "I couldn't resist a peek. The hat fell off when you jumped, you'll need it. My other self is not a nice person – she assumes the worst of everyone, and normally she convinces herself she was right. I hope you have a plan."

Before Ash could reply, a childish voice boomed over the figment of town. "PLAY CATCH WITH ME!"

The two looked round to see child-Sabrina, at about five times her older facet's apparent height, bouncing a ball as big as a bungalow on the road.

Ash gulped. "Okay, here's the plan for now: leg it!"

* * *

><p>"<em>So that's the situation… she's in a bad way. I think the solitude has torn her up inside."<em>

A smile, warm and pure.

_How could I possibly refuse?_

* * *

><p>"Huff… huff… phew… Okay, now we have a minute," Ash gasped, "Why is it that you haven't already tried to cleanse your own mind? I mean, you're a powerful psychic…"<p>

Sabrina replied sadly, "Unfortunately, when a psychic goes bad, they literally go Dark. I can't so much as touch that aspect of myself without pain, and her powers cut through my defences. Not to mention that I can't even affect her."

Ash mused on that. "Okay, I have a plan. Where is this Dark aspect of yours?"

His reply was Sabrina quietly concentrating. Almost a minute passed before her eyes snapped open. "Found the blind spot she leaves. About a hundred meters – no – she's coming! Look that way!"

Ash turned the direction she pointed, and met a palm strike coming the other way. Turning the attack with his shoulder, he was buffeted backwards by hundreds of insanely fast successive strikes.

_What the hell… she's actually _teleporting_ her arms and legs into position for the strikes! I am very glad that she's not this good outside her own mental plane._

The other Sabrina eventually slammed a knee into the boy's chin and sent him flying into a wall. As he groggily pulled himself out of it, she stalked forward. "Another attacker out to 'cure' me, I see. Well, you can tell whatever quack assigned you, psychic, that-" Sabrina stopped. "Something's wrong. You're blocking your presence. How can you be doing that and still project it into my mind?"

Ash coughed. "I'm not psychic. I'm here by different means."

Sabrina shook her head. "Regardless, you will not succeed, and if you will not leave, I will make you."

Apparently the time for talk was over. Sabrina vanished, and Ash felt a heavy blow smash into his side from behind. He'd barely even registered that when she appeared again, sweep kicking his legs out from under him – catching him in the chest – three blows to his back – bringing down a massive axe kick that sent him sprawling.

When he rose, feeling strangely lighter, he saw her looking around in confusion. Gone was the suburban street, replaced by a grassy paddock out behind a large building, set in acres of wild fields.

"What is this, invader? What have you done?" Sabrina said.

Ash snapped his fingers. "I get it! See, Aura techniques for entering the mind aren't projections. They're bridges. And you just forced us out of your mind-" Ash gestured, at the replication of the fields at Oak labs where all his Pokémon stayed while not with him "-and into mine."

A chuckle came from behind the dark Sabrina, and she whirled to find her shrine maiden aspect walking delicately across the grass. "How are you here as well?"

She smiled. "I was invited."

Ash gave her a tired smile, and then carefully unlimbered his staff. Setting it on the ground, he whistled a short sequence of notes. After a distant whinny in response, he nodded gravely and strode over to the maiden. Dark Sabrina's attacks on him bounced off a green shield raised with a mere thought.

Ash passed the staff over. "Here. This is all you need to beat her."

She looked startled. "What? I mean, I – I can't!"

He shook his head gently. "Of course you can. Oh, maybe you _couldn't_, but you will be able to… about now."

A blur of motion resolved itself into the flowing gait of a small horse-like Pokémon, which cantered, then trotted to a stop in front of her. The strange Pokémon, one Sabrina had never seen before, was clearly a foal – but possessed of a rich red mane and blue tail, and a strange sort of peace.

"Keldeo," Ash explained. "One of the noblest Pokémon I ever met, with a truly righteous heart. This is just a sort of echo, but then all you're fighting is a bundle of regrets and sadness screwed up tight enough to hurt. So accept his help, and kick her ass!"

Keldeo whickered in agreement, and stepped forward, nuzzling her hand. With a wash of mist and the smell of the sea, he dissolved… and the staff Sabrina was still holding _changed_ into a shimmering, watery longsword that weighed next to nothing.

Sabrina gasped. "What _is_ this?"

The boy responded by pulling Dexter out of a pocket. Sacred Sword: the signature move of Cobalon, Virizion, Terrakion, and Keldeo. Each is emblematic of a great noble weapon: Curtana, Joyeuse, Duredanal and Excalibur respectively. The move draws upon the power of these weapons.

She looked ready to faint. "So this is..?"

"Nah, it's just a shadow of it. Call it… Galatine."

Dark Sabrina approached, trembling with rage. "Don't you see? He's just going to try to use you! Everyone does, we can't trust anyone, lock us away from the world and we won't be hurt again!"

The maiden closed her eyes in sorrow. "I'm not going to hide from reality any more. There are lots of people out there who are perfectly nice and kind and good, and you're stopping us from meeting them, from seeing them, getting to know them… from making friends."

Dark Sabrina screamed in frustration and charged. Without opening her eyes, her foe swept the Sword of Victory up in an arc, cutting her from hip to shoulder… and she dissolved on the wind like a bad dream.

Sabrina slumped to the floor, suddenly exhausted. "How do you do this kind of thing? You seem like… I don't know, a savant or something. You're a klutz… and then you do something like this. It's… perplexing, for a start."

"Honestly?" Ash grimaced. "I don't know. Sometimes things just click. I mean," he picked up the staff, "I have no _clue_ how I just did that. But that's okay, it comes through. Maybe I just have the ability to get overdrawn on karma or something."

She managed a giggle. "Yes, I remember that memory of yours with the bad pun in the prophecy. But what do we do now? My child aspect is still friendless, and without sorting that out I'll just relapse."

"Don't worry. Let's go back to your mindscape, and we'll sort out everything. I do plan things out."

She giggled again. "Could have fooled me…"

After a few minutes trying, Ash remembered that Sabrina had managed to make it between the mindscapes herself. She smiled a little less wanly than before, and pulled him _through_ the air, leaving them back in the suburbs of Sabrina's mental landscape.

The scene that met their eyes made Sabrina simply gape, as Ash grinned with the satisfaction of a job well done.

Child-Sabrina was happily playing catch with a floating pink Mew.

* * *

><p>"So you sent your Pidgeot?"<p>

"Yep!" He replied, as Sabrina led the team up the stairs from the basement battle pitch, absently caressing the tail of the Mew on her shoulder. "I thought, what kind of Pokémon do I know that would be a good fit for a psychic in need of friends? And I thought, Mew! The eternal kitten!"

"_I'll teleport back and forth, if that's no issue to you, Sabrina."_

"Of course it's not. Though I like the idea of visiting your home sometime. A land of crystals that grow like plants sounds interesting."

* * *

><p>Maurice of Cianwood, a third tier member of the Dragon clan of Blackthorn (and hence in possession of a dragon companion capable of extended flight) lounged back on his companion Tyl's cloudbank. Tyl was one of the special Blackthorn breed of Altaria – one of the many Dragon species that had been selected explicitly for the size and capability to carry humans long distances.<p>

Tyl hummed a snatch of music. Maurice nodded. "Yeah, I know. But someone's got to run the patrols, and you got to admit you're better at endurance than when we started."

Another lilting tune. "Like I say, what can you do. Well, at least we've got lovely weather thanks to you."

Tyl began to emit a squeaky purr – but broke off abruptly, the duo swinging sharply to the left as a huge _something_ passed, catching them in the backwash.

Maurice looked around wildly. "What the hell was that?"

Tyl whistled a trio of notes urgently. "Invisible? Okay, I-"

The Altaria cut him off with another piping sequence of almost-music, then began to scream.

Maurice clapped his hands over his ears, wishing he could to the same for his Pokémon, as the grating Perish Song resounded through the cloud layer.

Something shimmered and crackled, then an enormous construct of metal and glass refracted into existence.

Maurice stared, aghast. _What the hell is this thing doing in the sky?_

* * *

><p>"Ma'am, the outriders have spotted us."<p>

"Understood, Sensors." J's lip curled. "General quarters, Bosun."

The intercom echoed her words to the backdrop of a strident alarm. "Now hear this! All hands, general quarters!"

Her crew swarmed to their stations and the huge flying fortress came alive with restrained power.

"Guns, fire five mark IX to that pair at the rear, stagger the launch."

"Aye, aye, ma'am." 'Guns' answered, bringing up his schematic of the ship and reassigning feed queues to the launchers. "Firing in twenty."

J didn't answer, simply absorbing the information and acting on it. "Aux, dispatch the cutter on launch. I want those two as hostages."

An oath came from the other side of the command deck. "Ah, damnit. Ma'am, they got off a signal. The jammers didn't manage to spin up in time."

J's head whipped round. "And why is that?"

'Sensors' quailed under her gaze. "Er, the port jammer is down and the starboard one's been up for three days. It needed to be taken offline for cooldown and maintenance."

The silver-haired woman stared at him for another few seconds, before smiling dangerously. "And this didn't get brought to my attention because..?"

The sensor and electronic warfare officer made a squeaking noise and passed out.

"Hmph. Executive Officer, this piece of garbage is reassigned to land duty. Assign his assistant, and don't let this happen again."

Her XO nodded fearfully.

* * *

><p>"Well done for reporting this in first. Now, get-" The phone call hashed into static, and Maurice bit back a curse. <em>Figures…<em>

"Okay, Tyl. One pass and we break for it." The Altaria hummed his agreement, and began to muster a green ball of light in his mouth. Just as the Dragon Pulse reached firing size, however, a puff of smoke heralded the launch of air to air missiles from the airship.

Tyl fired his attack and shredded the first missile, then snapped up a Safeguard and sang another jarring note of the Perish Song, killing two more. The one that made it through glanced off the shimmering shield and exploded far off to the left.

Maurice cheered. "Nice work!"

The final missile darted in just as the Safeguard dropped, detonating in a flash of light – and a starburst of yellow beams. One of them splashed across Tyl's flank, turning him instantly to stone and dispelling his cloudy cloak. Without the semisolid seat, Maurice lost his grip on his partner and fell towards Route 14 far below.

It was fortunate for him that he was caught by J's cutter mere seconds after he fell – though given that he then became a captive in the airship's large jail cells, he could be excused for not feeling that way.

* * *

><p>AN: Sabrina has issues. Very, very severe issues. Thankfully, Ash was ready for them.<p>

Anyone like my version of Sacred Sword? The Musketeer trio have a strong French theme to them, and the three swords Curtana (AKA Cortana), Joyeuse and Duredanal (AKA Durandal, Duranda, and so on) are old Frankish legendary swords from things like the Matter of France, the same kind of thing as the English Excalibur. Assigning Keldeo the odd one out, as well as the one with the strongest water theme (lady of the lake and all that) makes sense to me.

Galatine is the name given in several fiction universes to the version of Excalibur held by Galahad after Arthur died.

Oh, and our (least) favorite overequipped antagonist arrives in Kanto! Watch out, she's not exactly a pushover.

The assumption made here, that Ash will eventually meet Keldeo in the Isshu/Unova arc of the anime or in the movies, seems to be a fairly good one. Thoughts? I have been deliberately leaving the events in Isshu vague, so the skip back could have been at any point in the as-yet-unseen series.


	13. Chapter 12

"Hey, Ash?"

"What is it?"

"What did you do to Primeape?"

Ash smiled. "Oh, I sent him to go get practice at the Dojo back in Saffron. He said he was getting close to perfecting an entire new martial art before the world ended."

"_Sounds interesting. Any details?"_

Ash pondered. "The main point was that it's a style with absolutely no focus on defence at all, not even much on using your opponent's strength. Its' only provision for beating someone is to literally beat them into submission."

"_Neat." _Riolu commented, already thinking about how he could handle such a combat philosophy. Just using Counter wouldn't help, as it was likely the style's inventor had seen round that problem.

"Where next?"

Celadon City Gym. Leader: Erica.

"Oh, yeah, her. The rabid feminist." Ash rubbed his chin. "Now, how to handle her…"

Misty grinned cheekily. "Your first step, Ashley-"

"NO!" Ash shouted, cheeks flaming. "It was bad enough the first time, worse the second, and not quite as bad as the third, which is what _really_ worries me!"

Kricketune chirped in the grass, somewhat unusually as they weren't native to the region.

Misty coughed. "Something you want to talk about, Ash?"

"NO!"

"Riiiiight…" Misty shook her head. "Not going to go there… anyway, remember the rules, Ash?"

"They don't let boys or men into the gym for some reason?"

Brock shook his head. "No, it's just rude ones. Though since Misty got in there just fine, apparently they only…" The words 'ban rude _boys'_ died on his lips at Misty's sudden glare. "Aaaand I'm stopping _right_ there."

"Good choice…" Misty grumbled.

Ash raised his hand. "You mentioned rules?"

"Yeah," Brock began as the more technically knowledgeable of the two Gym Leaders. "Erika in particular tends to ask that people demonstrate the ability to nurture Pokémon at all stages of their evolution. To that end, if you have a first stage Pokémon you have to use one, same for the second and third. I think that last time Pikachu fulfilled your second stage requirement and you didn't have a third at the time. But now, since you have Pidgeot and Charizard, you have to use one of them."

Ash laughed. "Not that that's a hardship!"

Misty continued on from there. "And since you've only got two each of first and second stages, you need to pick one of each of them."

Ash considered for a few seconds. "I don't know why, but with what you said about her liking the whole nurturing thing… I think I should use Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard."

Pikachu nodded. _"It has a certain ring to it… and there's no way I'm going out there, too many well grounded Pokémon."_

Riolu said something to himself about energy element attacks, and nodded his assent for the plan.

Misty turned on Ash. "Just don't start going on about perfume again!"

Ash cringed away from her. "Right, turn off nose, got it."

"Ash, trying to give you a sense of culture is like teaching a rock to swim."

Brock coughed. "Point of order. Corsola."

Misty flushed. "You know what I mean!"

* * *

><p>"So, you are the day's second challenger."<p>

Ash blinked. "Well, I don't know about second, but I'm certainly a challenger. Who was the other one?"

Erica made a dismissive gesture. "Some fool boy who didn't read the rules, thought to beat us all with a Fearow and got annoyed when he had to use his Squirtle and Golem too. Close match – good match – but he's got problems controlling that bird of his. Her eyes narrowed. "I take it you _have_ read the rules?"

"Of course!" Ash called, conveniently forgetting to mention that it had taken him four-odd years to get around to it.

"Right. Now, as a Grass type trainer, I emphasize control of the terrain of battle. You will need to counter this by denying me opportunities to set up a blow. Now, show me you can react fast enough when the entire forest itself is after you! Tangela!"

Ash brought up his own Poké Ball. "Squirtle!"

Erica delicately stepped back onto a small dais, and raised an eyebrow. "Starting with a water type? Daring."

Squirtle eyed his opponent contemplatively. _"So, you're my opponent."_

Tangela replied by shuffling off to the side of the arena, and wrapping a tree in his slim, sturdy vines. Squirtle, meanwhile, was soaking the floor of the arena in as much water as he could manage, neither wanting to commit to an actual attack as yet.

Erika's voice snapped out, totally different to her normal polite tones. "Now!"

Tangela began pulling… and the entire tree erupted out of the ground, the twenty foot young willow seeming to come to life and walk.

Ash gaped in shock, before calling to his Pokémon. "Squirtle, watch out! That thing probably weighs a good few tonnes!"

"_Working on it!" _Squirtle replied, then took a good look at the faux-Ent. _"Wow, that is pretty big, yeah. Good thing I have a plan."_

The Tangela strode forward, beginning to send out Stun Spores. Squirtle dove into the muddy water that he'd already created, then popped back up to stick out his tongue. _"There's not a chance such a roundabout way of fighting will work on me! I'm the badass-eep!" _He dove back under the water to avoid a shower of leaves, and a branch coming down in a massive Wood Hammer.

Erica looked mildly disapproving at the mess on her gym floor, as the water gradually deepened, joined occasionally by more leaves, fountains of mud from the steps of the tree or the odd missed Power Whip.

Ash spoke up. "Er… what kind of waterproofing does this gym have?"

Erica frowned properly at that. "Why?"

"I think it's going to be really important soon…"

She rapped out another command. "Giga Drain!"

Squirtle responded by diving into the now foot deep water, and came up on the other side of the tree to his foe. _"Eat this, Hydro Cannon fodder!"_

* * *

><p>Ash released Pidgeot and took to the air.<p>

* * *

><p>Squirtle inhaled massively, and then fired a small jet of water… with a tiny blue sphere, striated with white lines around the middle, in the centre of the stream.<p>

Upon impact with the tree, it detonated into about an Olympic swimming pool's full of water.

The "puppet" fell over into the water, and a panting Squirtle finished the job by firing an Ice Beam at the indoor lake – freezing the surface, and also causing the tree major structural damage from frost shatter.

Ash withdrew his tired Water type for a rest, switching in Ivysaur as the dazed Tangela began to recover.

Ivysaur came in hard, firing a cloud of poisonpowder into the air around Tangela, and watching with satisfaction as his opponent turned a distinctly unhealthy shade.

Erica thought hard. The ice stopped her from getting Tangela to Ingrain, and a lot of his attacks had little or no effect against another Grass type.

"Bind him!"

The somewhat groggy Tangela obeyed, vines snaking out for Ash's Pokémon. As they approached him, Ivysaur's face suddenly split in a great grin.

"_Venom shock!"_

Tangela twitched and fell over, out of the fight.

"Not bad at all, challenger. Now, you face my first-caught Pokémon. Gloom!"

_It really is amazing how someone who seems so nice can have such a command snap in her voice…_Ash mused to himself. _But then, Gym Leaders don't exactly get their positions by lottery._

Ivysaur squared his shoulders and crouched low to the ice upon which he stood.

Gloom set her stance and began emitting her Sweet Scent.

The two stared at one another…

Then Ivysaur spoke. _"Can we actually hurt one another?"_

Gloom looked puzzled. _"I… don't know."_

Ivysaur bashed the ground with his foreleg; no luck there, too hard to Dig. _"What generally happens in this situation?"_

Gloom pondered. _"This."_ She fired a Leech Seed at Ivysaur, who countered with his own. Both sat for a moment in their energy draining nets, then Erica, frustrated beyond endurance, called out to her Pokémon. "Gloom, try Secret Power!"

The ground glowed, and Ivysaur rolled out of the way just in time to evade a chunk of ice slamming out of the floor. It wasn't an actual Ice attack, but it was quite close.

"_Nature Power!"_

The attack ripped up the floor of the impromptu skating rink and set it to orbit around Ivysaur, who then began diverting it at his foe in a vague blizzard. Though Gloom managed to fire a Sunny Day into the air that basically rendered that moot as well, and both just started launching Solarbeams at one another, doing almost nothing at all.

* * *

><p>"This is very good tea, Erica. You grow it yourself?"<p>

The petite woman nodded gravely, passing the refilled cup to Misty. "Yes, I do. It's the Celadon special blend, with a hint of white leaves and just a touch of the fruits of the gym's Tropius."

Behind her Ash was slumped against the wall, reading a file on his Pokedex about the longest Pokémon match in history. He was starting to feel that he was going to be the new example.

* * *

><p>Ivysaur and Gloom huddled around a computer screen, going through the complete list of moves they knew, trying to find <em>something<em> to end the damn fight.

"_Seed bomb?"_

"_No."_

Ivysaur hit the Page Down button again. _"This is taking forever."_

"_Well, if you'd just stop healing yourself…"_

Ivysaur Synthesized again, regenerating the damage done by the Leech Seed in the last few minutes. _"You stop first."_

Gloom punched up yet another Sunny Day, the evening sun flaring to greater brightness. _"No thanks."_

"_Suit your…self…"_ Ivysaur looked up with a grin. _"I win. Fury Cutter."_

Gloom brushed away the cut leaf. "_I fail to be impressed."_

"_Fury Cutter."_

She frowned. That actually stung.

"_Fury Cutter."_

Ash looked around at the hiss of surprise, noticing that something was actually happening.

"_Fury Cutter!"_

Erica stood up from the table, the tea ceremony forgotten. "What…"

"_Fury. Cutter!"_

The last blow sent Gloom flying through the humid air, smashing into the wall and sliding limply down, clearly unconscious.

Erica hurried over to Gloom and scooped her Pokémon up. "I am impressed… though the battle could have been shorter, but never mind. I will face you with a Pokémon specifically able to counter anything you have. Victreebel!"

The pitcher plant formed and spun, facing it's mouth towards Ivysaur and launching a minature sun at the other Grass type.

"What's that?" Ash asked, pointing his Pokedex.

Weather Ball, a high versatility attack that differs depending on the ambient conditions.

"Victreebel, Hail and then Weather Ball again! He can't send out his Pidgeot in this, the conditions are too harsh for her."

Ash let a smile spread across his face as Ivysaur ducked underground. "So, you chose this Pokémon to be able to counter anything I have?"

"Yes. Your Riolu, Pidgeot, Squirtle, Ivysaur and Pikachu."

Ash nodded in understanding, and threw two Pokeballs. One emitted a red beam, the other white. "Charizard, Flamethrower!"

* * *

><p>"<em>You forgot. About Charizard. In a Grass Gym. When you had planned to use him from the start."<em>

Ash tried to look put-upon, which is hard to do while being half-throttled ten feet in the air. "I said I was sorry, Ivysaur!"

Erica looked at the scene. "Well, while I wasn't exactly amazed by that part of it…" She let the words hang in the air for a moment. "Your actual switches were pulled off with speed and, in the first case, on no real notice. As I'm _sure_ you noticed," here a faint smile, "That led to your Ivysaur getting enough set up time on my Tangela to finish him off. In addition, it's clear you've built up your Pokémon regardless of their actual evolutionary level, which is exactly what I want to see." She flipped him a Rainbowbadge. "You've earned it."

As Ash reached to catch the spinning Celadon Badge, Ivysaur unceremoniously dropped him and grabbed it himself, then passed it over. _"I now consider us even."_

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Cinnabar Island, challengers. This is the Gym set into the heart of an active volcano, and like my element and this very mountain, my focus is on powerful attacks delivered without concern for defence." Blaine paused, the shifting magma below causing patterns of light to play across his face. "So. You will face me in a conventional battle, but first one of your Pokémon must take on one of mine in a contest of raw power. No evasion, no defending, just pure raw <em>power.<em>"

Team Rocket were only paying cursory attention, too focused on trying not to bake in the intense heat of the magma chamber.

"Why can't we just get Gyarados ta give da place a hose down?" Meowth asked, panting frantically.

Blaine heard him. "_Don't…_ do that." He calmed down slightly. "For battles where water types or attacks may be present, we use the secondary battlefield further up and away from the chamber. Follow me there."

The team trooped after him, Jessie fanning herself extravagantly. "Phew… why not the main chamber, anyway?"

Blaine suddenly stopped, and spun on his heel to face the Rockets. "Have you ever heard of Thera?"

James and Jessie looked at one another, and shrugged.

"Nope."

The elderly Cinnabar leader looked a little disappointed, then started walking again, forging ahead at speeds that required the challengers to trot to keep up. "It was a volcanic island that was the base of power for Groudon in the Mediterranean for a good few hundred years. Then he fought Kyogre, and she summoned a great tidal wave to sweep him away." Blaine then made an explosive gesture. "Sixty million tonnes of water. Rocks at eight hundred degrees C. Steam is twelve hundred times the size of water. Thera is now a crater about eight miles across. The explosion sent Kyogre flying about one hundred miles south, and her landing destroyed much of the Minoan civilization that survived the tsunami from the explosion itself. Groudon went north, and opened the Bosphorus on _his_ landing. _Do not drop water on an active volcano."_

"Er, wow. I guess you know about that sorta thing then?"

Blaine snorted. "I have to. Bad enough when some Totodile or Wooper is used, but anything larger and there's the risk of flash-frying the entire battle in seconds." He paused. "Come to think of it, as I recall the same thing happened not too far from here if the shape of Sootopolis is anything to go by."

Jessie pondered for a second, then took one of James' Pokeballs. "Right, I think we're ready for the power contest now."

The labcoated Gym Leader took one of his own. "Let us begin then. Rapidash!"

Jessie threw her own ball. "Growlie!"

Blaine stared. "You sent out an Arcanine?"

James nodded, smiling affectionately at his Pokémon. "Yep, that's Growlie alright!"

"And I suppose he has Flash Fire as well. Brilliant. Well, this is going to be a long, long fight." Blaine took the stairs into a little booth with what looked like glass windows (but probably weren't) set into the side. "I recommend you get into your observation booth as well. This place is going to get hot."

The rest of Team Rocket made their way into their own booth, Meowth stopping to loop a small jar filled with an unidentifiable substance around Growlie's neck. After a few whispered instructions, he faded out with Faint Attack and materialized inside the armoured control room.

* * *

><p>Blaine took a microphone. "Well, this is a total farce, but whatever. Match one: pure power. Begin!"<p>

The Rapidash began by, well, rapidly dashing forward, cloaked in a Flame Charge. Growlie met it head on with one of his beloved Flare Blitzes, the two fire attacks detonating with not much force but a great deal of raw heat. As the shimmer punched outwards, both Pokémon drank in the heat, their respective Flash Fire abilities causing their internal flames to burn hotter in imitation of the fire without.

Meowth looked out of the strangely iridescent "glass" at the explosion, snapping his claws. "One…"

Growlie recovered first from the stunning force of the impact, shaking out his fur and exhaling a Heat wave, having absolutely no effect on Rapidash but driving Blaine to glance at a nearby thermometer. "This could get nasty…"

Rapidash shook Embers at Growlie. Growlie spun around to attack in a Flame Wheel. Both punched out an Inferno at once. The temperature in the room continued to rise, the walls developing a faint, ruddy glow.

Meowth continued to count under his breath. "Four, five…"

James turned curiously. "What are you counting for?"

"Six!" Meowth focused for a moment, and a Double Team illusion appeared in the firestorm outside for a brief instant, before dispersing in the heat. "Just keepin' track for the big guy, dat's all."

"Keeping track of what?" James asked, still watching his Pokémon. Growlie had got the message and was disengaging, the floor moving slightly under his paws and his foe's hooves from the sheer heat.

"Well, the jar I gave him has a meltin' point, and ya need ta use it at the right time. When it's just about to go soft. I put a load'a beads on the wire cord with different meltin' points, ta keep track."

Growlie bit on the wire to either side of the jar, his powerful teeth shredding the tungsten cord, and spat it at the space above Rapidash.

Tracking the object as it flew, Meowth relaxed. "Got it dead on."

Growlie spat flame, and the jar, finally softening in the furnace heat, exploded about five feet short of Rapidash and two feet above his head.

The purplish substance within evaporated near instantly, clouding its' target for a few seconds before dispersing.

Blaine's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"

Rapidash staggered slightly, but shook his head and came erect again.

Growlie snarled a challenge, and his foe accepted, both scorching forward in Flare Blitzes.

But on the two attacks hitting, Rapidash abruptly collapsed to the floor in apparent exhaustion. Growlie, having expected this, halted his own Blitz and threw his head back in a victory roar.

"What was that?" Jessie asked curiously, as James threw up his arms in congratulation and the floor began to set once more into a glassy black material.

"Some of Arbok's Gastro Acid, it's interestin' stuff. I'm impressed with how well dat worked, might be a good idea to do it more."

The intercom in their booth buzzed to life. "Please leave by the back door, there's not much oxygen left in this arena. We'll need to use ancillary arena 2, and this one will take days to properly become safe again."

Red beams of light returned both Pokémon from the arena to their respective 'balls, and Team Rocket followed the illuminated signs to their remaining matches in the volcano Gym.

"Very well. Begin!" Blaine called, tossing a Poké ball onto the cool floor of the arena they had moved into.

James replied by sending out his own Pokémon, and the two beams of white light coalesced into…

"James…" Jessie asked, staring at the enormous Rhydon that dwarfed its' opponent, "Why have you sent out Weezing?"

James looked embarrassed. "Well, I thought it would be good for him to have a bit of fun now and then…"

Blaine stared. He couldn't tell if this was part of some incredibly elaborate stratagem or just complete idiocy. Who in their right mind sent out a _Weezing_ in a _Fire_ gym?

That said, this team were clearly more intelligent than they appeared – one only had to look at the way they had defeated Rapidash for that.

"Weezing! Use smog!"

Okay, they were lucky idiots.

Rhydon stood there as the smog invaded his airspace, not flinching at the foul stuff, then smashed a foot down on the floor to use Bulldoze.

Fortunately for Weezing, he was still levitating and hence unaffected.

Blaine sighed, then called out, "Smack Down, Rhydon!"

The drill Pokémon obediently snapped off a piece of the arena floor and hurled it at Weezing… and it went wide. It seemed to take a twisted path in the air, curving crazily away from it's target.

"What? How did that- oh, that's clever."

James smiled deviously. "Isn't it? It's simple refraction. All the ice in the air from a Haze that Weezing used with the Smog acts like a Smokescreen, but it's less detectable."

Blaine got a sour look on his face. "Right then. So, it's a refractive effect, which means it's most effective at longer range, where there's greater depth for the light to bend, which also means that… Rhydon! Giga Impact!"

Rhydon snarled, took a low angled stance and rushed at his foe like a charging bull.

Weezing looked slightly vacant as the charge swept down on him, not moving out of the way as Rhydon angled in towards him.

James snapped his fingers. "Now!"

Weezing glowed red.

Blaine's jaw dropped. "What."

Rhydon hit Weezing with the force of a runaway train… and was blown backwards into the wall with the force of _two_ runaway trains.

Blaine walked past his collapsed Rock type, tossing the Poké ball to return Rhydon over his shoulder without breaking stride. "You."

James blinked, Jessie in the background scooping up the concussed Weezing. "Me?"

"Yes. You." Blaine was actually quivering with rage. "How is it that you keep doing things like that? _Weezing can't learn counter_."

Meowth shrugged. "Pokémon learn a lotta things they ain't supposed to."

The Gym Leader stared for a moment at the talking Meowth, then rubbed his temples with his forefinger and thumb. "Whatever. Next Pokémon."

* * *

><p>Cubone stared down her opponent across the Gym floor.<p>

Her opponent, Ninetales, did the same and flared his eyes into the red of Foresight.

Cubone considered. _Let's see… if I first go left, then I can pull in a ribcage between my destination and him, then a pair of Bonemerangs on the top and below to prevent vertical escape, that allows me to box him in with a Bone Rush staff angled to land behind him. That and a quick move forward ensures his only ways out are forward, back or towards me. Forward or back I can deal with via a pair of Earth Powers as soon as I land, and then he's going to end up in range of my Bone Club and in the air from jumping the ribcage, unable to dodge…_

Ninetales gave a high, barking laugh, then returned to his Poké ball.

Cubone blinked. "_What just happened?"_

Blaine shook his head. "He does this sometimes… if his Foresight shows that an opponent is definitely going to get a hit in, the lazy guy just doesn't bother fighting."

"Um… okay."

_I think it makes total sense. In fact, why didn't I think of that idea first?_

"Nevertheless, my final Pokémon will make things harder for you. Magmar!"

Blaine's Magmar appeared in a burst of red light, swinging a Mach Punch straight out of the Poké ball. Cubone blocked it with a quickly formed thigh bone, but was caught off guard by Magmar simply Rock Smashing it out of his way and volleying in a Dynamicpunch.

Cubone picked herself up from the small crater near the wall, and looked around woozily. She couldn't see anything…

_Okay. First principles. I'm in a fight. I'm just a little concussed. Wow. Concussion. Con-cus-sion._

_Focus._

_Right, I'm not well at all. I need to fight. I can't be sure where my opponent even is. I don't know where I am. I must be concussed._

_Can't defeat anyone like this. Can help set it up._

As Magmar charged down on her, Cubone's eyes flared a ruddy yellow-orange. She drove her club into the wall hard enough to shake the chamber slightly, causing the fire damage on the walls from previous battles to violently shake loose.

The effort was too much for her, and she passed out – but the blow itself seemed to cause the air to vibrate and swirl, the room ringing like a bell.

Jessie recalled Cubone from their side of the arena, and James sent in their last Pokémon allowed for the fight.

James didn't waste any time. "Gyarados, Twister!"

The swirling tornado that formed in the room gathered up all the tiny rock particles drifting in the air and began sandblasting everyone in the room.

Blaine wrapped a scarf round his face. "Sandstorm? Is this what that Cubone was doing?"

Jessie nodded. "I'm pretty sure, yes."

"But _why?_ Why set it up like this if it was only for a Pokémon as vulnerable as a Gyarados?"

James winked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Fine." Blaine shook his head. "Magmar, Thunderpunch!"

The Spitfire Pokémon charged forward, lightning gathered in his fist… and promptly dissipated.

"Dat's why!" Meowth called from the Rocket side of the arena. "All tha metal an' quartz in the rock sucks away electricity!"

Gyarados roared, then unleashed a huge wall of water from thin air and rode it towards Blaine's Pokémon.

Blaine sighed. "It's that thing with the blue Sandslash all over again…"

With a great hiss of steam, Magmar was hammered under by the wave, Blaine returning him after it was clear he'd lost.

The Gym Leader sloshed over to the Rockets through the new, three foot swimming pool, muttering darkly to himself about people too clever for their own good.

"You fought well. Here is the Volcanobadge. Now, get out of here before I have to get you involved in the repair work, it's going to be a nightmare getting rid of all this water."

* * *

><p>AU: Well, that was action packed.<p>

Gym Battle (with what looks suspiciously like the team from Pokemon Trainer in Brawl) and a Rocket Gym Battle focused much more on SCIENCE!

Ahem.

The explosion that Blaine refers to really did take place, though not due to Pokemon gods fighting, and the tidal wave did take out the Minoan civilization. The island that remains, Santorini, was the basis for the design of Sootopolis.

Finally, the martial art Primeape has developed is essentially _Coup de vitesse_ from the Honorverse books. Think Close Combat, but as an entire martial art.


	14. Chapter 13

Misty snapped her fingers, and turned to Ash.

"Now I remember what I was going to ask! Ash, do you have any mental concentration tricks that can be used on someone else?"

"Er… not that I can think of, Misty. Why?"

Misty sighed. "We're heading to that ridiculous Hop-whatever town next, see, and that means I have to deal with Psyduck again. And since he's basically either completely brainless or ridiculously powerful – or _both_ – I dread it."

Ash shrugged. "Aspirin?"

Misty stared at him for a moment, then slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Don't know _why_ I never thought of that…"

Brock nodded contemplatively. "Either that or Persim berries, if he's just permanently confused."

Either might work, but according to the scans I performed, Psyduck all have constant headaches – I think Misty's one was just unusually severe. Golduck aren't affected, though.

"So Golduck are unaffected by headaches… Hm. Perhaps the evolution is triggered by coming to terms with the headache, rather than the other way around." Ash dug into his bag. "Here we are, the Calm Mind TM that Sabrina gave me!"

Brock looked suspiciously at the disc. "I've never really understood how those work."

Pokémon are transmittable as data over the internet. The comparison is clear.

"Yeah, I suppose, but if so then how do you use one?"

…the only reference I can find on the 'net is "apply directly to forehead". But there's also a caution that it's better to use them as the instructional videos that are contained on them rather than directly in most cases.

"Got it. Hey, Dex, you still have that jailbreak you worked out in Isshu?"

That I do. Usage limit has already been removed, in fact.

"Good to know that's all been worked out. Now, onwards to Hop-Hop-Hop town." Ash made a face. "I think I just lost some of my self esteem by merely saying that."

Misty shrugged. "No great loss."

* * *

><p>"So that's the problem. All the Pokémon are just falling asleep."<p>

With a sigh and a thud, Riolu joined the list of Pokémon succumbing to the strange soporific aura of Hop-Hop-Hop town. Pikachu sniffed disdainfully, and gulped down yet another of the Chesto berries he had prepared. He knew it was coming, after all.

Ash smiled gently and changed into his cap, letting Riolu have the more impressive blue hat he had been wearing. The Dark subtype from the hat seemed to work in shielding Riolu, and he awoke soon after.

"Wow!" the local Joy said enthusiastically. "So that's all it takes to cure it?"

"I'd hardly say 'all'…" Ash muttered.

"Oh most astonishingly beautiful, nay, incomprehensibly wonderful-"

WHAM

Misty removed her fist from Brock's ear. "Get to the point, Casanova."

Brock clambered back to his feet. "The hat's a special one that blocks Psychic powers. That basically proves it's a Pokémon doing this, or a powerful human psychic."

Pikachu raised a forelimb. _"We could find out where to go by timing how long it takes Riolu to fall asleep when the hat's taken off in different locations."_

Riolu cringed, clutching the brim of the hat in both paws. _"But I don't wanna be a piece of scientific apparatus!"_

Misty sent out her Starmie, which levitated into the air. "Or we could get Starmie to find the source."

Pikachu shook his head. _"No sense of scientific discovery from you people."_

* * *

><p>The arrayed salarymen blinked as the door banged open. "What-"<p>

Ash stormed in. "You people are irresponsible lunatics! Your answer to insomnia was not something like a pill or medication, or even just relaxing more, but to get a Pokémon to hypnotize you! Hello, Sleep Powder perhaps?"

"I… we…"

"And to top it all off, you didn't even consider asking Cresselia, who would doubtless have been happy to help." Ash shook his head, some of the anger gone. "Regardless, you need to stop that, it's driving the children in the town bonkers and the Pokémon narcoleptic. Get a Butterfree… or perhaps anything at all that can learn Yawn. Or Spore. Or Grass Whistle. Or Sing… basically, there should be no need at all to resort to dangerously unshielded psychic powers."

Ash paused, checked something on his Pokédex, and sent out Ivysaur, who promptly put the entire room to sleep with a quick Grass Whistle.

As they left, Ash turned to Ivysaur. "What the hell is your family tree like, anyway, for all these moves?"

"_I know of a Charmeleon, a Sableye and a Skarmony in there somewhere. It's more of a family Kudzu…"_

* * *

><p>"Okay, Psyduck, you remember us now?"<p>

Blank stare.

Brock shook his head. "Does that Pokémon know Amnesia, or is this natural?"

The stare shifted to Brock.

He shivered. "That's actually kinda creepy. Does he blink?"

Ash rolled his eyes, drew out the TM and slapped it onto Psyduck's forehead.

Psyduck blinked.

_There's something coming past the shooting pain in my head, some new knowledge. It feels… _

_**Soothing**_

_In some undefined way. But that's distant as of yet, wrapped up inside a package of instructions and mental code that seems to be requesting execution._

_Well, it isn't as if my head could hurt any worse._

With a mental twitch of pain from the effort, he sent approval.

_**Execution of packet approved.**_

_**Engaging compartmentalization… developing mindscape… setting emotions/stimuli at one remove… done.**_

_Okay, wow. Wow._

_Wow._

_I can still feel the headache, but it's… separate. Kind of-_

_**Access restricted. Confirm request of Attack class Psychics?**_

_No._

_Oh, I see. Everything's separated, so I have to decide whether to use the headache and its' boost. Wow, that's quite some effect._

"You okay?"

_Yes, thanks._

Misty fell over in shock.

Ash did a double take. "That actually worked?"

_Yes. My word, it's nice to not have a permanent blinding headache._

Brock shrugged. "I'm certainly not complaining. And this means you have a more, er, stable Pokémon, Misty."

_Except when I need to use an actual psychic attack. To get that kind of strength means going back to the pain. But I'm OK with that._

"Right!" Misty said, putting her hands on her hips. "Next for you, mister, is swimming lessons!"

_Er, I mean, Ow the pain the pain my head is aching._

Ash snickered. "Nice try."

* * *

><p>"Okay. Next?"<p>

Next we-

Brock cut off Dexter. "Next, we go and see Suzy, and hopefully I can borrow her Vulpix."

"You've really been looking forward to seeing her again, huh?"

"Both of them. Suzy is, after all, famous, and as for Vulpix… the little darling's an absolute powerhouse, but cute as a button. My Rock types and Crobat are great, y'know, but sometimes you long for a softer approach."

Ash looked faintly confused. "And you are looking for recognition from us why? We're both pretty focussed on battle. Now, if we were in a region with actual contests instead of elimination tourneys with faint themes, then you might get more of a following on that front." Ash then nodded. "Nevertheless, I take your point about Vulpix. I swear it took a week for my eyebrows to grow back."

* * *

><p>Brock cradled Vulpix as the trio of humans left Scissor Street. Misty frowned slightly, muttering to herself, "I could swear that took longer last time…"<p>

"Yeah, we seem to be done with Celadon a lot earlier than before."

_Not quite. Brock, why not get Vulpix something from the department store?_

Misty jumped. "Psyduck! Are you going to keep doing that?"

_I hear James' Abra does it all the time._

"Pardon?"

_Nothing…_

Brock shrugged. "What do you say, Vulpix? Sound good?"

She considered for a second, then nipped his finger affectionately and barked an affirmative.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so what do you want?"<p>

Vulpix trotted along the aisles, searching for the right row. She knew it was supposed to be here somewhere, she'd considered this decision many times before. But now, with Brock again, she wanted him to succeed. She liked him.

So it was an easy choice.

Finding her objective, she cloaked herself in Safeguard and carefully took the Fire Stone in her jaws.

Brock's eyes widened, and he took it from her before her Safeguard wore off. "You sure?"

She barked. _"Yes!"_

"Well, I suppose it's your choice. Just give me a second to buy it."

* * *

><p>"Ready?"<p>

Vulpix nodded in exasperation. _"I told you I wanted this five minutes ago! Now just hand the stone over, okay? You won't change my mind, and I'm not making a choice I'll regret later. It's time for me to grow up."_

Brock tried to say something, choked a little, and put down the Fire Stone.

Slowly, almost reverently, Vulpix trotted over to it. She closed her eyes, and gently pressed her nose against it.

Then-

_Woosh._

She seemed to flow into her new form, her body enlarging from its' former tiny size and her tails wrapping around one another as a stream of fire licked her. When they unravelled again, there were no longer six short red tails, but nine beautiful long white ones, their tips tinted the orange that the rest of her coat had shed. Caged fire played over her form, accentuating her fur in a slightly unnecessary but very impressive display of Will-O-Wisp.

Upon seeing Brock staring, she smiled gently.

"_It's still me in here, silly. And it doesn't look bad on me, no?"_

Ash found his voice. "If you ever want to get involved in Contests, Brock… let me know so I can forfeit before the start."

* * *

><p>"Ready?"<p>

_Now._

* * *

><p>Ash started as something flickered across his field of view. "What the-"<p>

Meowth skidded to a halt on the other side of the road out of Celadon. "Lookin' for this?"

Oh brilliant. I've actually been stolen… kidnapped… I demand a lawyer! Both to resolve this situation, and determine if I count as _property_…

Meowth shook Dexter.

Shutting up now.

"Hey, give him back!" Ash shouted.

Okay, so you see me as a- Meowth bashed the Pokédex on the ground. Right, right, sorry.

James popped up from the bushes on that side of the path. "That's right, Ash! We've got your Pokédex! But it would be just cruel to take it without any warning, so here's the deal. Catch us if you can!"

The three travellers looked between themselves, and broke into a run.

James frowned for a moment at the trio closing in on him, then snapped his fingers.

Abra materialized in front of the party, and raised his arms. _Too bad for you I can't get any peace until this is over._ His eyes opened and flared purple. _Psywave!_

Ash took the brunt of the attack, grabbing Pikachu and Riolu as he fell backwards to stop them flying off. "Erf… damn. That was an air pulse as well as a psychic one, my Dark subtype hat's no help. We can't get past easily."

James winked. "I'll leave you to it then. Bye-bye!" He jogged off further down the path towards the Cycling Road.

Brock crouched over in the road, minimizing the effect of the air pulses. "Any ideas?"

Riolu raised his hand. _"I could-"_

"No, sorry, we might need you later on. I doubt he's going to be the only obstacle. Hmm… Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you're the closest we have to a psychic specialist at the moment."

She nodded, and sent out both Psyduck and Starmie. "You guys up for this?"

_Sure. Okay, everyone ready? Here we go. Starmie, go for any weak points that develop. I'm not going to be coherent enough._

_**Confirm activation of combat Psychics?**_

_Yes._

Psyduck clutched his head as pain flooded his world again, a massive pulse of psychic energy roaring forwards and shattering the Psywave.

Abra gestured, and a series of Light Screens formed in front of him, acting as a deep defence; he then fired out a Charge Beam, bouncing it between the mirrorlike Light Screens to deny his opponents a shot.

Psyduck was at this point incapable of any real skill, drawing deep on his boosted power he simply hammered forward Psychic attack after attack, each shattering a Light Screen with the sheer force – and also sending the Charge Beam wide as it tried to bounce off a 'Screen no longer there.

Starmie hovered above the rest of the group as they made a break for it, before Camouflaging and sneaking back.

The last of the Light Screens shattered, and Abra's raw psychic will clashed violently with Psyduck's. The two energies flashed against one another, sparks of power flying off the direct line between them.

Gradually Abra began to gain the upper hand, forming another shell of Light Screens and rotating them so no one was exposed to Psyduck's smashing attacks long enough to break. With this reduction in the power he had to expend on defence, he began to muster the energy to call for a Future Sight ball…

And was hit in the side by a Hyper Beam crashing through his weakened left defence, where the most recently harmed Light Screens were unable to interdict properly.

Turning angrily on Starmie, he slashed out a Thunderwave, then teleported behind it and launched a Charge Beam from point blank range.

Starmie fell to the ground, gem winking in the red distress signal of its' species.

_Now for-eh?_ Abra looked around; no Psyduck.

Then he looked up - just in time to catch a Disable pulse - and saw, through the crackling energy that locked down his teleport ability, about a thousand gallons of water falling through the air towards him.

_Well crap. Night night, see you in the morning…_

Water hammered him into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>As they ran, Ash released his two Flying types and the trainers took to the air.<p>

Jessie, watching from up ahead, shook her head. "Naughty, naughty… not at all kosher. Cubone! Smack Down!"

Cubone raised her arms and drew them back.

"_My bones are the Earth, my skin is the Sky."_

As Pidgeot blasted ahead of her wingmate, Ash saw it first. "Pidgeot, down!"

She reacted just a little too slowly, and the spinning shoulder bone hit her own left wing in the upper humerus with a sickening wrench, dislocating it and sending her into a barely controlled tumble.

Charizard fared a little better, incinerating the oncoming bone, but a followup shower of fingerbones tattered his wings and forced him down.

Ash returned both injured Pokémon to their balls and gave a heartfelt groan. "Brilliant…"

Riolu shook his head to clear it from the dizzying impact, and looked around. Catching a glint of movement, he launched an Aura Sphere into the air where it intercepted a Bonemerang aimed at Pikachu. Catching a vicious downward strike from a Bone Club in his palms, he kicked out at Cubone, knocking her back slightly. _"I'll handle her! You carry on!"_

Ash clenched his fist and nodded. The three trainers ran off, leaving the two small Pokémon to their duel.

"_You think you can beat me? You're still young, little Riolu. Go now and get help."_

Riolu replied by forming a Bone Rush staff in his paws. _"I'm not going to. I can stop you."_

She shook her head. _"So noble. I was like that once. But what you have to realize," _she spun her Thick Club in her own hands, _"is that sometimes ideals are simply impossible. You have to be realistic."_

She cast aside her club. _"I will show you how outmatched you are by fighting you on an equal level."_

"_An equal level? What do you mean?"_

She declined to answer, instead explaining by demonstration.

"_I have wielded the past of thousands…"_

Her own Bone Rush staff formed, and she looked it over critically. Then, shockingly suddenly, she lashed out with an overhand attack. Riolu spun his own staff into a two handed grip to knock it aside, and the fight was on.

Cubone was an expert at launching blows her opponent had to match bone to bone, or be unable to dodge. That kind of battering contest seemed to favour neither combatant, both being equally matched in strength and toughness…

Until Riolu's staff snapped.

"_What?" _He dodged away from the follow up blow that would have knocked him unconscious and formed a pair of short staves. _"How did you do that?"_

"_It's simple. You are not truly able to understand the nature of a bone."_

Riolu ducked, dodged and channelled a Force Palm into one of his staves, knocking Cubone back with the blow – but also causing that stave to shatter in turn. _"Why is this happening- what do you mean?"_

"_As I said." _Cubone wrenched the other stave out of his grip and snapped it. _"You form your constructs out of simple, solid Aura, rather than using it as a base material for a more accurate form of a bone."_ She paused in her explanation to casually detonate the Aura Sphere he was spinning up with a conjured knucklebone, carefully crafting a Bastiodon skull with her off hand as a shield. _"What I do is to exactly replicate the bone of the Pokémon I am basing my technique off. This makes it more able to resist impacts and able to be denser while still light. You cannot hope to match me."_

Riolu closed his eyes, engaging his Aura sight. To his dismay, she was right – her crafted bones were exquisitely layered in solid honeycombed with air gaps, making it stronger and lighter than his own simple shapes at the same time.

"_But what does that have to do with nobility?"_

She looked up with haunted eyes. _"Everything. My ability in this did not come from training, or study, or battle – or rather they were not the main catalysts. My entire family was killed not a year ago, when they had relied on me to protect them. That is what gave me this – that I have faced death so closely that I am halfway dead myself through sorrow. That is the only way to know your own mettle – to face into the abyss, and see what part of you stares back._

_Serving life, understanding death, but on the razor's edge between the two."_

Riolu was shocked. She had seemed so… well, not happy, but forceful, at least before. And now she had explained _that_ lay in her recent past? _"I'm… I'm sorry."_

"_Don't be. Learn from it and don't make the same mistake. You can't trust honour, it's not realistic enough."_

At that last, Riolu felt his own inner fire blaze in indignation. _"That's not true! I know so many people who have faced death, have even died, and none of them have lost that sense of righteousness! My trainer, Ash Ketchum, is a refutation of your ideals! He's kind, and generous, and never stops trying to do the best he can, and this despite one of the worst lives anyone's ever faced!" _Riolu let his Aura flow through his body. _"Maybe you're right that that's the only way to know yourself… but maybe you're wrong, too, and either way he's one of those people! And you're also wrong about my ability."_

Cubone narrowed her eyes. _"Oh?"_

"_It's true I don't have the kind of knowledge you have… but I know myself and my body, and that's all I need!"_

She gave something of a smile. _"Very well then, show me!_

_My past and future collide on the grassy plain._

_I ask for only, the Bones of the Hills!"_

And suddenly they were somewhere else.

Cubone gestured to the field of bones. _"Well? This is the knowledge I faced down Darkrai's stare to win. How can you approach it?"_

Riolu made eye contact with her, and reached for a bone to his left.

And as he took it, it came free from the ground like it had never been attached.

Her eyes widened. _"How-"_

"_Simple. I said I understand my body. And that means everything about it, including the locked away potential at its' heart for the fires of evolution to sweep over it. And this bone is a Lucario one. The steel under the skin. It may be yours… but it's also, in every bit the same way, mine."_

Riolu charged the bone with his entire Aura reserve, feeling it respond to his soul and accept it, and threw it overarm at Cubone.

She raised her shield to block, and was only partly successful. The shield was unbreakable by any conventional attack, but Riolu had made this attack unconventional. And while it still didn't break the shield, it sent her flying backwards into the curve of the rolling grasslands and the shield lip crashing into her forehead, stunning her into unconsciousness even past the skull armour.

As the forest outside Celadon reappeared, Riolu slumped forward into the grass.

_I suppose I'll rest… for now._

* * *

><p>AN: Two part battle!<p>

This is the first time Ash and co. get to see just what the Rockets have been doing with their time. There probably won't be many of these, they take up too much time.

The inspiration for the Psychic fight was actually the Zeruel battle from Rebuild of Evangelion, strangely enough. And we now get to see more of Cubone's backstory. She's probably the most tragic character in the fic up to now.


	15. Chapter 14

James jogged into the next clearing. "Phew… I need a quick rest after that. Meowth?"

The scratch cat materialized next to him. "Dey're about three minutes behind yas, da ambush by Cubone slowed them down a lot."

"Right." James considered. "We ready to use Growlie yet?"

"Eh… probably. We got Arbok an' Weezing in reserve, and dey're more useful in blocking positions."

"I'll give him a go then. Let Jessie know I'll be along in a minute."

Meowth nodded and vanished again.

For a moment, a manic grin flickered across James' face. "I _love_ being competent!"

* * *

><p>As the trio stormed into the more open area of path, Ash reached for his Poké balls. He was going to-<p>

Brock warded him off. "No, Ash, it's my turn. You're running out of team members after that last clash, but I still have all of mine. I'll let Ninetales handle this."

Ash agreed, dropping back slightly as Brock sent out his newly evolved, "borrowed" Pokémon.

Across the field, James sent out Growlie.

The two Pokémon stared at one another, flaring their fires. Will-O-Wisp danced across Ninetales' fur, Embers formed in Growlie's shaggy mane.

Then the two of them nodded at one another and ran off back towards Celadon.

James blinked. "Er… what just happened?"

Ash shrugged. "I dunno. But… that means… you don't have your Arcanine protecting you anymore!"

James let out an _eep_ of surprise, and threw another Poké ball. As Weezing appeared, he shouted "Smog!" and legged it.

Weezing complied with a massive cloud of toxic gas that effectively blocked the path.

* * *

><p>The three looked to one another.<p>

"There's no way we can get past that. It needs to be gotten rid of."

Brock snapped his fingers. "Got it! Poison types aren't affected by poisons, and so we can get your Ivysaur and my Crobat to handle this."

Ash frowned. "Any reason Crobat can't do it on his own?"

"Well, since evolving he's always been a bit more focused on slashing attacks than wind walls. He can't cut a path big enough alone."

Misty grumbled to herself. "I'm useful…"

"Of course you are. It's just that your main team variety is still in the future for us, two of your three heaviest hitters were involved against Abra, and your third is part of our reserve."

Misty looked slightly mollified, and Ash got on with sending out Ivysaur. "Think you can clear that Smog?"

"_Sure! I know Whirlwind from my Flying ancestors!"_

Ash groaned. "Why didn't you use that in the gym battle with Erica then?"

Ivysaur froze. Then he bashed his head into the ground. _"Such an idiot…"_

"Okay, then. Plan?"

Ivysaur reached into his flower with a vine_. "Here. Worry Seeds. They'll make you immune to sleep effects temporarily, and I plan on punching a cloud of Sleep Powder up into the middle of that smog bank. If I do it right, the Sleep Powder will replace the Smog for long enough you can make it through."_

"You don't think that's a little… convoluted?"

"_It'll keep Weezing from just recreating the zone of Smog in the clear area, as he won't be able to get close enough."_

"Fair enough. Everyone ready?"

Receiving a series of affirmatives, Ash downed his own Worry Seed. "Okay, go!"

* * *

><p>Weezing listened to the sound of pounding feet with interest. They were attacking. Interesting.<p>

"_Crobat, now!"_

"_Defog!"_

With a blast of wind, the cloud of poisonous gas he had been generating disappeared. Of course, they had a Crobat. That one was a Defog user who had evaded the Knock Down. Hm. Better go over there and handle that, then.

Weezing floated over, but flinched back just before entering a glistening cloud of airborne powder. Oh. Nice plan there.

If he couldn't stop the main group (and he couldn't, they'd made it into the clear air while he was recovering from the Sleep Powder), then at least he could handle this pair.

* * *

><p>Ivysaur lumbered into a run. So far Weezing hadn't done much, but as a Pokémon that could float, catching him was going to be hard.<p>

_And I may be many things, but I don't recall Psychic being among the list._

His vines lashed out, capturing Weezing in a web of green tendrils.

_Huh. Maybe it's not so-_

Boom.

Ivysaur reeled back, feeling the faint stirrings of shock. That _really_ hurt, damn it! The explosion felt like it had actually severed his vines, and while that wasn't a disaster it did reduce his ranged options rather drastically.

Crobat swooped in during the moment of vulnerability, but unfortunately for him Team Rocket had enough money to buy TMs now. He was met with a foot thick bolt of lightning that blasted him out of the air.

_He's kicking us all over the place! _Ivysaur thought frantically. _What do I do?_

Then something clicked.

He set his feet squarely, faced Weezing, and drew upon his saurian ancestry.

(Yes, he's got a lot of ancestry. But who doesn't?)

He roared, and the rocks around responded to him. Moving and cracking under the strain, they slammed together into a glowing ball in front of his face.

Weezing realized he was about to lose. Oh well.

"_Ancientpower!"_

The ball of concentrated energy and matter smashed into Weezing, sending him into a tree.

Ivysaur slumped, spent. _Glad I remembered that one._ Then he frowned. _Hang on a minute… Weezing was glowing purple…_

The Destiny bond triggered, and Ivysaur promptly passed out.

* * *

><p>"Boss," asked the waiter, "Why are we doing this?"<p>

The restaurant manager adjusted his violin. "What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, why did we serve two Fire types – which, might I add, are both very large – out the back of our restaurant in the first place? Second, we're a sushi restaurant. Where did the spaghetti and meat balls even come from?" The waiter broke off for a moment as his boss started to sing. "Yeah, that's another thing. Why are we serenading them in Italian? I didn't even know you had a violin, nor that the cook had an accordion."

Ninetales and Growlie were in the process of re-enacting a certain famous scene from a certain Disney film. It was enough to count as a Charm attack covering much of Celadon.

"_I have to say, I find your company delightful."_ Growlie commented.

Ninetales giggled. _"Oh, you! Besides, I assure you the feeling is mutual."_

The Arcanine sighed. _"Thanks. But I just wish that it didn't divide our loyalties."_

His companion shook her head. _"Don't worry about it. I'm sure neither of them would mind one bit. Besides, seeing you would be enough alone to make it all worthwhile, I don't mind admitting something in you resonates with me."_

"_Thanks," _Growlie said, touched. _"Very well, then. We'll enjoy what time we have, and if it goes further, then take it as it comes."_

"_Spoken like a true Pokémon of wisdom."_ She said with finality, and both went back to their meal.

* * *

><p>James let out a slight giggle. This one was going to be <em>fun.<em>

Ash and his friends staggered with burning legs into the next clear area, a small depression that had filled with enough water to be considered a marsh, to see both Jessie and James standing on the other side of the swamp.

Jessie cooed. "Oh, looks like they caught up." Her voice turned harsh. "Suppose we'll just have to delay them again."

James pointed. "Attack!"

With a rumbling BOOM, an enormous shape shot from the marshy depression – forcing the friends to flinch away from the flying water and mud - and reared up to full height. As they looked back at it, Misty realized first.

"That's a Gyarados! Where the _hell_ did they get that!"

Brock groaned. "Not only that, but it's covered in mud. So much for just zapping it."

James laughed. "That's right! And he's been eating his five fruit and veg a day! All Wacan Berries, of course…" The two turned to go.

James' Gyarados roared again, and lunged.

Ash dove for cover, and was mildly surprised when he wasn't tossed aside by any impact-like-a-freight-train.

Looking back, he saw Misty and Brock releasing all their remaining Pokémon to handle the enormous, enraged Gyarados. Misty's own Gyarados seemed to be at a disadvantage here, as that one was still weak to electric.

Brock caught his eye. "You go on ahead, this one's a handful!"

Ash nodded determinedly, forced himself to his feet again, and went back to the chase.

* * *

><p>Misty watched James' Gyarados carefully. "Brock, it's on at least one Dragon Dance as well!"<p>

"Right. You get yours to hold him off while I get Steelix and Geodude ready, then we switch and you boost yours the same way."

Misty was dubious. "Can you actually boost a Rock type to that sort of level?"

Brock just grinned, before ordering his Pokémon to use Rock Polish.

James' Gyarados tried to use the moment of vulnerability to Thunder Fang Misty's Gyarados, but unfortunately for him Ash and Pikachu weren't quite out of range yet, allowing the yellow mouse to siphon off the electricity. Before he could try again, Misty's Gyarados had copied her opponent in covering itself with mud.

Misty frowned. "How does that Gyarados even know Thunder Fang?"

Brock shouted from where his Steelix was gradually boosting itself. "Why not? Now, pay attention to the fight!"

Misty jumped back as the ground near the marsh shook. "Gyarados, Stone-"

James' voice rang out. "-Edge!"

Misty's Gyarados flung a storm of rocks at her foe. James', however, instead called up a single massive slab of rock in front of itself as a shield. The shower of rocks from Misty's end of the battlefield deflected harmlessly off the shield, which then fell forwards and came close to crushing Misty's Pokémon.

With a roar, Steelix blazed forward into the fight, slamming into James' Gyarados with a Smack Down (driving it into contact with the solid ground beneath the marsh) and then releasing a massive Earthquake.

Brock dashed over as Steelix began trying to hold down the thrashing enemy. "Misty! Get your Gyarados to Dragon Dance!"

She rapped out the order, trusting him, before turning to ask, "Why?"

"I can have Steelix copy the Dance with Psych Up, it'll remove the enemies' advantage! Good work, Steelix, keep up that Bind!"

James' Gyarados arced and twisted in attempts to break free, before a cunning gleam came into his eye. Taking a great breath, he released a Surf…

Which had little effect on the dripping wet Steelix. Surprised, he looked closely.

Misty held up her hand in a V sign. "Goldeen are useful!"

James slapped his forehead. "Of COURSE she'd teach it Soak…"

Thoroughly enraged by now, James' Gyarados broke free by main force, sending Steelix sprawling on the floor.

The two Gyarados, both boosted on several Dragon Dances by this point, finally decided to settle it with a beam war. Both of them launched powerful Hyper Beams at the other, and the point of intersection between the beams flared with violet light. Misty flinched back from the blaze, and James pulled out sunglasses.

Brock just squinted more than usual.

The beam gradually crept towards the Gyarados from Cerulean gym, despite her best efforts to resist the torrent of energy. As that bead of fire came close enough that it was all but touching, Misty withdrew her exhausted Pokémon and let the beam of the other Gyarados go flying off into space.

Then Steelix landed on James' Gyarados in a massive landslide.

"Took you long enough…" Misty grumbled.

Brock grinned. "I had to build the hill first, give me some respect."

James looked around himself desperately. "Damn, I'm out of Pokémon!"

He frowned. "Huh. I was expecting to just white out there and wake up at a Pokémon centre. Could be all the mental trauma from being blown up a lot…"

Misty stomped forward. "Where's Jessie?"

"She went ahead to the escape vehicle. You'll probably not make it there in time to stop me."

Brock frowned. "Why not?"

"Well, I'm sort of a Substitute…" The James they were talking to vanished in a puff of smoke.

Misty shook her head. "Since when were they _this_ good?"

* * *

><p>Ash crashed through a bush and all but collapsed on the ground, Pikachu hopping down from his shoulder. Since the Pokémon had been carried here, he was fully rested up and ready for battle.<p>

He was confronted by Arbok, rearing up for action – and both human members of Team Rocket behind them, fiddling with something hidden in a thicket.

"I see ya finally got here!" Meowth grinned, seeming to melt out of the foliage. "Took ya long enough."

Ash raised his head from the dirt. "We had to run all the way – that has to have been at least a few miles!"

"I expect it is, but not like I care." Meowth tossed his head. "After all, I didn't have ta travel it. This is da first time you're seeing the real me. I love substitutes…"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked. _"You mean you've just been waiting here for us to arrive?"_

"Well, yeah, but more waiting for da other me ta turn up with your Pokédex…" Meowth mused. "Ya actually almost beat it, not bad at all."

Ash pulled himself into a sitting position. "Well, I suppose we'd better get to it." He glanced unhappily at his collection of Poké balls. Only three were full, and of those two had the warning telltales of an injured Pokémon. "Squirtle, it's up to you and Pikachu!"

That turtle set himself. _"I call the handbag."_

Pikachu nodded. _"Suits me."_

* * *

><p>Squirtle adjusted his sunglasses. <em>"Now listen here, you bozo! I am Squirtle, leader of the Squirtle squad, and I don't take kindly to people who try to get in my way!"<em>

Arbok chuckled darkly. _"Fine by me. Sludge wave."_

Squirtle blinked. _"Wait, what?"_

With a yelp, he retracted his limbs into his shell and released a gush of water from the gaps, propelling him into the air and above the tide of poisonous sludge. _"That was not nice at all!"_

"_I'm a poison type, take it or leave it. I personally would prefer you to take it."_

Squirtle spun himself into a strange pattern in the air… which caused the sky to rumble as clouds began to form from nowhere. _"Wash it down your drainpipe, snake!"_

"_Now that's just rude." _Arbok plunged into the thin layer of gunk and disappeared from view. Squirtle stayed airborne until the newly forming layer of liquid was at least partly see-through, then grabbed a Pecha berry from his shell to hold off any lingering toxicity and landed.

"_Now, where are you…"_

The water rippled slightly. Squirtle noticed, and stared at it intently.

_Hmmm… "There!"_

He jumped, and just avoided being caught as the snake erupted from the ground, fangs bared. Using the moment of vulnerability, he launched a Water Pulse and set up the tripartite pattern of an Aqua Ring.

Arbok shook off the Pulse with little effort, and turned his eyes on Squirtle, noticing that the raindrops were sinking into the little turtle's skin. _"Cautious little mouthful, aren't you? Aqua ring to back up the Rain Dish?"_

Squirtle flashed a smile. _"Comes with the shell."_

Arbok blurred into motion, lashing out with a crack at Squirtle. The turtle whipped his glasses off to block, and was forced back several inches by the jarring impact. _"You little serpent! You used Coil underground, didn't you?"_

"_Thanks for the compliment."_ Arbok lashed out again, this time with fangs sparking with electricity. Squirtle dodged that one, chopping at Arbok's neck to send him off target, and slapped the ground with his tail.

A massive rumbling heralded the arrival of a muddy geyser from below the ground as he used Muddy Water, hence rendering the water around them useless to conduct anything just as Arbok hit it.

"_Fool! You've sealed your fate! Giga Drain!"_

The grass energy was given almost no resistance by the ambient conditions, and Squirtle jerked as his strength was rapidly sapped by the attack. Gritting his jaw, he threw himself towards his tormentor.

Arbok, caught off guard, was knocked backwards by the desperate Zen Headbutt and stunned lightly.

Squirtle supported himself with his glasses. He was healing, but slowly, as the Giga Drain had given him a lot of trouble.

"_Well, I have a chance. Let's not waste it."_

Drawing himself fully erect, he wound up and threw the pair of sunglasses at Arbok. As had happened before, it flared blue with Aura and split into two larger duplicates that pinned Arbok in place by his frill.

Shaking himself out of the stunned state he was in, Arbok looked up – and his jaw dropped open in disbelief.

Squirtle was floating above him in a blue haze of Aura-saturated water. _"By harming me, you only increase my resolve! The more a battle comes down to the wire, the more it reinforces the devotion of a Squirtle Squad member to win every time!_" He stuck his right arm out towards the sky, and the water flowed towards it. _"Horn…"_ The water formed into a small drill-like shape, which quivered and expanded to the size of a house. _"Drill…"_

Swinging his arm out to face Arbok, Squirtle poured his remaining strength into the attack. _"Breaker!"_ He rocketed forward and smashed into Arbok, the impact tearing up the ground for tens of metres around and dissolving both Pokémon back to their Poké balls.

Ash shook his head, his eyes drawn by the light show. "I've heard of showy, but that turtle takes the cake."

* * *

><p>Pikachu faced down Meowth across the grass between the trees. <em>"We've done this too many times before."<em>

"It'll have new content this time, I swear."

The mouse focused briefly, and sent a bolt of lightning forward, hitting…

Nothing.

"_What?"_

A coin bounced off the back of his head. "Like I would'a missed da new look, mousie. There's more dan one type of Double Team."

Pikachu slashed out another Thunderbolt, aiming at the sparking image of a living being in his electric sense.

That same sense informed him that the bolt had barely travelled halfway to its' target before it grazed something and was drawn into the intercessor, melting what turned out to be a coin and expending itself uselessly.

"Oh, didn't ya know? Meowth coins are high quality metal! Dey're brilliant conductors!"

Pikachu shook himself, and fired out an omnidirectional Shock Wave, only for another two electric pulses to expand within the same volume he was covering and negate his. _Two?_

With a rush of wind, something cut Pikachu's fur on his flank. Looking, he saw a trio of clawmarks in neat parallel lines.

He hadn't sensed anything.

Deciding not to mess around any more, he tapped into his Light Ball and expanded out an electric shell ten feet across with the Counter Shield method, trusting that secondary power source to maintain it indefinitely as he continued looking around for the infernally evasive Meowth.

"Not what-" an Electro ball blew up a hapless tree, and the voice continued from another direction, "ya think of when someone says 'cat an' mouse game', is it?"

Pikachu ignored the voice now it was clear it wouldn't provide any clue, keeping his eyes active and considering the possible tactical implications of the storm that was beginning.

A very faint electric signal usually came from the ground. It wasn't anything unusual, just an effect of having piezolectric Quartz crystals as part of it, but something was striking Pikachu as unusual.

Suddenly he got it. Somehow, Meowth was masking his own electrical signal perfectly, but he wasn't able to prevent any of the quarts crystals he disturbed from generating electric signals as well. Pikachu pulled the electric globe back in and retasked the Light Ball to providing a levitation effect with Magnet Rise, lifting him off the ground and out of the way of Meowth's attempted surprise attack.

Feeling glad he finally had a break, he laid an Electroweb over his former location.

Then a coin flew in from somewhere and shorted the net, just before Meowth burst from the ground and looked confused.

Acting on a suspicion, Pikachu closed an eye, seeing half a dozen weak Aura signatures all over the place.

"_Substitutes? Oh, of course!"_

The Meowth on the ground smirked. "So, ya worked it out? Too bad for you that ya got nothing you can do about it!"

Pikachu smiled in reply and blasted a Thunder into the sky.

Meowth frowned. "What was dat for?"

The returning bolt of lightning struck the wet ground and popped not only the speaking Meowth, but three or four others hidden in the shadows. It didn't go far, though, as the water was quickly becoming contaminated with mud from the other battle.

"_I know that wasn't all of you!" _Pikachu called. _"Show yourself!"_

"Now why would I do that?" A pair of coins arced in from different locations. Pikachu swatted them both with Thundershocks and they dropped to the ground, melted into uselessness. The hiss they made as they struck the rainwater was almost drowned out by the rumbling overhead.

"_So,"_ Pikachu asked, floating in a cocoon of Counter Shield formed from his own power, _"Since when were you a ninja?"_

"I met dis cool cat at Fuschia gym, and she showed me what I was doin' wrong all dis time." Meowth remarked via a Double Team controlled by his Substitute. "For starters, paranoia helps a lot."

A rush of green flared across the ground, but it hardly had any strength here. Meowth didn't notice the Giga Drain's outer periphery consciously, mentally classing it as _not a threat_.

"_Right. Hang on, gym? You lot are visiting gyms?"_

"Yeah. It's kinda easy for a lot of 'em, and with Abra we don't have ta walk all da time."

"_I hate you now. Have you any idea how far I've walked since Pallet Town?"_

Meowth didn't reply. Pikachu smirked; looked like the cat didn't want to talk any more. That was okay, he was ready for the next step now.

Suddenly, a spray of water interrupted his thoughts. Looking over, he saw that Squirtle had finished his fight in true style – the crater left looked like it would take years to disappear.

Best make good use of the distraction.

Pikachu sent up another massive bolt into the sky, and was answered by a series of ripping strikes all around the area. Lines of lightning snaked in to meet his Counter Shield, and Meowth realized with shock that Pikachu had just created a second Shield layer about a hundred metres across.

And was shrinking it.

He hastily began creating as many coins as he could, ready for a last ditch gambit.

Overhead, a massive BOOM heralded another lightning bolt coming down. Meowth realized Pikachu had left the peak of the outer shell weak, and had planned it so if he tried to escape that way he would be caught.

Each of the trees inside the outer shell exploded as Pikachu darted between them, destroying any large enough to hide in with a Volt Tackle.

Meowth shook his head. "He's really goin' all out on dis one."

Then, with a great cracking sound, a huge area of ground was saturated with electricity and fused to glass. "Ouch. Good thing I wasn't plannin' on digging out…"

Meowth punched a Shock Wave through the coins he had ready to fuse them and threw the metal circlet that resulted at the outer layer. Diving through the rapidly melting loop, he made it out of the Counter Shield and into the scorched area left by the shrinking curtain of electricity.

Then he heard a snap.

Looking around, a sinking feeling developing in his chest, he saw that the metal ring was the only thing of the outer curtain still chirping with lightning. And Pikachu was sitting in the middle, his inner shield forming a second ring of electricity – and his Light Ball aura a third – all moving in a complex pattern.

"Damn it…"

"_Volt crash!"_

The three rings locked and sent a massive stream of electricity through their centre into Meowth, frazzling him and knocking him out.

Pikachu gradually floated back to the ground as his Light Ball reserve gave out, exhausted. _"He is definitely a LOT better than I remember."_

* * *

><p>Ash forced himself back to his feet, practically running his young body on Aura alone to have a chance of moving. Staggering past the devastated ground where the battles had taken place, he pushed into the copse Team Rocket had been messing around in.<p>

"Oh, look! The twerp's just too late." Jessie said with a grin.

Ash stared. They were in some sort of jet aircraft, which was even now starting up. But how were they going to-

James interrupted his thought. "Like it? It's an old Suicune Su-37. Nice piece of kit, much better than a balloon. It takes off straight up, you know." He nodded. "You have no _idea_ how good we are at getting great deals on machinery – hence all the robots."

Help!

Ash clenched his fist. "Give back Dexter!"

James shook his head. "Sorry, not now. Maybe later, but all this information is going to be a great help to us. You'll get your Pokédex back in a week… possibly."

Oh, that's not fair. You're going to copy me?

"He's right, that's not fair at all! This doesn't even make sense, this whole elaborate setup… what's it for?"

"We may as well kill two Bird-types-"

James whispered, "Flying."

Jessie frowned. "I could swear it was Bird-type."

"Not even here in Kanto since the early nineties, when people catalogued the vulnerability of Charizard and similar to electricity."

"Oh. Anyway, we may as well kill two Flying-types with one stone. That look impressive?"

Ash shook his head angrily. "I don't care about that right now, I want to have my friend back!"

You said friend.

"Of course I did, that's what you are to me!" Ash shouted over the rising engine roar.

So I'm a friend now. It feels… nice.

Ash's stolen Pokédex began to glow.

Stand by. Ready. Set up.

James and Jessie exchanged dull looks. "Cut our losses?"

"You got it." James threw the Pokédex out the cockpit, closed the canopy and blasted the ex-Russian jet into the skies on full vectored thrust.

* * *

><p><span>Set up complete. Ability: TraceDownload/Analytic. Materialization complete.

Ash stared as the Porygon that had apparently been inside – or _been -_ Dexter formed itself like a vector drawing out of thin air around the red computer.

What? You didn't see this one coming? Professor Oak programmed well, you know, and I think restoring my memory after the time jump made me fully sentient.

"Okay, wow. No, I didn't see that one coming."

I thought it was obvious.

Pikachu limped over, leaning slightly on a coin found as detritus of his battle. _"I didn't see it coming either."_

Oh, maybe there _was_ a problem then. I thought it was just Ash being Ash.

"I heard that!"

That was the point.

A sharp _crack_ of displaced air drew their attention. James' Abra Teleported in, Poké balls orbiting him like moons, and returned Arbok before grabbing Meowth's limp form and disappearing.

* * *

><p>"So, he has a Porygon now you say? Interesting. And what happened with the Pikachu is most encouraging as well. A powerful specimen of that species, with the wit to use that power. Yes, good work you three. I feel you're doing fine as you are, so I'll just tell you to keep it up."<p>

Giovanni's image vanished off the screen in the jet. Jessie, James and Meowth let out heartfelt sighs of relief.

James put a finger to his lips. "Was it me, or did the boss just praise us unconditionally?"

Jessie froze. After a second, she let out a weak laugh. "I'm sure there was a disapproving note in his tone of voice. Being just praised would be _weird._"

* * *

><p>AN: Whee, gigantic battle. Any thoughts on how the battle scenes went? It's my first attempt to write two separate battles in the same area at the same time.<p>

Dexter's awakening is based on the Devices from Nanoha.


	16. Chapter 15

"What were we doing before that mess happened?" Misty asked, as they left the Celadon Pokémon centre.

"I think we were leaving Celadon, headed… er…"

P1 Grand Prix. I suggest Ash goes back to the Fighting Dojo and picks up Primeape, I can't think of a better place to test a new martial arts style.

"Right, right, got it." Ash took Pidgeot's Poké ball, and released her. "You up for a quick trip, girl?"

"_I most certainly am. Be good to get back in the air, I hate things like Smack Down and Gravity."_

"Right. See you guys later."

Pidgeot waited until Ash was properly seated, then flared her wings and took to the sky. With a _boom_ a few seconds later, she was past the sound barrier and away.

"So, Brock. Are you going to enter?"

Brock shook his head. "Heck no. Geodude's got some work to go before he's a viable combatant again with our group, especially the kind of levels Ash works at. I'm probably going to see if I can come up with something for him to use, instead."

Misty sighed. "I know the feeling. I mean, sure, I have a strong team. But Staryu's being overshadowed a lot by Starmie, and poor Goldeen-"

"I'm back!" Ash called from overhead.

That was fast.

"_I'm supersonic, remember? Windshaping."_

"Fair enough. Is Primeape ready for this?"

Primeape hopped off the hovering Flying type, dropping fifteen feet to the ground and absorbing the impact with a brief flare of Aura.

Riolu sighed. _"Does everyone do that these days?"_

Pikachu nudged him. _"And who managed to usurp control of an artefact from the very person who created it out of her own suffering?"_

"…_shut up."_

"Right! Now, to the P1! Pidgeot, would you prefer to stay out for a while?"

"_Yes, thanks."_

Charizard's Poké ball flared open. _"I'll join you. Be good to get some practice in, especially with the Fuchsia gym coming up."_

* * *

><p>"Hmm… looks like eight competitors are here. But weren't you one of them last time, Brock?"<p>

The Pewter leader rubbed his chin. "Very strange… so someone's filled in my slot. Wonder who it is."

"Hey, Ashy-boy!"

Ash winced. _Damnit._

Gary leant on Ash's shoulder from behind and loomed over him. "Long time no see. I hear you're doing pretty well – for a rookie. Caught any powerful Pokémon yet?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "See the Charizard and Pidgeot sparring overhead? Mine. The insanely rare Riolu riding my other shoulder? Mine. I liked you a lot better when you weren't arrogant."

Gary frowned. "_I'm _arrogant? What have I ever done that made me look arrogant?"

Riolu stared. _"Ash, is this the one with the sports car and the rabid fangirls you mentioned?"_

Ash nodded. "Yep, this is him."

"And now Ashy-boy thinks he can understand Pokémon? It's easy to see why you-"

Ash gave up, and slapped the Oak boy with a blue-shrouded hand. "Here, now shut up."

Gary's eyes widened as five years of memory poured into him. Some of it was from before now, which was strange, and he analyzed it quickly for differences. Sure enough, there they were. Ash hadn't ever had a Riolu in the past he now recalled, and his Pidgeotto had only evolved just as it left. But on the other hand, the Ketchum had come by a lot of strength honestly – and impressed him, too.

The torrent of new information startled and humbled him. He saw the world coming to the brink of disaster twice, remembered hearing about many more – and finally, as the memory transfer ended, he saw his last desperate attempt, as the only local high-grade Trainer, to stop Cyrus' insane plan. But his Pokémon hadn't been strong enough alone.

Gary stumbled, and Ash supported his rival – his friend – as the other boy fell forward. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah. What happened?"

"Cyrus tried to-"

Gary forestalled him. "I know that bit, I was trying to stop him at the time. Skip ahead to the…" he glanced around, seeing Brock running interference for them, "time travel."

"You were? Wow, any chance we could chat? I don't know a lot of the specifics. Er, anyway, after things went thoroughly wrong then Arceus sent me back to try and prevent it. As I understand it, I can restore anyone who I knew well – sorry, man, I don't think I can do your Pokémon unless I saw them a lot – and our goal is to prevent it. Other than that, our lives are our own."

"Well, so much for my dream of becoming a Pokémon League champion… or is it?" Gary grinned malevolently. "I'll still work towards research, of course, but you need a rival to keep you in shape, Ashy-boy!"

Ash matched the grin. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Dexter, mind copying across your Pokémon data files?"

Sure thing, Ash.

Gary started at the voice. "Was that your Pokédex?"

That was indeed me. Oh, by the way, the Pokédex OS is a hair away from becoming a Porygon like I have – and I think the massive data dump I just provided to your own pushed it over the edge. Expect to see sentience emerge over the next few weeks.

Gary shook his head. "What are you like?"

"Driven. Anyway, you entering your Golem?"

"Yeah, you're putting that Primeape in like last time I suppose."

"Watch out for him. He's invented a whole new style."

* * *

><p>"Match 2: Primeape vs. Poliwrath. Begin!"<p>

Primeape ran forwards, sliding under the jet of water that was his opponent's opener. As the Poliwrath launched a vicious Karate Chop, he deflected it with one arm before slamming the elbow hard with the other. The Water/Fighting type's thick skin reduced the effect, but it still caused considerable pain.

Not letting him rethink his approach, Primeape discarded a boxing glove and volleyed a pair of punches into the same spot – one padded, one not.

Poliwrath groaned in pain as the pair of blows bruised his shoulder, and called up a wash of water with Hydro Pump.

Primeape retreated, discarding the other glove. His new style was focussed on abrupt, savage attacks in place of using an opponents' strength against them.

For that, the gloves most Primeape wore to protect their hands from their own strength were less useful – focused impact was the key.

He focussed, drawing on that small amount of Aura he could spare from reinforcing his own body, and punched viciously at an approaching Bubblebeam.

The blast of air from the high speed attack forced the bubble stream apart down the middle, and in that moment he ran forwards.

Poliwrath threw a DynamicPunch, hoping to hit his faster opponent, only to catch nothing but air as Primeape jumped over the blow. He got hit by the scattered Bubblebeam, of course, but that wasn't a problem.

Landing behind Poliwrath, he slammed a blow into the back of each foot. Then the knee, the thigh, and a volley at the small of the back. Finally, he blasted a massive, wound up blow into the side of the turning frog-like Pokémon, knocking him out.

* * *

><p>Gary turned to Ash. "Was that just basically Close Combat as a fighting style?"<p>

"Pretty much, yeah. There's more to it, though. He awakened his Aura before Cyrus' Victory, and he uses it almost entirely on internal effects." Ash noticed Gary's confusion. "Oh, internal effects. Er, most people who have Aura split it between external and internal effects. External is stuff like Aura Sphere," Ash couldn't resist showing off and spun one up on his hand, "or more subtle things like Aura Sight, or more blatantly just ignoring physics, like what Riolu does when he walks on water."

"_It's only modifying physics! It's called surface tension!"_

Gary snorted. "Showoff. So what's internal effects?"

"You saw how fast Primeape was moving? He was boosting his own muscles with internal Aura. Probably a lot of his last month's training was conditioning his body to take it. From what I saw, he's not used full boost yet."

The young Oak whistled. "I guess I better tell Golem what not to do then."

* * *

><p>"Match 5! Primeape vs. Machamp! Begin!"<p>

Primeape exploded into action, meeting a Megapunch by Machamp with a Mach Punch of his own, the high boost he was under causing the purely physical attack to produce a strong shockwave of wind.

Machamp flinched back from the blow, his upper left fist in severe pain.

To most of those watching, Primeape disappeared. Ash's training had given him the reflexes needed (barely) to see what happened, and some of the black belts around the arena could see Primeape's sprint as well, but Machamp for one was first alerted to the movement of his opponent by the impact of a Cross Chop on his back.

Looking around desperately, Machamp only saw brief flickers of his opponent as he blurred in, hammering home a long sequence of Close Combat attacks before pausing and winding up a Focus Punch.

Machamp seized the moment and jumped forward, delivering a Karate Chop that sent Primeape reeling back.

Ash, on the sidelines, sat back. "Right, he's won."

Gary frowned. "What?"

Primeape skidded to a stop, wiped blood from his lip, and with a rush of displaced air was slamming an uppercut into Machamp's jaw. He then began a series of incredibly fast strikes that individually didn't seem to be doing much damage at first – but as time went on they seemed to become heavier and heavier blows, before the final one knocked Machamp into a ring out.

Ash explained. "That wasn't really a Focus Punch – it was a Revenge made to look like one as a trick. And that gets more powerful if you've just been hit, as you channel the enemy attack power around to hit its' originator. The second bit was that Primeape has Anger Point – land a telling blow, and he goes into a massive rage. Hence the near-sonic speed of that boost. The third bit? That combo was Assurance."

Gary frowned. "I know Assurance – Umbreon uses it. Used. Will use… Isn't it only good in teamwork situations?"

"Primeape was attacking fast enough to be his own teammate for that purpose. Sure, that one blow nearly finished him, but that Assurance combo has no practical limit to it – with Anger Point active, he could probably just keep hitting a legendary until it fell over."

Gary frowned. "Okay, I have no idea how to face this guy. Golem's good, but – well, Rock type and all that."

* * *

><p>"The finals of the P1 Grand Prix! Golem versus Primeape! Begin!"<p>

BOOM!

Primeape flew out of the sky to land heavily on the floor, surprising many watching as he'd just been standing ready for the match to start less than a second earlier.

Golem, on the other end of the field, slowly fell backwards in a faint.

Gary shouted through the stunned silence. "Okay, what the hell did your insane Pokémon do now, Ash?"

Ash grinned, and called back. "It's called a Master Blow. A single attack that completely exhausts the user – but usually worth it in one on one combat. Sure, he'll need three days of rest, but it didn't give you the chance to get your Counter off. I knew you were planning one."

Primeape glared at him.

"Okay, fine, HE knew you were planning one."

Gary nodded thoughtfully. "So," he asked, over a rising series of sobs from his paradoxical cheerleaders, "presumably my best choice would have been just to lead with an Explosion?"

Primeape winced at the thought. Hit a blast front at the speed of sound? No thanks…

* * *

><p>"So, I guess this is goodbye again, hey Ash?" Gary smiled.<p>

"Yeah, but not for long. I think we're due to meet again in..?"

One month, that thing with the Diglett.

"Okay, fine. Dexter, you able to set up a communication link of some sort with your counterpart?"

I can do that myself. Gary looked down at his own Pokédex, for it was the one that had spoken.

"Dee?"

Sentience development provisionally complete. Hi.

Gary shook his head. "You're paying me back for all the times I showed you up last time, aren't you? Just casually giving me a Porygon…"

"That's an unintentional but funny side effect. See you around… Gary."

The two shook hands, and parted ways as friends.

* * *

><p>Oak nodded at the email he'd received. "Fascinating… and good to know that my two favourite boys have reconciled themselves." He then frowned. "Hang on, if that's what the memory engram did…"<p>

He got up and retrieved a spare Pokédex, slotting it into the computer interface port. Quickly typing, he transferred the massive data dump from Dexter he'd received almost five months ago into it.

Barely had he finished before a message appeared onscreen: compiling.

Oak sat back. "Ah, I thought so, the Pokédex hardware's something even I don't fully understand. Suppose something about it must make it easier for an AI to develop." Getting up, he met Ash's Kingler and the Ivysaur he'd rotated back to the lab while Primeape was out. "Ah, Ivysaur, I expect he'll want you back soon, and I can get to know Primeape. Your Trainer's really been stretching the established convention as it is, you know – I suppose only that neither Pikachu nor Dexter really _have_ Pokéballs is what allows him not to be remarked upon."

The system gave a warning chime, and Primeape's Pokéball materialized on the transfer plate. "And here he is." Oak released the simian Pokémon, who promptly staggered slightly before Ivysaur's vines caught him.

"_Wow." _Ivysaur said. _"What happened to you?"_

Primeape shakily moved over to the wall. _"I just used up as much energy as most Pokémon do in a half hour battle in about a second, and I may have broken some fingers. Take it from me – the sound barrier is not your friend, at least not when you break it."_

Kingler looked puzzled. _"Crabhammer does that all the time."_

Ivysaur shook his head. "_No, that's just the supercavitation bubble doing it. Primeape here seems to have punched something so fast the air couldn't get out of the way quickly enough."_

"_That's about right. I really need to make my muscles and bones take Aura boosting better-"_

"Doubtless the conversation is fascinating to you," the Professor interrupted, "but I haven't yet finished my translation software and you, Ivysaur, really need to get going."

The indicated Pokémon nodded and dissolved in red light, before being whisked away to the east.

"Now that's done, why don't we get you to the infirmary?"

Primeape took Kingler's proffered claw for support, and followed the Pokémon Professor to the room he was to convalesce in.

_Might want to try repeated blows next time instead of one giant one…_

* * *

><p>"Oh, brilliant. Now we have to go to the most polluted city on the planet. Don't suppose we could just throw a massive Defog over the place and be done with it?"<p>

Brock frowned. "I'm not sure that Crobat is strong enough alone to do anything like that large an area. And he's the only one I think would be safe flying in that soup."

Ash thought for a minute. "Then have Crobat clear enough area for Pidgeot and Charizard to have a go?"

Misty nodded thoughtfully. "That would work, but it still leaves the sea."

Ash snapped his fingers. "Idea! Pidgeot, you up for a long distance trip?"

Pidgeot emerged from her Pokéball. _"As ever!"_

"Right. See you guys tomorrow, probably." Ash climbed aboard, Pidgeot sweeping into the air and off towards the north.

"Um…" Misty frowned. "What just happened?"

* * *

><p>Overhead, Ash crouched low over his fastest Pokémon (still, despite Primeape's attempt for the title). The wind around him was a fairly gentle breeze at the moment, but that was going to change.<p>

"Hey, girl? Sinnoh, full speed if you please." He called forward.

"_You want to be more specific?"_

"When we're closer! Pikachu, Riolu," he turned his attention to the two of them, "It might be better if you get in either my bag or your Poké balls, this might be a little rough."

After a moment of debate, both clambered into the surprisingly roomy bag.

"_Where is everything?"_ Pikachu asked, lighting it up with a pair of sparks.

"_Ash has that little pouch of Sir Aaron's, I assume he keeps everything in there now."_ Riolu replied knowledgably. Then noticed he was standing on a small red object. _"Oops, sorry Dexter."_

Not a problem. Well, looks like we're all in here for the next few hours… want to talk about anything?

There was a muffled _boom_ from outside, the shockwave of Pidgeot breaking the sound barrier deflected by the winds wrapped around her body.

Riolu frowned. _"What happened the first time around for you all? I never saw Ash when he was an inexperienced trainer, I want to know more about him."_

Dexter hummed. I can provide a fairly dry account, but I think Pikachu might be the mon to ask about what Ash was like.

Pikachu smiled. _"I'll be glad to. Here's a story though, did you know that he actually tried to release me once?"_

Riolu looked shocked. _"But… but you two are closer than brothers! I can see the strength of your bond, sometimes it seems strange that it's not a physical entity!"_

The mouse nodded. _"It was the first time we ever met any wild Pikachu, see, and Ash thought I'd be better off with them. The big lunk didn't see otherwise until I chased him down and glomped him." _Pikachu's eyes shone with the memories, of when they'd truly realized how much they meant to each other. _"But to begin at the beginning…"_

…

"_Wow…"_ Riolu said as the tale finished. _"That's moving, that is. Strange to imagine Team Rocket being so bad at their job, though."_

Pikachu chuckled. _"They really turned the corner in Isshu and haven't stopped getting better since. To be honest, it's a little intimidating how much better they are now. You heard about what Meowth's like now?"_

I know. Strange, isn't it, but I suppose such things happen.

* * *

><p>"Down there, Pidgeot!" Ash called, from a perspective very few other people in the world had ever had.<p>

Pidgeot was good enough at shaping the air to maintain atmospheric pressure even at six miles high, and also to augment her wings to fly at such an altitude, so the young trainer hung so far up as to see the whole of East Sinnoh spread out under him.

She tilted her head back to look at him. _"The island to the north east?"_

"Yeah! That's where I want to go, if you don't mind."

"_Mind? I just wondered if there was going to be something more difficult for me to do. Okay, hold on!"_

She banked right, aiming for the speck of colour in the blue waters, and folded back her wings.

Ash prudently crouched low over her back, to make things easier for her.

* * *

><p>Cynthia's Lucario leapt over an Earthquake from her Garchomp, and briefly switched to Aura sight to see what was going on.<p>

_What..?_

An invisibly high speck to normal sight, something was travelling overhead with a multicoloured blaze of Aura beyond almost anything he'd ever seen.

Certainly there were those with Aura this strong, but those were either ground-bound Lucario, or Dragons. And this Aura didn't feel like that of a Dragon – nor entirely like that of a Lucario…

Could it be that there were many Aura wielders travelling together?

He was startled out of his consideration by the wind of a Dragon Rush narrowly missing him, and returned his attention to the fight with a Dragon Pulse of his own.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot reached an altitude of about one kilometre, and rapidly shed her accumulated velocity with a pair of wings of air ten metres long, two white shocks in the slipstream alongside her.<p>

Ash was laughing in delight. "This is so amazing! The wind, the landscape spread out below, just wow!"

Mischievously, Pidgeot spun another layer on her air control to press Ash into his seat and executed a barrel roll, Ash yelping in surprise as the ground spun crazily around him.

After another few seconds, a white cloud flashed across his vision and broke around Pidgeot as she transited down through the sound barrier. The sea below began to shallow, then was replaced by sandy beach, dunes and finally flowery meadows that the bird Pokémon alighted in as softly as a breeze.

* * *

><p>Ash stepped off her back, wobbly for a second, and opened his bag. "You guys okay?"<p>

Well, I am…

Pikachu clambered out and hugged the grass. _"Next time, no aerobatics!"_

"_I'm with you…" _Riolu muttered as he rooted through the berry pocket for a pair of Persims. On finding them, he tossed one to Pikachu and ate the other, sighing in relief as his stomach settled. _"Why are we here, anyway?"_

Ash slipped a blindfold over his right eye and began scanning around. "This is the Flower Paradise. It's a truly amazing place, a real jewel in the seas off Sinnoh – normally it's cold up this far north, but there's a warm current or something. Anyway, look out for a Shaymin. I thought it was worth a try seeing if there were any that would want to travel to Kanto, and perhaps help sort out the ludicrously polluted Gringey City."

Riolu blinked. _"Well, I suppose it might work."_

Set up.

Dexter materialized his body, and hovered over. Preparing for search pattern.

Ash nodded. "Thanks. Pidgeot, see if you can rest up a bit. I know that that kind of journey has to be at least a bit tiring.

"_Thank you for your concern, but I can manage a return flight."_

"And you'll be wiped out afterwards, I bet." Ash frowned. "Get yourself fed up. Need me to get some of the rations out?"

"_I'll find something."_ Pidgeot spread her wings again._ "I'll be back in an hour."_

* * *

><p>Ash and co. spread out over the beautiful meadow. Each searched in their own way – Ash looked for an Aura signature that would indicate a Pokémon, Pikachu spread his electrical awareness to detect anything with a nervous system, Dexter ran a series of complex recognition algorithms… and Riolu looked for an Aura signature that would indicate a Pokémon. Well, maybe they didn't all have their <em>own<em> way.

Ooh, that looks – nope, it's just a set of flowers.

Ash walked over to the indicated flowers and looked at them. "They look like… yeah, they're those special flowers that Shaymin use to change form. I think it might be an idea to mark this place, we'll come back and transplant them to Kanto if we get a taker."

Gracidea. I see.

"That was it. Now, back to looking for the Pokémon of Gratitude."

* * *

><p>After a few more minutes, Pikachi felt something. <em>"Over here!"<em>

Ash carefully stepped through the meadow, making sure to avoid as many flowers as he could. "Where? I don't see… oh, hang on a minute." He looked again, this time only with his uncovered eye. "That's amazing!"

What?

"They actually blend with the local Aura perfectly. It's astonishing."

The object of their interest shifted slightly, and uncurled to look at them. _Well, good afternoon. If I might ask, why are you here?_

Ash snapped his fingers. "That's right, you guys are telepaths…"

_Get to the point._

"Oh, sorry. Well, I was wondering if you – or one of the other Shaymin from the meadow – would be interested in travelling to Kanto. There's a terribly polluted city there, and I'm sure they'd be pleased to have you nearby. Then, of course, there's that it's rather warmer."

_That does sound interesting… but aren't there dangerous Pokémon in Kanto?_

Ash chuckled. Pikachu spoke up. _"Since the Legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh were involved in the creation of the universe, I think that's a bit of a nitpick. Regardless, I can assure you that there are many wonderful people in Kanto – it's the home of the very first Safari Park, which is a massive area of land within which battles are forbidden."_

The Shaymin considered. _Well, if you think it would be a good idea…_

Ash crouched down and held out his hands.

_What? No Poké ball?_

"I'd never stoop so low as to try to catch you after explaining things like that."

After a moment's consideration, the Shaymin crept into his arms. Ash carefully lifted it

_Her_

Her, and started back towards where Pidgeot was waiting.

"Oh, hang on." Ash pulled a Poké ball out, and released Ivysaur. "Can you carefully dig up that Gracidea plant, and be ready to carry it back?"

"_Sure thing, Ash." _He vanished underground.

Shaymin blinked. _You're… doing that for me? Making it so that I can change Formes even in the far south?_

"Yes. What's more, it should last longer as the weather is warmer."

* * *

><p>"<em>Got it!"<em>

"Good. Okay, guys, all aboard!"

"_Hello, little one. I'll fly as carefully as I can."_

_Don't bother. I've flown before, it's exciting._

Pidgeot spread her wings, and hunched down for the first big spring. _"I'll take that as a challenge!"_

In perfect unison, Pikachu and Riolu downed Persim berries.

* * *

><p><em>Wooow. So that's Kanto?<em>

The view was spectacular, Ash's Pidgeot soaring up over Mount Moon's axial ridge and giving her passengers a low-angle impression of most of the northern half of the region.

"Sure is. It's quite technological, but since I've been lost in the woods for over half my time with Pokémon at all, there's ample wilderness here."

Pidgeot banked lower, slipping sideways in the air as she bled off height. As they passed Saffron, still moving at about five miles a minute, she began to look around for her destination.

_Hm. There's the city, and there's the campsite, and – wait a second, that can't be natural-_

She threw herself into a sudden dive, and a succession of light beams slashed past at her former predicted path.

"What's going on?" Ash shouted as his ride plunged into a small valley near Gringey City, splashing down in a lake rather than dump speed slowly.

"_Ash! There's something up there, something invisible and very big!"_

"What?" The trainer demanded, as he deposited Shaymin on the shore and readied his Poké balls to meet whatever the new threat was.

Analyzing… Ash! It's Hunter J!

"Oh, say you're joking."

Afraid not. She's here, and from a quick check of radio traffic… The Pokédex/Porygon actually gulped. We're in big trouble now.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, that's what Primeape has been working on. And Ash takes a quick trip to the other end of the country.<p>

Pidgeot _can_ break the sound barrier, after all.


	17. Chapter 16

Ash sorted through his Poké balls. "Okay, we're going to have to move fast. Most of her kit is designed to handle attacking an enemy, not defending. Normally her stealth kit's enough for that. Dexter, anywhere we can get into that thing?"

There's an entrance on the underside, it's only defended by one cannon – one of the petrifaction ones. I can scramble it for a few seconds, but that'll alert them to my attack and from then on I'll need physical contact to hack their computers.

"Good." Ash took the Gracidea and glanced around, then put it back in his backpack, the pack hidden behind a bush and clipped everything he needed to his outfit. "Charizard!"

"_I heard. We have trouble, then."_

"You said it alright. Cover us when we attack, then try and draw out that Salamence of hers and keep it busy. Pidgeot, I'm going to have to ask you to get us onboard."

"_Not a problem in the slightest."_

He jumped back on Pidgeot's back, and glanced to Shaymin. "Stay out of trouble, you hear?"

Pidgeot and Charizard shot skywards.

* * *

><p>"You monster!" Misty shouted. "You actually kidnap Pokémon for no other reason than profit? At least Team Rocket have redeeming features!"<p>

Hunter J chuckled. "Like I need to listen to someone like you. I thought I was being hospitable enough to let you know what was happening next, but then you just go and throw it back in my face. Guards, do make sure they cause no trouble."

"Aye, aye, Ma'am." The faceless goons saluted, and took up posts by the entrance to the brig.

Misty bashed her hand on the bars, then turned to Brock in an adjacent cell. "And do you have any good ideas?"

Brock shook his head. "Not really, I'm not very good at this sort of situation. I know who is, though."

Misty brightened. "True."

* * *

><p>"Skipper! The Pokémon from before, a Pidgeot, has appeared accompanied by a Charizard!" The images of both appeared on the main screen. "It seems that they are both in the possession of a Trainer!"<p>

Hunter J's lips quirked. "Very good. Guns, weapons free."

The Gunnery officer replied in the affirmative and his hands flew over the keyboards. Then, he gave a curse. "Sir, the ventral gun is rejecting the targeting solution!"

Her head snapped around. "What?"

"It's just not firing, I don't – Ah, that can't be good. The cameras report that the opposing trainer has boarded!"

The tactical officer activated a ship schematic, and the external screens flashed with a pair of targeting reticules. "Enemy flyers are outside petrifaction gun range, enemy trainer is in cargo three!"

Hunter J gave a sigh that spoke volumes on the incompetence of personnel. "Right, release Salamence to handle the enemy Charizard, focus all ship external guns on the bird. All ship."

"All ship, aye."

"All hands, stand by to repel boarders. Find and neutralize a young trainer wearing blue clothes, a cape, gloves and – " her lip curled, "A very silly hat. Also immobilize any invading Pokémon. End all ship."

"Skipper, I've managed to get the guns working again – it was some kind of virus. I shut down all external data links."

An explosion rocked the ship.

* * *

><p>"<em>There we go, that's what I'm talking about! Big target, no need to hold back, just maximum fire power!" <em>Charizard roared. _"Take this!"_ He spat a bolt of fire that detonated against an almost-unseen shimmer in the air.

The shimmer replied by sleeting laser bolts towards him for a second, then as he closed one wing to dive out of the way they retargeted to Pidgeot and a dark shape dropped from the cloaked air battleship.

Pidgeot wove a triad of air control layers and lensed the lasers through unusually dense air to refract the shots away from her.

Knowing that this was only a temporary measure, she converted one to a Tailwind, another slapped the first missile broadside into early detonation, she swept back her wings… feeling for the nearest thermal, she twisted the hot air from Charizard's shot into a spiralling updraught, swept close in too fast for the guns to track… and climbed high, high, outside the area that the guns could comfortably fire.

Flipping a wingover, she regained her equilibrium and flew north.

This would take a bit of buildup.

* * *

><p>Charizard dodged away from the crackling fangs of a rabid Salamence. Accepting the challenge, he cloaked himself in fire and charged. Salamence met his Flare Blitz with a Dragon Rush, the blast from impact blowing away the thin cloud and doing almost nothing to the combatants.<p>

"_What the hell! Why are you following her?" _Charizard asked as he grappled with his foe, trying to pin Salamence' limbs with his own more manoeuvrable arms.

"_Because it is my duty!"_ shouted back Salamence, sinking a Thunder Fang into Charizard's neck. Charizard grimaced, but long sparring with Pikachu had helped; he barely flinched from the pain. The fire dragon detonated a Flame Burst to win free, and once more doused down Salamence in flames. Seeing it wasn't having much of an effect, he channelled his draconic nature and converted the fire into Dragonfire. _That_ worked, Salamence was driven back by the more mystical flames.

"_How can it be your duty?"_ Charizard fired another burst of strange energy in a Dragon Pulse, which Salamence punched through with a Hyper Beam that scored a deep line along Charizard's side.

"_I have served her faithfully since birth. That is all I will say."_ The dragon seemed tired from the effort of the Hyper Beam, but shook it off annoyingly quickly and lunged in again.

* * *

><p>Ash ran through the bowels of the Air Battleship, looking for wherever there might be something to break. Pikachu flashed out Thunderwaves at anyone who tried to impede them, and Riolu jogged ahead punching through the doors. Dexter floated alongside, giving Ash a running update on what he learned.<p>

They're still using the radio to communicate, but they've encrypted it again – I can't get anything useful. Looks like the ship structure has the main cargo… second left!

Riolu launched a vicious kick at the door, almost knocking it off its' hinges. The group poured through, to be met with an astonishing sight.

_Hundreds_ of Pokémon in crackling force field cages, all of them seemingly unmoving and frozen in time by some fantastic technology.

Riolu shivered. _"This is what she was going to do to me?"_

Pikachu frowned. _"Any idea how to undo the freeze?"_

Dexter hovered over to a console. I can't reverse it, looks like the stasis lock relies on the force field cages to stay in one piece.

"_Right. Ash, Riolu, Dexter… stand back."_ Pikachu reached deep inside himself, touching his electrical power.

_Deeper…_ He touched his Light Ball's strange mirror effect on his energy wells.

_Deeper…_ The electrical Aura in his heart.

_Deeper still…_ and there it was, just as he thought. A tiny spark of Zekrom's massive power, that touched his very soul back in Isshu.

"_I think I can only do this once… but it's going to be something to remember."_ He coaxed that little spark to come forwards, detaching it from his soul, bringing it up slowly and gradually. He was vaguely aware of a Tri Attack stopping a Raticate from reaching him, felt a pulse of Aura as a Purugly went flying, saw through half-closed eyelids as Ash hit someone over the head with the Staff of Sir Aaron before he released another Pokémon… but none of those seemed important.

The spark grew, blossomed and expanded to massive proportions as it drank in his own power.

Pikachu hadn't had his electricity _taken_ by Zekrom, he'd just been saturated by power too rich to use thanks to his Lightningrod ability – but, well, he was stronger now.

"_Bolt Strike!"_

Every single cage in the room exploded.

* * *

><p>Hunter J clenched her fist hard enough to cramp it as she saw a years' work destroyed, in the moment before the cameras in the room failed.<p>

She turned from the main control dais. "All ship order."

"Aye, all ship."

"Lethal force authorized on the invader. Lock down the entire brig. The Pokémon I want recaptured, NOW!"

She stalked from the room, preparing her own Pokémon. This was now personal.

Just as she left, the ship shuddered again. "Ma'am! The cloaking field has failed completely!"

_What? Oh, of course! The Altaria did that before… damnation!_

"All weapons ready and on computer control. Engage the internal bulkheads. Flood the number one hold with the gas."

* * *

><p>Riolu looked around in alarm. He'd been watching the massive numbers of Pokémon captured by Hunter J understand what was happening, some of them having not been conscious in over a year following a defeat, when he heard a hissing.<p>

On seeing some of the Pokémon starting to fall over in slumber, he'd started up his Airslip Aura trick, essentially holding clean air near his body and preventing the gas from affecting him – but he had to stop it somehow, and he had no idea how.

_Think, Riolu, think… _He racked his brains, trying to come up with a solution before the clear air he had ran out (normally that would be less of a problem, but then normally the air was only full of sand or rain that he could filter out easily.)

Oh, hang on, that might just work.

He ran over to the slumbering Altaria near the centre of the room, and for lack of other options hit him with a Wake-up Slap.

"_Ow! What was that… for…"_

"_Please, dragon, use Uproar and Defog quickly!"_

The Altaria trilled for a moment, then emitted a high, piercing shriek, pulsing out a wave of clear air at the same time. Not finished, the Altaria then wove in Perish Song to the shriek as Pokémon awoke, smashing the hidden emitters and rupturing their gas canisters. The wave of soporific gas was then handled by a second Defog, and the after effects of the drug began to dissipate.

"_Phew… that was a close one…"_

The ship heaved yet again.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot, far in the distance, had seen the cloaking effect fail and began her attack. She'd spent the last five minutes building a tornado over a kilometre up in the atmosphere, and now sent it spinning towards the airship at high speed. In front of it, she rode at the centre of a Razor Wind, itself surrounded by another Razor Wind rotating the other way, and so on for no fewer than four more layers.<p>

As Charizard had said, it was an opportunity to really let loose, as the battleship was enormous.

Once she was sure that the drilling razor wind was going to hit, she flared her wings and dropped out of the airstream, heading to help Charizard – who was currently struggling as his opponent had managed to steer the battle close enough to a hill for a Stone Edge.

* * *

><p>To the crew left on the bridge, it was like being hit by a natural disaster.<p>

First a blur of speed flashed past, smashing into the battling Salamence with a huge Brave Bird attack and piledriving him into the floor, the blur pulling out at the last second and resolving into a Pidgeot which began circling tiredly.

Then _something_ invisible hit the front of the ship hard enough to knock it backwards, grinding apart the centre of the point it hit and cracking through much of the armour at that location, before finally destabilizing and falling apart.

Next, when they thought it couldn't get much worse, a tornado snaked down from the sky and smashed into the top of the ship, driving them into the ground and tearing apart some of the port main battery.

Upon noticing that the ship now no longer had all around cover and that there was a fracture in the armour, the infernally strong Charizard began attempting to melt through the damaged portion.

* * *

><p>Ash staggered. "Dexter! Any idea where the humans are – and for that matter how long we're going to still be in the air?"<p>

Analysis complete. I found them. Oh, and about ten more minutes at most.

"Right. Where-"

Ash ducked under a vicious Posion Sting that would have taken his eye out.

"Well, well, well. It seems that there's a pest on board my ship. Pity, really, as otherwise the pest might have lived. They can be in a cave, or on the water, or the long grass… but no pests are allowed inside. Only people." Hunter J casually strode into the room, utterly unconcerned by the hundred or so Pokémon filling the hold. "So, what will it be? Die standing like a person… or on the ground like a pest?"

Ash slowly got back to his feet, and spared a glance at his Pokémon. "Guys, you're tired. Dex, Riolu, Pikachu, get these Pokémon safely to their trainers." He took his last two active Pokémon, and looked from J to her Drapion and Ariados. "I'll handle her."

Dexter hesitated, then hovered out of the room and headed for the brig, the Pokémon following. After a few seconds, Pikachu and Riolu followed.

"_Look after yourself, Ash."_

"Hey, you know me." Ash chuckled, then set himself. "Last chance to back down, J."

She raised her arm and fired a shot from the petrifaction cannon at him, and everything happened very fast.

Ash ducked into a forward roll, flinging one Poké ball out to each side and coming up again far closer to Hunter J. Her two Poison types began to try and stop him, but Ivysaur slammed a Power Whip into Drapion and Squirtle sent a Watergun to knock Ariados back.

Ash lashed out with a spinning kick born of infuriation more than any actual technique, and managed to knock the cannon off her arm. She grimaced at him, tapped her goggles and began a combination of blows that were clearly rehearsed. Every move Ash tried to make, she shut down with relative ease – somehow reading his movements to divine what he was trying to do and throw it off.

_This is just brilliant. I'm fighting someone who's better than me. Again. Seriously, why can I never have to beat up someone who's an easy target?_

_Oh, right. That would just feel wrong. Go me._

Ash caught the next blow in the elbow, sending him badly out of place. Having no choice, he generated a Protect field to prevent her follow-up attack breaking his neck.

She froze for a moment in shock, off balance from her blow being interrupted, and Ash kicked back with an Aura-infused foot.

Something gave.

J staggered away, clutching her damaged rib and shaking her head. "You… but… right." She refocused. "Drapion, Ariados! We're leaving! The client never mentioned an Aura adept was active in Kanto."

The two Poison types spat a shower of gunk in unison, the force blasting Ivysaur away from his opponent and forcing Squirtle to take cover. They then took their Trainer between them and scuttled off towards the boat bays.

A series of tearing explosions rocked the ship, and Ash stumbled before he'd properly got up. "That can't be good. Come on, guys, we better get to the brig."

They'd barely made it halfway before a voice came over the speakers.

**Welcome to the Final Solution programme of this airship. Self Destruct mode engaged: plasma build up commenced; venting in 5 minutes.**

Ash said something not meant for polite company. "Psycho! She's willing to do that to get rid of me?"

Another voice, this one more familiar, came over. Ash! I can't stop the buildup, and most of the heavy hitters are exhausted! We need to get out of here – save ourselves and the Pokémon. I know it'll do horrible amounts of damage to the forest, but we have to.

Ash pounded a fist on the floor. "Damnit… well, I suppose there's nothing we can do." He began running, unshed tears starting to shine in his eyes. "I hate this. I hate that I can't make a difference, can't make everything okay… I'd give my life if it would help, but it _won't._ I… I don't like being powerless."

Nobody likes being unable to make things right, Ash.

Ash said nothing more. Not as everyone left on board the ravaged ship began congregating in the ruptured hold, not as Maurice and Tyl gave him space to evacuate with them, not as Pidgeot and Charizard, tired but triumphant, took up station either side of the Altaria.

Then he saw something shining off to the south.

* * *

><p>Shaymin felt ill.<p>

Having taken the Gracidea's blessing shortly after the Trainer left, she'd just about managed to fly - unnoticed by the titans battling above - to the toxic city, and had drunk in all its' pollution. Now she was bloated with the poisons in the water and the air, almost too much for her to handle.

But she could do this. And the boy who'd taken her here, so careful and polite and _kind_, was fighting someone in the airship.

Narrowing her eyes, she saw that there was a vast gaggle of Pokémon leaving the listing ship. At the back was a familiar Pidgeot.

_She'd never leave without him. He'd never leave anyone else. The airship's empty._

Well, at least she could contribute.

"_Seed. Flare!"_

The packet of energy shot forth, all that pent up poison being converted instantly to the power of creation, and of destruction.

The _destruction_ went first, piercing right through the airship and doing what a tornado had failed to do, breaking its' back, turning it into a tumbling, burning ruin.

The plasma flare buildup had been interrupted, but the area was still in danger of fire. So the _creation_ activated.

Using that huge amount of energy supercharging her from cleansing Gringey City, she span out the network of life and held it. Held it until the last burning fragment had fallen to the ground – and then released it to do its' work, regrowing the whole area into a verdant vista of flowers, bushes and even small trees.

The effect spread as far as the city itself, which found itself changed in a day from a poisonous hell-hole into a fragrant and comely settlement.

Property values almost instantly tripled.

* * *

><p>Ash slumped in relief over Tyl's back. "It's ok… we won…"<p>

Tyl crooned encouragement. Maurice smiled warmly. "Yeah, he's right. Very few people _could_ do what you just did. I mean, look at me! Captured off dragonback in an air battle!"

"I guess… heh, probably better watch that, I don't want to end up _too_ depressed."

"What you don't want to end up is emo. Seen it happen."

Ash chuckled. "Fair point."

Dexter hovered over, and returned to his standard format. Not to mention, you going on about not being able to change things? Don't make me laugh.

"And why shouldn't he?"

I don't have a mouth. The synthesized voice sounded hurt. Wait to make me laugh until I have a firmware upgrade.

* * *

><p>Misty, now that the crisis was over, felt safe to try and lighten the mood. "Well, once more Ash gets to save the day, and we get nothing! It's not fair!"<p>

Brock sighed. "I think maybe we should head to the ground soon. I don't think Psyduck can hold us much longer."

_Whoever said that ducks were the fastest level flyers was a _hack. _I can barely hold you lot in the air, and you don't want me headache-boosting._

* * *

><p>The small flotilla of air craft from the boat bays sped onwards. J thought hard about what had happened.<p>

_An aura adept, down here? I thought they were only around in Sinnoh, but this one's even got a Riolu companion._

_He's got some damn strong Pokémon, too. They even beat Salamence, albeit two of them working together. He'll have to improve before I fight that adept again._

_And now I lost the airship, too. Well, at least the goggles worked against another human. I loved being able to see exactly what he was about to do – better watch for Pokémon-style attacks from him in the future, though._

She broke out of her musing. "Chief of Boat, set course south for the Orange Archipelago.

We're going to go visit my dear brother…"

* * *

><p>AN: So. Hunter J. So far as that scarily competent person is concerned, it is now <em>personal.<em> Ash broke her ship.

Anyone guess (who didn't get told) who her brother is?


	18. Chapter 17

"Right, right, flying invisible battleship, right... and what was the name of this hallucination - I mean criminal?"

"J."

Officer Jenny blinked, and crossed out a lot of her notes.

"J? J? The person who has only ever been driven off before? The J who we don't even send police against any more because it was like giving her Growlithe to sell? The J who we only ever try to battle when we have heavy Gym support? The J who was only prevented from capturing the Legendary Beasts at the Battle of Three Hills when her client pulled out?_ That _J?"

Ash glanced from Maurice, to Misty, to Brock, to his Pokémon.

"Why, is there another?"

Jenny sat down weakly. "Okay, start from the beginning. You were returning from Sinnoh, you say? I assume that Pidgeot is how."

"Yeah, but you'd do better to ask the others about the first part."

Misty spoke. "She splatted our entire campsite in gunk before we even knew she was there. There's not much to tell."

"Okay, so how…"

* * *

><p>"So if I understand it right, you're saying it was a combination of skill and luck. Luck in that you had exactly the right Pokémon to hack her systems, mess around with her weapons, break the cages and neutralize the ship and her Salamence both."<p>

Brock nodded, carefully looking not quite at Jenny. "And skill in that Ash is really astonishingly good. If it helps you evaluate, most of the gym battles he's been in the Leader has brought their A game."

Jenny glanced at Ash. "Well, I'm impressed."

Ash looked at the two gym leaders. "'A' Game?"

"Gym leaders have a wide menu of choices on the kind of challenge we give to people. In my case," Brock explained, "I have relatively few since I'm young and Dad took all his Pokémon with him, but normally – as in the case of Misty and the other sensational sisters - they have more options. So Falkner in Johto would, say, fight a relatively new trainer with a Pidgey, Spearow, maybe a young Pidgeotto, whereas an old hand at the League-"

Ash's eyes widened in understanding. "Pidgeot, Skarmony, the works."

"Exactly. That's why Gym Leaders are so revered. But you're easily above us, now, at least in general power capacity. The Gym Challenge for you is more a matter of tactics and philosophy."

"So it's a test of intelligence? I'm really rubbish at those! That's not fair!" Ash cried, but a smirk belied his feelings.

Misty snapped her fingers. "We could have you doing the gym battles yourself!"

"No way!"

* * *

><p>"<em>What are you doing? That looks like… maths? Something vaguely like a circuit diagram?"<em>

Ash nodded. "My main weakness in actual combat is that I have little stamina. It's because, you know, I'm eleven, physically. So I've decided to see if I can up the storage capacity of the gloves, or perhaps come up with another kind of Aura 'battery', as it were. That way, I'd be able to Aura boost properly and allow a fight to last longer than thirty seconds before I started to tire."

"_Wow. Complicated?"_

"Incredibly so. I'm amazed at the kind of things in the notes, but there's nothing of this type. What I'm actually doing is more along the lines of trying to learn the underlying basics, or something… Dexter's had a look as well, but I don't know how long it'll take to get anywhere. So, er, you got any projects?"

Riolu waved his paw, palm down. _"Not sure if any of them will work. What I've actually done is basically raid anime and manga stores for anything that sounds interesting. It's helped Geodude – apparently he's taken with the idea of animating earth and stone that's more than just his body, making up for his small size. And I think Staryu and Misty are working on something neat as well."_

At that point, Pikachu came flying into the little depression, trailing water and sparks.

"Whoa! What happened to you?"

"_A whirlwind made of razor blades made of water. Oh, Staryu's new move is coming on nicely."_ Pikachu shook himself off. _"There's so much of the water in such thin streamers that it actually messes with my electricity. It's all sucked away into static charge. Sure, I can blow the water away like that by getting it to repel itself, but that's very power intensive."_

Ash blinked. Blinked again. "Power intensive? Coming from _you?_"

"_I don't have an unlimited power reserve, far from it. I actually have only about a minute of power at full burn, maybe less – it's just that full burn is so high."_

* * *

><p>Ash pushed the engineer over the slight rise. "There. Diglett, Dugtrio, nature's landscaping crew, have your epiphany now, K?" He sighed, walking back to the others. "And it was hard the first time around…"<p>

"Yeah, actually, I've been wondering about this. Why do we even use heavy lifting equipment?"

"Oh, you mean instead of Pokémon?" Brock asked.

"Yeah. It can't be that hard to catch a Rock type and ask it."

I think that would be because we are in Kanto, and Kanto has the most ludicrously high technology anywhere in the world.

"Really?"

Misty nodded slowly. "That makes sense… remember the Johto region? Lovely place, but they'd only recently installed radio."

"Only recently? Wasn't Professor Oak one of their starting lineup? I think it must have begun since we were in the Orange Islands. Or in my case…" Brock began to twitch, and Riolu unceremoniously kicked him in the shin.

"_Trust me, it's quicker and less painful this way."_

* * *

><p>"Ash! What the hell did you do to my Squirtle?"<p>

Gary cruised past on his Fearow, circling round and sliding down one wing to reach the friends.

"Er, what's the problem?"

"Just look!" Gary released his starter Pokémon, a Squirtle, and Ash stared at what emerged.

Gary's Squirtle was wearing star shaped sunglasses.

Ash's own Squirtle appeared from his Poké ball. _"So, rival, you've taken on the challenge?"_

The boy sighed. "Great. Sorry about this, Gary, but it looks like my Squirtle got yours into a certain anime."

Gary scowled. "As if I didn't know that! What's it in aid of?"

The anime is focused on the idea that pure guts and determination can overcome anything. Terrifyingly, it seems to work.

"So what should I expect from this, then?" Gary asked, sounding intrigued almost despite himself.

Roughly speaking, a complete lack of comprehension of the verb "to surrender", or for that matter "retreat". Or just caution in general. Also, battles will almost invariably end in some improbable manifestation of power. More than that is hard to say.

"Hmph. Fine, then. Smell ya later, Ashy-boy. Fearow, down here!"

The huge bird screamed out its' call and began to descend.

"Hey, I remember that particular one being a bit… psycho last time. You don't have any problems, do you?"

Gary shook his head. "You just have to know how to train a Pokémon properly."

"What, love and affection?"

"Bribery. Later!" Gary reached up and grabbed the Fearow's leg as it shot past.

Brock shook his head. "That kid is not normal."

Ash looked at him oddly. "Time travel. None of us are. At least getting around by Pokémon is safer and less unusual than driving all over the place by car at age eleven… though, since he's technically older now, I suppose you could say… argh, working all this out gives me a headache. How old AM I?"

Misty laughed. "Eleven. It's just that you finally act your age, of course!"

"Hey!"

A red beam lashed out and caught Gary's Squirtle, pulling him out of the tidal waves beginning to form in the posturing match the two turtle Pokémon were having.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Fuchsia Gym, challenger. This is not some simple arena of battle, but a test of your ability to think on your feet. And, more importantly, a test of your own physical strength and dexterity."<p>

Koga snapped his fingers, and a girl dropped from the ceiling. "Aya! Get Janine and be ready to stop them."

Aya nodded. "Yes, brother." She stepped back and vanished.

"As you may have guessed, your first task is simply to make it – without teleportation, of course - to the gym main battle room. Invisible walls will bar your way. You will have to avoid traps. And my sister and daughter will harass you from the darkness."

"Many of the trainers of Kanto have forgotten what it is like to live in a world where things are uncertain. If you have a true enemy, they will not challenge you to some kind of gladiatorial combat – they will simply eliminate you before you can react. Now, show me that you can survive, when everything is against you!"

Koga, like his sister before him, melted away into the shadows.

Ash exchanged glances with Pikachu and Riolu. "Hiding in the darkness, eh?"

"_Sounds terrifying." _Pikachu said, straight faced.

"I know. Absolutely horrifying. The very concept."

"_The very idea of not being able to trust your own two eyes."_ Riolu added.

"Well, if they're hiding there's no point trying to find them. And if this is a Ninja place, then you can't rely on your sight at all. So, we better just go through with our eyes closed."

Pikachu nodded sagely. _"It is the safest thing to do."_

"_The very safest."_

Misty struggled to avoid laughing, and glanced over at Brock to see his reaction.

Predictably, he was staring at where Aya had appeared. She grabbed his ear. "Pay attention, Brock."

"Pain… cannot… distract… meeyOOOW! Okay, okay, I'm listening!"

"So, Ash, what are you planning?"

Ash grinned. "Plan? The only thing I plan on is managing to blunder through the maze without getting too badly hurt. Come on, guys."

He set off with his Pokémon into the small mansion, eyes tightly shut. After a few metres he bent down, and a small dart shot over his head. "Ooh, a coin!"

Misty shook her head, smiling. "Showoff."

* * *

><p>Ash thudded into a wall. This was something he'd actually planned, but if he hadn't it wouldn't have made much difference – the wall was transparent, so he couldn't have spotted it anyway.<p>

"Ow! Who put this in the way?"

"Like it?" Aya's voice came from the ceiling. She dropped down to the floor of the room, her Venonat at the ready. "It's an invisible wall, we have a lot of…them… why are your eyes closed?"

"It increases the challenge. Pikachu, Thundershock."

Her Venonat dodged the blast of electricity and began to spew out a soporific Sleep Powder, planning on fighting at an advantage-

"Riolu, your turn!" The indicated Pokémon kicked off the invisible wall and shot past Pikachu straight into the cloud of powder.

Venonat blinked, shrugged and advanced into the cloud as well. Far be it from him to deny his enemy the chance to make a fool of himself.

Aya threw a blunted knife at Ash. Part of the point of their Gym was to test the trainer physically, after all.

And he negligently dodged away from the thrown _kunai_ with a seemingly casual toss of the head. That was strange, almost as if he was in fact-

Her Venonat flew out of the cloud, looking pretty knocked about, and a blast of electricity from Pikachu knocked the bug-type out.

"How did he do that?"

Ash cocked his head. "Hmmm?"

"How did your Riolu manage to fight inside a cloud of Sleep Powder?" To the side, the cloud burst in a flare of Aura and Riolu emerged, looking not particularly bothered from the experience.

"Oh, he worked out a counter to it weeks ago. Sort of a flowing of Aura over the skin to block the powder. Neat trick. Now, Riolu, if you wouldn't mind, I think this wall is in the way."

Aya blanched. Did he mean what she thought he meant?

"Brick break!"

Riolu nodded and slammed out a powerful punch at the transparent wall, smashing it to pieces.

"That's mean!" came a voice from the ceiling.

Ash looked up. "Is that Janine, then?"

Behind him, a Voltorb Selfdestructed to allow Aya to break contact and retreat.

"A ninja never reveals their name to the enemy! Zubat, get him!"

Pikachu slashed upwards with a Thundershock as the Zubat dived, but it dodged and banked around for another pass. The girl, who presumably _was_ Janine, threw a brace of shuriken at Ash.

Ash tripped over his own feet, falling to the floor with a thump and conveniently dodging the shuriken.

She threw a _kunai_. He rolled over and crouched to get up, and the weapon missed.

"Stop making fun of me!"

"Good news, I don't need to anymore. Bad news, well…" Ash pointed.

She looked, and saw her Zubat caught in a web of electricity.

"Like it? It's an Electroweb, as the look of it might suggest. Surrender."

She shook her head. "I won't give up! I have to accomplish the mission, at any cost-"

"Thunder wave."

She fell off the ceiling, paralyzed, and hit the floor with an impressive sounding thump. Ash winced.

"That's going to leave a mark. Well, we better be going. That wall next, Riolu."

* * *

><p>Koga frowned as the Trainer and Riolu on the screen smashed their way through the walls of the mansion towards the arena proper, and the Pikachu kicked a Voltorb out of the way without detonating it. That earlier confrontation hadn't been very big on dignity for poor Janine, either.<p>

"I swear, trainers these days… One of these days I'll find an airtight way of setting the challenge."

A shadow detached itself from the wall. _"You going to want me to help, sir?"_

Koga shook his head, familiar with the way his daughter's Pokémon spoke. "No, that won't be necessary. Besides, you're skilful but only that, Meowzie. Reports from other Gyms say he's a strong one."

"_I understand. I suppose it'll take more time for me to gain the strength I need."_

Koga nodded. "It's a good thing Janine and I happened to be in Hollywood that day, but your life before coming to the Gym wasn't exactly that of a battler."

She melted back into invisibility as Ash and his Pokémon came through the wall.

* * *

><p>"Hey, look at that, I think we made it!"<p>

"_And with that, we can say we could do the course blindfold. Fun."_

Ash opened his eyes once more, to see a rather annoyed Koga standing across the room from him.

"So, er, what now? Proper battle?"

"Yes. Now is simply a proper, nothing-unusual Pokémon battle."

The boy rubbed the back of his head. "Is the hole in the wall going to be a problem?"

"No, as there is no hole."

Ash started and glanced round. There was a set of planks crudely hammered over the breach in the wall. "When did that happen?"

"Ninja builders. Specifically, Ninjask builders."

"Neat. Now, any restrictions on the battle itself?"

"Only that no Pokémon used in traversing the gym may be used in the battle itself. Now, choose your first Pokémon!" So saying, Koga released his own Venonat.

Ash grinned. "This is probably going to make the whole gym damage thing worse, but what the hell. Charizard!"

Koga flickered to safety as the huge dragon half-filled the room. "That's not really fair, boy."

"You outlined the restrictions, not me. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to hide. Dexter, set up some Light Screens."

Stand by, ready. Set up. Light screen.

"Charizard!" Ash's now-muffled voice called. "Set up a Flare Blitz but don't execute it, just maintain the fire layer. Then proceed as you see fit."

Charizard roared, a rippling curtain of flame forming all across his scales, and Koga winced. The floor was already charring, and that was entirely aside from the fact that the curtain would make it nearly impossible to use any poison attacks. With those removed, his Pokémon didn't have many options that could work to damage a fire/flying type, so…

"I concede. You have outmanoeuvred me."

Ash blinked. "What?"

"Finally! I was starting to wonder if you were impossible to surprise. Anyway, yes. Since you can perceive things while your eyes are closed, deception is no help. You have put me into an untenable tactical position, and since you also possess a Poison type and a Flying type of presumably similar skill, my Gym is highly vulnerable to you. Hence, I confer upon you the Soul Badge."

Charizard looked faintly disappointed as Ash recalled him.

* * *

><p>"Six down, two to go!" Ash called as he returned to the entrance chamber.<p>

"Yes, Ash, there are only two Gyms on your planned Kanto path you have not pretty much _levelled._" Misty said waspishly.

"Now, Misty, that's not true." Brock said soothingly. "Mine escaped without much damage."

"Well, bully for you then."

"Though according to one of dad's emails, some girl with an Abra demolished the place a few months ago."

Aya called from across the room, where none of the three had seen her. "A girl with an Abra? Might have been the challenger we had here some months back. They beat the challenge course by teleporting, then her Cubone beat my brother's entire team at once."

Ash, Brock and Misty shared looks. "You don't think…"

"Those sneaky beggars! They're doing the Gym Challenge too!"

"Well, at least they're not mucking around with mine." Ash muttered. "Though apparently we're worse apart than when they're dogging my every step."

"That is a scary thought."

"_Agreed."_ Pikachu said fervently.

* * *

><p>"Right, now that's out of the way, we have a far more important question. What do we do for the race?"<p>

"Oh, that Laramie ranch thing? Er, the Fuchsia Free-For-All? Let's see… Team Rocket spooked that girl Lara's Tauros at the behest of some guy… Dario, then we all took part, I got stopped at the water, and you rode the Ponyta that inexplicably evolved into a Rapidash." Brock said, trying to remember everything.

Misty snapped her fingers. "Oh, that. Ash, do you emit some kind of evolution rays or something? Every single Pokémon you get involved with seems to evolve. It's almost annoying."

Riolu looked himself over. _"I'm not seeing it."_

"_Give it time. I mean, look at me. First honorary evolved Pokémon in history."_

Ash considered. "Well, I think we can enter me on Pidgeot, and then everything else becomes academic, doesn't it?"

"Is that even allowed?"

"We better find out. If not Pidgeot, then next is probably Charizard, then I don't know. Most of my Pokémon are pretty small."

Misty rubbed her hands in glee. "Gyarados Gyarados Gyarados…"

"Misty, it's the _Pokémon _that repeats the name over and over again."

Misty slapped him in the face with a surprised Goldeen. "No more lip from you, mister Ketchum."

* * *

><p>"Sorry, the rules state that you can't use a Pokémon capable of flight."<p>

Ash nodded and sighed, so much for that. "Okay, I'd like to enter… Pikachu, Squirtle, you okay with this?"

"_Yeah, sure."_

"_This will be a great challenge! My burning spirit and icy will combine to give the purest-"_

Pikachu cut Squirtle off. _"He says yes."_

"Okay. As I was saying, my Pikachu and Squirtle as a team."

The organizer raised his eyebrows, but noted it down on a clipboard.

"Hey, Ash! Fancy meeting you here!"

Ash spun. "James?"

"The very same." James snapped out a little fan. "I thought it sounded like a good idea to compete, so here I am. Oh, organizer, I'm entering with my Arcanine, Growlie."

Ash stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I've never really understood how this kind of race works. I mean, some Pokémon are a heck of a lot faster than others – they ban those that can fly, but apart from that?"

James agreed. "Very strange. Stranger still when it seems to work."

* * *

><p>"Well, hello to y'all! Name's Lara, Lara Laramie, of the Laramie Ranch, and if that sounds confusing imagine me learnin' it when I was young."<p>

"Pleased to meet you." Ash replied. Lara was a nice person, after all she'd been willing to let him take her place in the race and had sent him the occasional letter over the years. Whatever had been the source, she took Ash's membership in her clan seriously.

"Well, as you can probably guess, I'm getting' ready for the race. This here's the Ponyta I'm planning on riding. You got to have a lot of trust to ride one, those flames work like most Fire types with expressed fire. They burn you unless the Pokémon tries specifically not to."

Ash gave a wry grin. "Now that's something I'm familiar with. My Charizard…"

"Yeah, I can see how that works." Lara flashed a smile, then something seemed to occur to her. "Are you takin' part?"

"What, in the race? No, I don't have a Pokémon to ride. Everything I have is either too small or a Flying type."

"Aw, too bad. Still, that kinda thing happens, and what can ya do."

As the two continued making small talk, a man ran over to them. "Lara, all your Tauros are getting' rowdy!"

Lara blinked, and swung her Ponyta round. "Well, I better get over there then. Thanks, Dario."

"My pleasure." Ash glanced at Dario as Lara left, and spotted an unpleasant glint in his eye.

Remembering what happened _last_ time, he set off towards the cattle pens, intent on kicking the Rockets if they were behind this one. Again.

She may have been banned from the race, but Pidgeot was perfectly allowable outside it. On her back, Ash made it to the Tauros pen only a few seconds after Lara, and dropped to the ground as she sent out her Growlithe to try and maintain order.

It was at that point he realized he'd left Pikachu behind. So much for the quick solution to a stampede. "Ivysaur, everything you can to stop those Tauros if they start charging, but don't hurt them!"

"Thanks for the help, I- whoah!" Her Ponyta reared in sudden fright, and Ash shivered in a similar atavistic reaction to something he couldn't quite place.

Shrugging it off, he lunged forward and managed to take the firey Pokémon's bridle before it threw Lara off completely.

"Calm down, please, you don't want to hurt your trainer, do you, please just stay calm…" Ash knew he was babbling, but one of Lara's letters as had been had mentioned something about the tone of voice being important, especially with Ponyta like hers. Though, at the time it had been a Rapidash…

His train of thought derailed as a familiar glow erupted. Of course. Ash Ketchum, better than an elemental stone. That hadn't been a memory transfer, he knew, it was just luck.

Lara looked down at her much calmer – and larger – Pokémon. "Well, I got to say, that's not what normally happens when she meets someone new!"

Ash rolled his eyes, and grinned. "This is the story of my life. Feels like every single time I get within ten feet of someone's unevolved Pokémon, and it evolves. You know that happened to two Gym Leaders now? One of them I didn't even fight."

Lara looked thoughtful. "Tell ya what, then. How's about you ride Rapidash here in the race tomorrow?"

Ash blinked. "Pardon?"

"Well, ah was thinking, if I were to win the race then all I'd be getting would be honorary membership in my own clan. Whereas if you were to win, then it'd be a kind of payback for helpin' me out here."

"Well, I'm flattered, but it depends on Rapidash."

"'course. Tell ya what, come round later and I'll see how you two get along."

* * *

><p>"James, I recently found that Lara's Tauros were spooked. Since I know that last time you were the one behind it, I'm of course a little suspicious."<p>

James looked offended. "Don't look at me, I've been training with Growlie. Mainly in not falling off, he's really fast. I don't know, but Dario hired us based on us being Rockets rather than anything else, so he could have got some other set of Grunts to do it in place of us."

"Yeah, I suppose. But nothing came of it anyway – well, something did. I might be in the race after all, and I'll expect a good challenge!"

"Oh? That Lara girl going to sponsor you, as it were?"

"That's the plan. Here's hoping it works out."

* * *

><p>"Well, you're doing pretty well, Ash! I guess it must be ridin' those Flying types, after that I imagine a little Rapidash must be a piece'a cake."<p>

Ash grinned, and wobbled slightly before readjusting his weight. "Yeah, that could be part of it. Spending most of the night on it helps too."

"So, girl, you up for it?" Rapidash whinnied an affirmative. "Then ah think you should get a little sleep, Ash. It's only a few hours till the race, and all the trainin' in the world won't do you any if you fall off."

"Sure." Ash carefully slid a leg over and dismounted. "Wake me in time to get ready, please. I don't know how long it'll take."

* * *

><p>"You want to register? But there's only one of you."<p>

Negative. I am able to materialize, and will be the mount for this race.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Two Pokémon-only teams, who'd have thought it. Just one thing, I assume I'm speaking to a Porygon? No levitation above a foot."

Understood.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, and welcome to the Fuchsia Free For All. This is, as I'm sure you know, a Pokémon and trainer race around a long and diverse terrain course. Now, it looks like there's some faces from further afield than normal today, as well as a much more diverse selection of Pokémon. That looks like an Arcanine, you don't see many of them around, and there's… hang on, are we sure the cameras are working?"<p>

Delia blinked, looked closer, and dashed from the house. "Samuel! Samuel, you've got to see this!"

Kingler looked up. _"Sounds like Ash did something else impressive enough to be on TV."_

Primeape turned to him. _"Else? Sorry, last time around I was too busy training to pay much attention."_

"_You're in for a fun few years then."_

* * *

><p>Delia skidded into the Lab and snatched up a remote control, flicking through the channels to the one she'd been watching. "Look!"<p>

Professor Oak frowned. "Is that Ash? And his friends, and… oh, only you, Ash."

The TV presenter was panning over the starting lineup again, much more slowly, to get the full impact of the… unusual… competitors. A boy of no more than eleven riding a Rapidash that their local contact assured them was one of the prestigious Laramie Ranch breed. Two Gym Leaders. Someone in an unusual outfit with blue hair, crouched over an Arcanine. And, just to top it off, a Pikachu on a Squirtle and a Riolu on a Porygon.

"What do they do if one of the Pokémon teams wins?"

"Honorary membership and a lot of careful translation from Ash, I assume, I doubt they thought this through."

The announcer was still talking. "Well, it seems that the lineup is indeed correct. We're as surprised as you are, folks, but it looks like this free-for-all is going to be a good one! And they're starting the countdown now… and they're off!"

* * *

><p>Ash was no stranger to speed, not even only considering his second try – indeed, especially not, as Pidgeot was one of the fastest species of Pokémon on the planet. But there was something different about riding Rapidash. Somehow, despite the faint ache in muscles unused to the load, despite the up-and-down motion that could be avoided in mid air, despite the uncomfortable warmth of Rapidash' mane… it felt <em>right.<em> Sure, he'd be paying for it once he was back on his own two feet, but until then he felt he could lose himself in the sheer flowing joy of the gallop.

And then James pulled alongside, waving from Growlie's back, and he had to bring himself back to the here and now.

"Nice Pokémon you have there. Pretty good… for a little pony." Ash felt Rapidash balk at the insult, and ran his hand soothingly through her mane, the flames not bothering him.

"Oh, and your pup's any better, James? You may have a slight speed advantage, but this is a long race, and I'm sure she can outlast you."

This time Growlie lived up to his name by growling in irritation, and James patted him on the flank. "We'll see, Ash. We'll see."

A thunderous crash sounded behind them, and both risked a glance round. They saw a Rhyhorn and a Nidorina doing their level best to beat each other into the ground. "That looks familiar."

"Agreed. I think our idea about other Rockets in the area just got confirmed. And Dario's still ahead of us, something profoundly unnatural's been done to that Dodrio."

James squinted ahead. "I think I see the hill section, watch out for pit traps there – it's a good place for them."

"Sure. Looks like a good ambush spot as well, I suggest we take it at a run. Rapidash, ready?"

James turned to focus on Growlie. "Ready, boy?"

Their voices blended. "Flame charge!"

* * *

><p>Cassidy surveyed her work with satisfaction. This was one of her favourite sections of the modified course, for the intricacy. A series of Grass Knots all over the area, intended to handle the Pokémon speeding up for the difficult hill section, and a fake bit of ground just past the apex, to catch Pokémon tired after the long slope and moving slower.<p>

Dario shot past, the set of X Speed he'd used giving his Dodrio amazing velocity while they lasted, and she watched as he picked his way seemingly randomly up the slope, passing through the one clear lane. It had taken a while to get the Dodrio to remember the course, but it had worked, and now-

Two saffron blurs of flame blasted past her vantage point, stumbling slightly on the knots but passing them without much difficulty, and set the entire trapped area of grass on fire. It was going to burn out fast, it had rained recently, but the knotted grass of the traps was more exposed and simply crumbled to ashes.

Cursing, she clicked a signal to Butch to prepare the next trap set, and began moving to the home straight barely a hundred metres away.

* * *

><p>Misty's Gyarados blasted out a Water Pulse to contain what fires there still were, and she and Brock charged up the slope behind the two fire types. Dexter, a Nidorino, Rhyhorn, Sandslash, Electrode and about a dozen other Pokémon followed.<p>

Then there was a gap. Quite a long one, actually.

Finally, huffing extravagantly, Squirtle staggered to a halt at the bottom of the hill. _"It's no good, the magma of my soul is cooling off."_

"_Oh, give it a rest."_ Pikachu groaned.

"_Sounds like a good idea."_

"_Right, big hill. Hmm…" _Pikachu snapped his claws, and a corona of electricity blossomed around him. Squirtle yelped.

"_Stay away from me with that stuff!"_

"_Your shell's non conductive, right?"_ Squirtle nodded warily. _"Then give us some jet propulsion!"_ Pikachu grabbed the protesting turtle by the top of the shell, and gradually rose into the air as the Magnet Rise took effect. _"Squirtle, use Water Gun! Wow, it really is pretty thrilling to give orders like that…"_

Squirtle's blast of water sent them shooting off up the hill, prompting several of the race officials to start frantically checking the rulebooks.

* * *

><p>Ash urged Rapidash into a jump clear over the pit trap, having spotted it with a quick Aura scan, and James shot past to one side of it, recognizing it as a good spot to put a trap and wanting no part of it.<p>

As the two sped down the hill, jockeying for second place, a crash sounded behind them and once again they risked looking.

Brock's Steelix had just fallen in the hole. However, since Steelix are enormous, this hadn't slowed the Pewter man down much and led to the pit being elongated into a central trench down the slope.

Dario vanished over the river ahead as they turned back, and Ash gathered himself for that obstacle. "Bounce, Rapidash!"

James raised an eyebrow. "Tricky… Growlie, use Extremespeed!"

The Arcanine blurred briefly into invisibility, jumping from stone to stone so fast that the water plumed up from the wind of his passing.

Rapidash daintily landed next to the other Fire type as he slowed back to normal, and the two continued charging forwards.

* * *

><p>Dario cursed – the trick stepping stones apparently hadn't done anything, at least not to the two front runners. His whole plan was to get such a lead in the early stages of the race to make it an easy victory when the X Speed wore off, but if those two were…<p>

He snarled, and urged Dodrio on. Those Rockets he hired had better be of some damned _use!_

* * *

><p>Ash felt Rapidash's fatigue as they galloped up to the food section of the course, the mare not used to going so fast for so long. As she slowed to a halt at her plate, Ash swung off to let her rest. It wouldn't be much, but it was something, and that was the best he could give her.<p>

Dario had already departed, apparently not having had the co-ordination problems of last time, and Growlie gobbled his entire plate in a single bite, letting James speed off with a cocky grin. Ash winced, but refused to despair. The final part of the course was a long straight, and the rest should let Rapidash get her second wind. Then he could really let her run.

* * *

><p><span>Sonic form.<span>

Dexter abruptly shot forward at massive speed, having calculated that his energy reserves would allow him to maintain the boost for the entire remainder of the course.

"_Er, Dexter?" _Riolu asked, holding a map open against the wind. _"You know how the next part of the course is a food-eating thing?"_

Affirmative.

"_Aren't you, er, non-biological?"_

…Correct. Now I'm annoyed, it would appear we have no chance of winning. The rules are vague on everything from what happens to Laramie clan members taking part, to method of propulsion- Riolu looked back at the wildly fishtailing forms of Pikachu and Squirtle – but on that matter they are rigid. The mount, not the rider, must eat the plate of food.

"_Well, we can at least make a good show, right?"_

* * *

><p>Professor Oak stared at the screen. "That's not something I would have expected."<p>

The announcer's voice was shocked. "That just can't be legal! Folks, there's a Raticate on the course, and it looks like it's barring that Arcanine in second from moving forward with a Scary Face!"

Delia fretted. "Oh, I hope Ash is okay…"

* * *

><p>"Come on, girl, not much further now." Ash swung back onto Rapidash' back as she finished eating, and got moving again shortly before Riolu and Brock arrived at the halt station.<p>

The two cantered round the corner… straight into the area of effect of the Raticate's attack. Ash felt his muscles turn to water and seize up at the same time, and from Rapidash' trembling she wasn't doing any better.

* * *

><p>Butch smirked from behind his rock. This was pretty blatant cheating, but only to those who knew Dario was behind it. At this stage, it could still – barely – be considered the actions of a wild Pokémon, and-<p>

Thwack!

Then he was in the air, landing right behind Raticate. Staggering back to his feet, he saw Jessie, an Abra over her shoulder and a Cubone brandishing a Thick Club in front of her.

She gave a wicked grin. "Well, well, wouldn't have expected to meet you here, bit-"

"It's BUTCH! Why can nobody EVER get that right? Raticate, get her!" Jessie's Cubone jumped to intercept Butch' Raticate, and the two got into a swirling melee.

Butch caught a glint in Jessie's eye. "What are you so pleased about?"

"You missed the racers. They've all got past your blocking position."

He winced. "Damnit!"

* * *

><p>"Come on, not far now. I know you're tired, but I think I can help." Ash spoke a litany of encouragement for Rapidash, putting action to words by calling up much of his own Aura and channelling it into the fire Pokémon.<p>

"Okay, ready? Agility!"

Rapidash took the offered energy, and began to sprint. She quickly caught up to James and Growlie, who increased their own speed to match, and up ahead Ash caught sight of Dario and his Dodrio.

Ash and James shared a wicked grin.

"Let's blow right past him! Flare Blitz!"

* * *

><p>Dario felt his Dodrio slowing as the artificial boosts wore off, and frowned. He wasn't certain of his victory, but as long as that Rocket did his job, then-<p>

Fwooom!

Twin blurs of flame shot past on either side.

Then a vector model of a bird in pink and blue.

Then a Steelix, a Gyarados, then a whole swarm of Pokémon and riders.

Finally, just as things seemed to be calming down again, his Dodrio was tripped as it evaded a blue shell that rocketed past in a spiking corona of electricity.

* * *

><p>The announcer blinked. "Isn't that something that normally happens in Marillkart?"<p>

* * *

><p>Cassidy tracked the two racers through her binoculars. "Drowzee, make that Rapidash rider fall off! Primeape, get the Arcanine!"<p>

Her two Pokémon, one borrowed from Butch for this last-ditch ambush, complied. Primeape went first, leaping with a scream from cover.

By now Ash was tired, aching and just a little annoyed at how complicated the race had gotten. So when what appeared to be a wild Pokémon leapt towards him from the trees, he reacted in the only sensible way.

Butch' Primeape was caught by a materializing Pidgeot and thrown into the distance as Drowzee went to work. Focusing his potent hypnotic powers, he reached out to the mind of the younger rider… and found nothing at all.

By the time he was over his shock, they were past and out of range. Cassidy briefly entertained the notion of just giving up.

Then she realized that the Pidgeot was still in the area and beat a hasty retreat.

* * *

><p>"And it's a photo finish, ladies and gentlemen! The winner and the runner up, whichever of the two each turns out to be, have managed to take an early position near the front of the field and defend that against whatever came their way, from other racers to actual sabotage!"<p>

Professor Oak leant back. "Well, that was impressive."

* * *

><p>Lara walked up to Ash, where he was standing on wobbly legs beside a tired Rapidash and clumsily attempting to rub her down.<p>

"Nice work, Ash! Oh, thought I'd let'ya know. I don't really care which of the two of you and that James fellow turn out to have won. I'm the one who decides who else gets into the clan, and I say I'd be honoured to have you both."

She then gave an appraising look at Rapidash. "And I gotta say, you certainly gave her a good run! In fact," she grinned teasingly, "that was positively rapid, Ash!"

Ash stared at her in shock, then slumped to the floor. "Always with the bad puns… why?"

* * *

><p>"With all due respect, oh Arceus, prime mover, deity of deities, initiator of all that is… you've gone mad."<p>

_I don't see how. I mean, we're running out of games to keep ourselves amused in here._

"A three legged race is not a good idea! Especially not when two of those involved are quadrupedal, two are bipedal, and both pairs are on grossly different scales!"

_Fine, fine. What about a game of Tale of the Five Swords?_

Sir Aaron frowned. "How do you play that?"

_Like this._

Arceus glowed with ethereal light, and reality blossomed around them.

_There. You are now a member of the Crane clan in a version of the Home Islands lacking in Pokémon. Your objective is to advance your status and uphold your honour. Dialga and Palkia are members of two of the other clans. Have fun._

"Does this even fit in our reality bubble?"

_Yes. Because I say so, and because we have Palkia with us._

* * *

><p>AN: That chapter got a bit out of control. Still, that's the last of my already written material up<em>,<em> and the fic into that bit of the anime plotline where they realized it was becoming a hit. So the story got strange and gyms became few and far between.

And yes, I just got Dario with a blue shell. That actually came about by chance, the idea only came after I had them in the air and blasting along.


	19. Chapter 18

A helicopter landed next to the startled travellers. "Er, excuse me, but our son is missing in the area. Do any of you know where he might happen to be?"

Ash snapped his fingers. Of course, this thing. "No, but I can help you look. What does he look like?"

Tommy's father handed over a picture from a stack. "He fell out of our helicopter when we were passing over here. If you can help, we'd be very grateful!"

"Pidgeot?"

"_On my way."_ The large bird Pokémon shot into the air and began flying in a spiral pattern.

The mother gasped. "Oh, you have a Pigdeot? They're lovely Pokémon, I bet you're a great trainer."

Ash rubbed the back of hs neck modestly. "Well, I like to think so, but then I suppose everyone does."

"Oh, don't be so modest, young man."

A few seconds later, Pidgeot shot back overhead. _"Found the Kangaskhan herd."_

"Thanks, Pidgeot. Think you two can follow us in the helicopter? I recommend you stay back a bit, she says he's with a herd of Kangaskhan and I don't want to spook them. If I go with my Riolu and Pikachu on my shoulders I hope to project a much less threatening image."

The two parents readily agreed.

* * *

><p>Ash stepped forward, hands held out to the sides. "Riolu? If they don't understand what I say, please translate."<p>

"_You got it."_

Pikachu sniffed. _"Why not me?"_

"Mainly that Riolu are especially known for being trustworthy and I _really_ want to make sure this goes off properly. If you want, you can interpret what they say to me." Ash turned his attention to the Kangaskhan.

"Kangaskhan, there is a boy among you who is not one of your kind. I have the boy's parents with me and they want to meet him again."

Riolu paused, then saw that the Kangaskhan understood from their expressions. The herd fell to debating among themselves.

After a moment, the herd matriarch stepped forth and spoke.

Ash glanced to Pikachu. _"They say that's fine, but no Poké balls closer than you are."_

Ash stepped back from the herd and walked to the landed helicopter. "The herd agrees that you can get close, but if you have any Pok_é_balls they have to be left back here. I assume that if you have any actual Pokémon with you, it's fine to bring them so long as they're out of their 'balls."

Tommy's father shook Ash's hand. "Thanks, young man, you've been a great help."

Ash laughed nervously. "Don't thank me yet…"

* * *

><p>Tommy's mother sniffed. "This is terrible… he doesn't remember us!"<p>

Ash rolled his eyes. _Here we go again…_ "I think I can help with that, too. If he's just forgotten then its' likely amnesia, and I can treat that."

"Really? How?"

"Oh, just something I picked up…" _Specifically, an Aura technique designed to improve recall in oneself or others. A basic of the very memory transference system I'm using. But don't tell them that._

_Can't believe that last time we just hit him and hoped that would work. Damn misconceptions about amnesia…_

Ash knelt next to the young boy, and pulsed his Aura on the other's forehead.

Tommy blinked. "Mum… dad?"

A tearful reunion followed. Towards the end, the father made an announcement. "We've decided to conduct some deep-cover research into the lives of wild Pokémon."

Tommy frowned. "What?"

"In short, we're going to live with the Kangaskhan for a few years."

Ash grinned. Looked like everything had worked out fine. "I'm sure Professor Oak would love to know what you learn."

"You know him?"

"I certainly do, he gave me a Pokédex when I set off on my journey."

"Well, thank you again for all the help. Let me know if you need anything… er, well, anything that can be supplied from the middle of a reservation with no contact with civilization, anyway."

* * *

><p>The friends considered. "Just skip the Dratini lake thing entirely?"<p>

Ash shook his head. "I want to catch my Tauros again, at least the one that became the herd leader. Don't know if I'll know the others well enough to restore…"

"At least we can not go to the lake, then. Being threatened at gunpoint is not fun."

* * *

><p>"What do you want?" Kaiser growled.<p>

"Ten Safari balls, please!" Ash replied brightly. "Oh, is aerial capture allowed? Only I have this Charizard, see…"

"Hm." Kaiser muttered to himself. "Fine, but Safari balls only! I am authorized to use lethal force!"

Brock raised his hand. "Point of order. Why?"

"Because we're far enough out that the police can't reach me in time, and I need to be able to protect the Pokémon!"

"Fair enough, though you might want to tone down the threats of extreme violence slightly."

"Sure, sure, fine. Damn kids. Wouldn't have had this back in the days when I was in the imperial army…"

Misty looked startled. "How old _is_ he?"

* * *

><p>As it happened to turn out, Ash had in fact used no fewer than three separate Tauros on his occasional attempts to make use of the herd. Apparently they really were more or less completely interchangeable. Those three agreed to return to Oak's Lab, along with another two who liked the sound of open spaces.<p>

Oak didn't quite break down crying on hearing he had to take care of five large bull Tauros, but he was close. Though he abruptly shut up when Dexter mentioned it had been _thirty_ last time.

* * *

><p>"What now, again?"<p>

Dexter hummed. This is the bit where you get completely lost. As I recall, you went north across cycling bridge, then the eastern edge of Viridian, then I have a chance to get my upgrade, then-

"Wait, wait. Upgrade?" Ash frowned.

Remember that thing where you were digitized to solve a virus attack? Well, I'm a Porygon. He makes Porygon in that lab. See the connection?

Pikachu scratched his head. _"I don't remember that at all."_

Must be the epileptic attacks, it was a very risky environment and frankly I can see why you'd have problems with your memory. Biological systems are so… prone to failure, I suppose.

"We're the ones that regenerate." Brock joked. "But I assume the problem you refer to was Team Rocket?"

Yes. Hopefully seeing a 'natural' Porygon in me will make the Doctor in the lab inclined to help, as while a Rocket attack would be very bad, at least it would mean he'd want to help us.

"Yeah, fair enough. But you were saying we got lost? That continue?"

Yes. After the lab, you were in a bit of a daze for a day or so and got hopelessly lost. Then you met Santa – yes, you got so lost that Christmas arrived, and compounded your problems by heading to the _North Pole_ of all places – then that thing with the magic show and a carnival where Ash got hypnotized. Next, Mossgreen which is actually south of here and I have no _clue_ what you were all thinking the map looked like by then, and eventually you found a desert.

Brock sighed. "Only we could get lost in a desert on the _Kanto Plain_. Oh, well. Onwards, I suppose. We'll just travel direct and use the wasted time for training."

* * *

><p>"Hi! Any restrictions about going over the bridge on a Pokémon? By flying?"<p>

Officer Jenny shook her head. "It's fine. Oh, I think the local Pokémon centre has an errand that needs run. It'd be nice of you to stop by there and see what it is, if you're heading over the bridge."

"Sure, always happy to help."

* * *

><p>"You want us to carry some Full Restores across the bridge." Ash sighed. "Any reason why it's not waiting for a normal shipment?"<p>

The Nurse Joy looked worried. "The supplies over there are running dangerously low, and of course it's the best thing to use for a critically injured Pokémon. Expensive, but pretty well justified."

"Yeah, fine. It just feels a little… unglamorous, is all."

* * *

><p>"Fascinating! You say this Porygon of yours developed natively on that handheld?"<p>

Dexter flinched away from the good Doctor slightly. Watch it, I have a name you know.

"Oh, er, sorry. Well, is this a unique event?"

Nope. Another of my cohort of Pokédex has undergone sentience development recently, and I think a third is close behind. We're still a bit weak in the real world, though, as there's no dedicated projector on my hardware. Any chance you could help with that?

"Hmm…" The doctor rubbed his glasses. "I do have some early prototypes of the Transfer System, the ones that I was going to use before Lanette straightened out the kinks in long range teleportation for me. Brilliant girl, simply amazing. My plan would have worked… except that the Pokémon would have to be in a sensory deprivation tank to teleoperate the facsimile."

Everyone looked at him.

"What? Early stages in technology are always problematic. Er, hang on, I have one here." Rummaging through boxes of computer junk, he pulled out a small triangular object. "There's a few more of these, but they're all custom and look different. Do tell those other people you know with Porygon of their own to stop by."

Interesting design. Is that gold?

"Only in colour, I'm afraid. Merely an example to persuade investors that technology doesn't have to be complex and intimidating. Unfortunately, there's no multithreading support yet."

So I only get one solid form object at a time?

"Essentially, yes. Give me a while and I might be able to get you that. It sounds like an interesting project."

Ash, meanwhile, was puzzling over the enormous digitizer. "Ever considered telling anyone about this? It could be the basis for a lovely story, you know."

The doctor laughed. "What, young trainers travelling into the digital world to fight off viruses?"

"Yeah, it sounds like it could catch on."

Doctor Akihabara chuckled again. "Hee… but actually, I see your point. It might even be a useful public service. Care to try it out?"

Ash shook his head. "No way, enough strange stuff happens to me already, find someone else!"

* * *

><p>"Well, Pikachu? Want to leave and stay behind with the wild Pokémon this time? I only want what's-OW!"<p>

Pikachu jumped up and down on Ash's head. _"How many times? Stop teasing me about that!"_

* * *

><p>"You want to get back to the North Pole?"<p>

_Yes. And preferably soon._

"Right. What's your normal transport arrangements?"

_Normally we use the services of a Lapras, but I don't think I can get back to the coast in time._

"Maybe we can help!"

Ash squinted through the snow at the unexpected voice. "James?"

"Right in one. We were wondering how you were riding out the snowstorm, and it turns out… you're sort of not." James turned back the way he'd come. "We found a castle going cheap online, Growlie's keeping it at a lovely warmth. Want to come in? Abra, mind handling this wayward Jynx?"

_Alright._ Both Psychic types vanished.

"Now that's taken care of, why not come along? It can't be pleasant to just stay out here."

"_You have a point."_ Pikachu muttered, clearing snow from his ears. _"Why the hell is it snowing this hard in Kanto?"_

Ash shrugged. "Moltres having a snit? Our climate is sort of at the whims of some very powerful beings."

"_We'll have a word when we reach Shamouti."_

* * *

><p><em>Bink<em>

Jynx looked around. _Where are we?_

_Not the North Pole. I don't have nearly the strength to get you that far, this is the coast. Any idea where from here?_

The Ice type looked at the nearby mountains. _I think a bit further south, out into the bay proper-_

_Bink_

_Wow, that was fast._

Abra shrugged. _Faster I get things done, faster I get to sleep. And I see a Lapras down there._

_Thank you, then. You're a great help._

* * *

><p>"Welcome! This is an evolution party, so come on in!"<p>

Ash frowned. "I never understood the idea… why evolve a Pokémon at a party instead of after carefully thinking it over?"

"Oh, lighten up, kid!" Sparky called. "Hey, that Pikachu of yours is one of those that uses a Thunder Stone, right? I think we have one of those spare."

Pikachu shook his head. _"Been there, done that, got the cheeks."_

Ash translated. "Something weird happened with one in the Vermillion Gym a few months ago. If you look at his cheeks, you can see that his voltage reservoirs are more developed than other Pikachu. He sort of half-evolved."

"Fascinating."

Brock, meanwhile, was talking to Mikey. "Actually, there are four other types of Eevee evolution currently discovered. So if your brothers have access to more Eevee like this little guy here, then you could have two each and end up with the complete set."

Observe. Umbreon, Espeon, Leafeon and Glaceon. Dexter materialized a hard-light hologram from his projector.

Mikey watched as the hologram of one Eeveelution shattered into another. "Wow… Eevee really is the most adaptable Pokémon there is…"

Essentially. Others can claim the title, but Eevee is the most commonly cited holder.

Pyro pointed. "What's that Pokémon? I don't think I've ever seen it before."

Dexter formed into his normal body. I am a Porygon, thanks for asking nicely.

Ash snapped his fingers. "Hey, why don't you try out your new body against these guys? I don't think we ever got round to seeing what the projector can do…"

Apart from making it so I can project from it instead of the device? I suppose you're right, we never did get round to it. Well, I'm game.

Rainer grinned. "Sounds great! Just the way to keep up with the spirit of the party!"

Ash retrieved the Pokédex itself from Dexter's body, leaving only the projector inside. "The doc said the projector's armoured, so if your projection fails it should be fine."

But you can't say the same of my base unit. Good thinking.

* * *

><p><span>Downloading. Swapping information into active memory. Analyzing.<span>

Pyro pointed. "We're first! Flareon, attack!"

The firey Pokémon dashed forward in a coat of fire, before launching out a Fire Blast at Dexter. The Porygon didn't dodge in time – or, indeed, at all – and was engulfed.

Ash grinned. "Oh, yeah, forgot about that ability…"

The flames died down, revealing Dexter to be completely unharmed, and red where he should be pink.

Trace complete. Flash fire copied.

"Damnit, that's not fair!"

It's a perfectly legitimate ability.

Movement patterns analyzed. Charging.

Energy built, and the Porygon abandoned his normal shape for a hexagonal flower of triangular 'petals', surrounding the now visible golden projector.

Pyro chuckled nervously. "Hey, now, what's this in aid of?"

Tri Attack.

A thin beam of energy fired from three of the petals and the core, meeting at the startled Flareon. There was a flash of light, and then Flareon was flying backwards surrounded by crackling electricity.

"Nice work!" Ash shouted.

I can hear you. My body is literally in your hand.

"Oh, er, sorry."

Rainer and Sparky exchanged glances, then sent their Pokémon in together.

Ash cried foul. "That's not fair! Two on one!"

Dexter's body flowed back into his base form, and dodged a blast of electricity. I don't mind. Against these Pokémon, a one on one fight is too easy if I use my full ability – specifically, I Trace their absorption ability and then it's easy. That being said: Analysis complete.

Dexter's blue highlights became yellow. Conversion complete.

The Vaporeon lashed out a blast of high pressure water, to little effect. Rainer's jaw dropped. "How damn adaptable IS that Pokémon?"

Ash glanced at the screen. Volt Absorb and Converted: Water were shown on there. "Pretty adaptable, I think is the answer. This may be his first proper fight, but he's got a lot of experience watching battles to work with. And his body is sort of a construct that he can change at will."

Charging. Dexter's form shifted once more, this time into a slim spike pointing towards Vaporeon. Lock On. A pair of laser designators appeared above and below the spike, painting the Water type a pretty red in colour.

Rainer pointed frantically. "Vaporeon, Acid Armour!"

The Eeveelution dissolved into water, surrendering control over his molecules for a moment. To no avail, as an almighty Zap Cannon shocked him despite the quick dodge.

The spike changed straight into a contiguous circle connected to the projector by three slim spokes. Analyzing…

"Endure, Jolteon!" Sparky ordered.

Signal Beam.

Unlike his two cohorts, the Lightning Pokémon was able to last through the massive attack, though barely.

"How the hell is your Porygon so strong?" Pyro asked Ash.

Mainly the result of a lot of abilities based on attack increase. Flash Fire from your Flareon, Download and Analyze to pinpoint defensive weak spots.

At that point, another voice was heard. "Eevee, Trump Card!"

Dexter shifted his form to a bulwark-shape, the tougher side facing the direction of the voice. Light Screen.

With a rumbling boom, Mikey's Eevee smashed the Light Screen and Dexter's materialized body, driving the projector a foot into the ground.

Ash blinked. "What just happened?"

Ow. Okay, that was a move that's more powerful the more tired the user is. Did your Eevee get any sleep at all last night?

Mikey shook his head ruefully. "I was running away from my lunatic brothers with him. They wanted to evolve him by force if necessary."

Brock sighed. "That's really _not_ the principle you should work by, guys."

The three elder brothers hung their heads. Rainer spoke for them. "Sorry, we wanted him to see how much better an evolved Eevee can be. But this sort of proves the opposite…"

They're all better for different things. Now Ash, mind getting my projector out of the crater? It's probably near overheat from channelling that much power and needs a cool-off soon.

"That wasn't normal?" Ash asked, somehow disappointed.

Not yet. I wanted to test the limits of the projector, and I certainly found those.

Misty made a sound of realization. "So the reason Eevee's so good with Normal type attacks is the ability Adaptability?"

Eevee nodded, and Mikey grinned proudly. "Yep! It's a really useful ability, especially with a move like that. And he also knows Last Resort. Moves like that help in a prolonged battle right when the other Pokémon is getting tired."

His three brothers were having a whispered conversation. Occasional snatches of "but a serious trainer with only a _Normal_-" and "Still say he'll end up with-" could be heard.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Look, each of your other Eeveelutions are based on a stone, right? Well, Mikey's one can be the Everstone."

Brock nodded. "It maintains the theme. Besides, those powerful Normal type moves are something I doubt your Pokémon can match."

Dexter rematerialized himself. That's better. And yes, Trump Card is the most powerful move any Eeveelution learns. That was more powerful than a Hyper Beam, be glad I had a shield up.

"Light Screen worked on it?"

It's a Special, contact move. Don't ask me…

* * *

><p>AN: The infamous Porygon episode wasn't shown to any audience outside Japan, thanks to the Epileptic Pokemon Attack that hospitalised children all over Japan. This is why the Porygon evolutions don't show up, despite the fact that it was actually Pikachu who did the deed itself.<p>

Dexter's Projector, meanwhile, is based on Bardiche from Nanoha and his method of shapechanging to attack is inspired by the Electric Soldier Porygon episode and enhanced with the style of Ramiel, from Rebuild of Evangelion.


	20. Chapter 19

Ash and friends smiled as the simple notes of the flute washed over them.

"So, did you like the little concert?" The hippie asked them. "Do you have any food, by the way?"

Ash nodded. "We've got a day or so of trail rations spare, I think."

The hippie's eyes widened in gratitude. "Thanks!"

"Not a problem. We normally go shopping in Celadon thanks to Pidgeot. I don't think we ate any trail rations since the point Brock joined us."

"Well, dudes, that's really made my day. Peace!"

"Actually," Ash said, an idea coming to him, "Where will you be in a couple of weeks? Because I think I know someone who'd love to work with you on her music, as soon as we meet her again."

"Far out. What makes you think so?"

"She's a Jigglypuff, and all the people she sings to fall asleep. If you backed her with your Poké flute, then it wouldn't take effect."

Misty nodded. "Nice idea, Ash! I was wondering what we were going to do about her."

The other thought for a moment. "A song that wakes you up and puts you to sleep at the same time sounds trippy. I'll hang around here for a while, so look for me sleeping under the stars. Or playing my flute for the wild Pokémon to hear."

"Got it."

* * *

><p>Ash sidled over to the Snorlax, and flicked him on the ear with a blue-glowing finger. "Wake up, you great lump."<p>

The Snorlax promptly rolled over and narrowly missed crushing him.

"Hey, look. Thorns. How did this go again?" Misty asked.

Wake the Snorlax up and it eats the thorns, clearing the blockage.

"Meh." Ash pulled out a Poké ball. "I prefer the easy solution. Charizard, burn them off. Try and save as much as you can, though."

"_So you want me to just break the stems?"_

"Basically, yeah."

Riolu rolled his eyes. _"Ivysaur, just shove a Worry Seed down its' throat."_

Everyone blinked.

"That works too." Brock said, then frowned. "Wow, there are a lot of ways to wake a Pokémon up, now that I think of it. Worst comes to worst, there are cheap and readily available medicines for it."

"_I keep saying it, humans are unimaginative sometimes."_

Charizard shrugged. _"I'll take the chance to stretch my wings."_

* * *

><p>"You're kidding. This place is full of <em>gang members<em>?"

Yes. It's basically Yojimbo.

Ash frowned. "I don't think I ever saw that."

"Honestly, Ash!" Misty said. "I'd have thought you'd see that film. It's a classic."

"Any violence?"

"Yes, what do you think? It's about gang warfare."

"Misty? I left home when I wasn't yet eleven. And you've met my mum."

Misty conceded the point with a nod. "But I still think you should have at least heard of it."

Ash shrugged. "Think we could sort this one out by Thunder Wave-ing everyone in the town?"

"Good start, yeah."

* * *

><p>"Why? What were we doing wrong?"<p>

Ash took a deep breath. "Becoming a Gym Leader is an expression of competence, confidence and the ability to follow a philosophy. The funding involved is so that people can give up their normal jobs or travelling to instead test people. It requires that people be willing to give it their all and make it work. Oh, and not to attack people on the street."

Misty nodded along. "That said, if you want to form a gym that can take advantage of your old skills, I suggest rolling with the city name and creating a Dark type gym. I'm not aware of one in the entire region."

"Yeah! And the gym's philosophical test would be about seeing past deceptive tactics and striking true! Hell, if you do that then solving a simulated gang-fight situation might even be a good test of ability to cope!"

The two prospective gym leaders lay unmoving on the floor, still trapped by electricity.

One of the Joys, revealing herself from disguise, agreed. "If you get yourselves some Dark types between you, that might well work. Two gyms, both needing to be beaten to get the badge, being in truth halves of one. I like the way you think."

Misty quietly slapped Brock in the chops with Goldeen to prevent him making another scene.

The Kaz leader glanced at the other. "We have no choice here, right?"

"Basically not."

* * *

><p>The trio looked at the carnival. "Skip it?"<p>

"Skip it. No way do I want to be forcibly recruited by some magician..."

* * *

><p>"Oh, thank you for helping me with my Paras! I'm so sorry to impose like this…"<p>

Ash sent out his first Pokémon for the fight, choosing to pre-empt the Rockets also looking on.

"Not a problem. Hey, Charizard. Sorry, buddy, but you have to take a fall."

Charizard shrugged. _"Whatever. I know how strong I am, and that's all that matters with strength."_

"Really?"

"…_no. But I can pretend, right?"_

Ash chuckled. "If you say so."

Brock moved over to the side of the makeshift battlefield. "Paras vs. Charizard. Go!"

Charizard launched out a thin jet of flame, which washed over Paras…

To absolutely no effect.

On the sidelines, James' Abra exchanged a look with Brock's Ninetales. _It worked, the Paras has your ability. How are you finding Effect Spore?_

She looked herself over. _"Strange. I feel sparkly…"_

Back out on the field, Paras looked at itself in surprise. It wasn't on fire.

"Paras, attack!" Cassandra called. Paras obeyed by firing out a single Bullet Seed, which hit Charizard in the chest. Charizard promptly and dramatically collapsed.

"Don't overdo it…" Ash muttered to himself. "And I'll expect an explanation of that little fire attack, mister!"

Paras glowed and evolved into Parasect.

"Oh, thank you!" Cassandra gushed, before frowning. "Though I'm afraid I don't have a medicine to cure overacting."

Charizard groaned plaintively. _"I feel so put-upon."_

* * *

><p>"Good morning."<p>

The Pokémon that Ash was addressing, a Jigglypuff, startled at his words and scampered behind a bush.

"Hey, hey, calm down, I don't want to hurt you." Ash closed an eye for a second. Yep, Jigglypuff was shining with that peculiar light that indicated he knew her well enough to restore.

"Tell me, do you know why people don't often hear Jigglypuff songs all the way through?" After she shook her head, puzzled, he continued gently. "It's because they naturally know Sing. So their song puts people to sleep before they reach the end."

And with that, he patted her on the forehead, producing a tiny flare of blue.

"Remember us now?" he continued. "Don't worry, we have a plan to help you. A week or two ago, we met someone who has a Poké flute. And their music actually wakes people up."

Jigglypuff frowned, then pointed at her mouth. _"I've still got a sore throat, you know!" _she wheezed out. Ash was interested to note that his Aura translation trick had got to the point he could understand basically any Pokémon – possibly he still had to have at least passing familiarity with them, though, he wasn't sure.

"Not a problem. Brock? You found any good fruits yet?"

The Pewter man emerged from the trees. "Ash, I bought some in town yesterday. I'm not an idiot. Besides, it's early spring, too early for natural fruit."

Ash shrugged. "Have you seen the mess our weather patterns are in lately?"

"True enough. Here you go, Jigglypuff. Ash'll take you over to the man with the Poké flute as soon as you want."

* * *

><p>Misty folded her arms behind her head. "Ah, Grampa Canyon. I remember this place."<p>

Ash winced. "For me, it's a lot less positive, believe you me…"

"Oh, yeah, this was when you got kidnapped by the Aerodactyl. Wasn't that because they were woken by the explosion?"

Ash nodded. "It was. Lucky for us that Togepi's egg is far off enough compared to that underground cavern itself not to wake them. Hopefully."

A voice interrupted them. "Ashy! Good to see you!"

"Hi Gary! Wow, I like the look. Very Indiana Jones."

"Thanks. Grandad sent me here to check on prehistoric Pokémon habitats. Just because there are Aerodactyl flying around now doesn't mean we know everything about how they lived, you know?"

Ash raised a finger in warning. "Watch out for the underground cavern I fell into last time. There are some living but asleep specimens down there, and they'll be a big problem if they wake up."

"Got it. Was that in the data dump, Dee?"

No. I think Dexter was unable to keep track of where Ash was closely enough for it to be meaningful.

Dexter's voice came in. Dee, Gary, there's a professor in Kanto who has a few projectors-

"Already went and picked one up." Gary held it up. It was simpler in design than Dexter's, consisting of a simple purple-red sphere about two centimetres across.

Good to know.

Ash waited a second to see if there was anything else urgent, then hurried off to find the egg.

Gary, Misty and Brock made small talk for several minutes about their respective specialities and where they overlapped – including why Kabutops sometimes seemed immune to electricity – before Ash arrived back from his jaunt with an egg cradled in his backpack.

Misty turned. "Is that-"

"Yes. I didn't want to bring her back until you were there to see it." Ash explained.

"Thanks, Ash. You do think of the right thing to do sometimes."

Gary hid a smirk. "Praise indeed."

"She's a harsh taskmistress…" Ash said, playing along.

Brock simply nodded. "There's a reason I'm not head over heels with her."

The three boys looked at Misty, who was beginning to produce a visible blue flare of Aura. Ash gulped. "That can't be good."

Gary stroked his chin. "Best strategy: restore her Pokémon and run."

"I agree." Brock said formally, then Ash caressed the shell of the egg, set his backpack down as it erupted with light, and all three ran hell-for-leather.

* * *

><p>Misty forgot her anger, staring at the face of perhaps her most beloved of Pokémon. Others felt to her like allies, comrades… Togekiss (as she had learned her little Togepi had evolved into shortly before the end) felt like a daughter.<p>

"_Hello, Misty. It's been a while – but I don't mind. I'm just glad to see you again… mum."_

Her face began to tear up. "Just – come here, you."

* * *

><p>Squirtle nodded to himself, then turned to Ivysaur. <em>"Doesn't that just make you shed manly tears?"<em>

"_Oh, give it a rest. I'm just happy for them."_

"_Nobody said I wasn't. You know me."_

Ivysaur agreed. _"Though you have a funny way of showing it sometimes…"_

"_Oh, come on! You know you want to make disturbingly camp comments all the time!"_

"_Stop pushing character roles on me! I am not Leeron!"_

* * *

><p>A few days later, in a really rather nice district of Kanto…<p>

Ash looked up. "That's strange. Why are there helicopters all over the place?"

Togekiss floated up into the sky. _"I'll keep a look out on them."_

Misty nodded to herself. "That's right, Togekiss can sense emotions to some level, so she should be fine. Well, that and they have great defensive potential."

* * *

><p>James sighed heavily. "You have to be kidding."<p>

"Wish I was, James. Dey're after you."

_One has to wonder why Jessiebelle wants to marry you for your money – she has enough for a private army?_

"Who cares? Now there's nothing I can do to get her off my back!"

Jessie frowned. "What about if you show her you're not interested in women?"

He frowned. "But I am. What gave you that idea?"

Meowth produced a list of events, mannerisms and speech tics. "Ya want ta go through all da evidence? Let's start with dat Moltres costume of yours-"

"Okay, fine. Can we use that?"

_Could be tricky. Someone like her is going to treat any suggestion of disinterest as evidence she needs to cure him._

"Oh, screw it." James made a throwing away gesture with his hand. "I don't care about the riches, let's just shove off to Cinnabar until this quiets down."

_On it._

_bink_

* * *

><p>"Well?"<p>

Togekiss floated back down. _"Nothing, except that none of them are even the remotest bit happy."_

"Never mind then. Might be the SDF on manoeuvres or something, getting thrashed."

"_No Pokémon."_

"Yeah, some people think technology can supplant combat Pokémon. I think they're at least a few decades away, though – even with Team Rocket style mecha."

Riolu leant back slightly. _"And as for Hunter J's – well, we proved how that goes."_

"For us. That time. Some of the crazy equipment out there _is_ getting really close, remember the stories we have about Shamouti?"

"_Yeah… but you won that one!"_

"True. We did." Ash grimaced. "But it was very close, and we can't count on luck this time. We need to plan for that, though we may as well wait until the Mewtwo incident and the League are over before we begin."

* * *

><p>"Oh, what <em>now?<em>" Ash asked, exasperated.

In front of them on the path was a Farfetch'd.

Riolu promptly jumped down from Ash's shoulder. _"I challenge you to a duel! It's been too long since I met another who fights with bokken, I want to see how I have improved!"_

The Farfetch'd thought it over, nodded, and raised its' leek to a guard position.

Riolu formed a facsimile of a bone with his Bone Rush technique, taking several seconds to slowly craft the bone so as to follow the same method Cubone had used.

Pikachu walked over to the side of the path, off centre from the two of them. _"First to three touches, and I want a clean match."_

Both participants barely reacted to Pikachu's voice, nor to his eyes taking on the green shimmer of Detect. They simply stared at one another, until-

A twig fell. They charged at one another, leek meeting bone with a snapping impact.

Farfetch'd gave ground first, using the force of Riolu's push to spin out of the way and fire an Air Cutter from his leek. Riolu barely managed to dodge in time, and countered the next Air Cutter with a carefully aimed Vacuum Wave that cancelled out the increased air pressure.

"_I said a clean match!" _Pikachu shouted desperately. If they heard him, it was only evident in their next pair of blows blasting him backwards into the trees.

* * *

><p>"Wow, they're really going at it…" Brock muttered to himself.<p>

Ash shrugged. "I don't consider it anything to be worried about until they start using elemental attacks."

The green glow of a Leaf Blade lit his face for a second, before Riolu countered by throwing the power of a Blaze Kick behind his bone strike.

"Okay, maybe when they start hitting with them."

Riolu went flying, his skin crawling with dark energy for a second, then shook it off and wrapped his bone in electrically composed Aura.

"I think we've established by now that I don't mind at all. Riolu can take care of himself."

* * *

><p>Keith watched with astonishment. His Farfetch'd could use moves like that? Okay, so much for stealing to make a living.<p>

* * *

><p>Pikachu walked unsteadily back into the clearing. <em>"That's right, in this finals match between Pikachu and Floor, the winner is…"<em>

Ivysaur emerged from his Poké ball, snapped out a vine and caught Pikachu before he collapsed.

Squirtle shot past him, glasses at the ready. _"I want some of this action!"_

Rolling his eyes, Ash tossed Dexter's projector out. "Mind keeping track for them?"

Not at all. Stand by: ready. Set up.

The Porygon's physical form materialized. I'm impressed, they're not ganging up on one another.

"You do know them, right? None of them are likely to think like that."

True.

* * *

><p>Squirtle snapped his shades around behind his back to block a blow headed for his tail, then duplicated them with a flash of Aura to catch Riolu's bone in crossed blades. <em>"Hey, hey, HEY! Listen up, you two! I'm the mighty Squirtle, and there's no way you're going to get me with a simple attack!"<em>

Riolu channelled Aura into his bone and smashed the duplicate shades. _"How's about a Rock Smash?"_

"_Irrelevant!"_

Farfetch'd launched into a combination that ended with a strike across Squirtle's shell… doing basically nothing. _"Hah! My manly spirit prevents any damage!"_

His other opponent frowned. _"Actually, that was a Fury Cutter. It'll just get more powerful from now on."_

Angry at Riolu for revealing his trick, Farfetch'd switched his attention to the Emanation Pokémon and began a series of increasingly nasty Fury Attacks mixed with Fury Cutters and the occasional Frustration.

Told you he was angry.

Squirtle sighed. _Looks like I'll have to calm them down._

He threw his arms out to either side, letting them bubble up with a skin of water, and faced the other two battlers.

"_Even when lacking an appropriate speech, I will prevail! Double drill break!"_

Farfetch'd and Riolu froze, turning to Squirtle.

"_Does he do this all the time?"_

Riolu sighed. _"Yep. Nice meeting you."_

A tidal wave of water backlash erupted from that spot on the path, forcing the nearby trainers to run to higher ground.

* * *

><p>Misty wrung out her socks. "Well, that went well…"<p>

Togekiss floated next to her. _"I'll never understand why you react like that to getting wet. You _are_ a primarily Water trainer, after all."_

"It's simple – I don't wear clothes that can take the water all the time."

"_Ah, okay, got it. I still have to get used to this whole clothes thing, I'm afraid that when I was with you I wasn't really paying attention."_

"Never mind, you get a second chance at that now. We all do. Which reminds me, last time didn't you hatch around now?"

"_It's… yes, you're right. Next week."_

Misty began planning. "Right, let's see how we can make your birthday something to remember…"

* * *

><p>AN: Jessiebelle. A gold digger who can hire a private army.<p>

Well, nobody said it had to make sense.

And with regards to the technology issue, I think that Pokemon mostly do still outmatch machines in the setting - film villains notwithstanding.


	21. Chapter 20

"_I'm still wondering what you're doing for my birthday."_

Misty winked. "Not telling, dear."

"_Aww, c'mon. Pleeeease?"_

"Now what sort of person would I be if that was all it took to win me over?"

"_A nice one?"_ Togekiss said, sweetly.

"Sorry, not happening. You have to wait like all of us."

"_Awww…_"

"Besides, Ash is the one organizing it."

"_No fair! He's somewhere past Mount Silver by now! You're making it so I don't have anyone to pester!"_

The trainer laughed. "And can you blame me?"

* * *

><p>Brock mixed as fast as he could. "This is an awful lot of food, Pikachu… are you sure we need more?"<p>

"_Yes! Ash is getting Dexter to bring over all his Pokémon from the lab, we need to feed them too!"_

"Seems a lot more effort even considering that, is all I'm saying. These amounts can't be right."

"_They're what Ash told me. And I trust him."_

"You trust him in life and death situations, not to remember numbers right!"

Psyduck waddled over with more flour. _He's right, you know. I checked the numbers myself._

Brock shot a deadpan look at Pikachu. "Not helping your case much, here."

_I resent that remark! I will have you know that I am perfectly un-bonkers now._

* * *

><p>Professor Oak's eyes boggled. "You want <em>all<em> your Pokémon?"

Ash nodded into the Pokédex camera. "Yeah, though don't send them through just yet. I'm sort of in midair here."

"But why?"

"Remember the file on Misty's Togepi, that evolved to Togetic? Her original hatching was at the same time as next Thursday. So we want to celebrate her evolving to Togekiss, and give her a cracking good birthday at the same time. You know she essentially imprinted on Misty?"

"Hang on, Togekiss? Let's see…" The professor typed away on his keyboard. "Ah, there we go. Well, I am impressed. Such a lovely looking Pokémon. And I notice that she's only a few years old, too."

"Yeah, Pokémon around me tend to evolve kind of fast. By now it's practically a law of nature."

Oak hummed. "And not your increasingly large amount of Aura seeping into the air and helping charge everyone up?"

"It worked before I ever unlocked my Aura, believe you me. Check Dexter's file on the original Laramie ranch race."

"I see your point. Very well, I'll let them know and send them over when you want. All five Tauros?"

Ash hummed. "Make it up to them, I think. If they all want to come, then more power to them. How are they getting on, actually?"

"They're making a mockery of the fences and causing periodic earthquakes, but then we _are_ next to a subduction zone anyway. When did you teach them Fissure? And why?"

"I didn't. They worked it out on their own."

Oak nodded to himself. "I _thought_ the herd leader was better at aiming it… must be why he's the leader."

"Sorry, Professor, I have to end the call now. Things are about to get delicate on my end," Ash said, as Pidgeot spotted their objective and began to slow.

"Not a problem. Take care, my boy."

* * *

><p>"Glad you could make it!" Misty said brightly, greeting the members of their most often seen Rocket cell. "And I notice you're well tanned…"<p>

James slumped. "We were hiding out in Cinnabar from that woman for two weeks! We didn't dare do anything because when we do we end up on the news!"

_Calm down, James. We managed it, didn't we?_

Jessie pursed her lips. "Now I think of it, isn't the Princess tournament in a few days?"

Misty nodded. "And I expect we'll both be able to compete with much better teams this time!" She winked. "But enough of that, we have a birthday to attend!"

Togekiss floated down. _"Nice to meet you under less fractious condtions than the last few times."_

"Wow, you've grown!" Meowth said, then closed his eyes. "I remember back when you hatched. Ya were so tiny… And unpredictable. Did ya _only_ know Metronome?"

"_Yes. Sorry about that…"_

"Eh, don't be. I can hardly complain, took me years ta learn anything useful."

At that point Ash arrived with a thunderous _boom_ of mistreated air, and the party abruptly got rather rowdy with the addition of over a dozen more Pokémon.

* * *

><p>Ash cleared his throat, then fired a burst of Aura into the air. "Thank you. Now, I know we've been keeping poor Togekiss in the dark about her main gift. And I think, since we're about to eat, it'd be a pity to spoil her enjoyment of Brock's marvellous food."<p>

He palmed a simple Poké ball from his pocket and threw it into the air.

"Time to shine, big guy!"

Everyone's jaws dropped. Jessie and James looked like they were seriously considering gibbering.

_Thank you for letting me out, Ash. I don't like staying in one of those for too long._

Ash smiled. "Well, Ho-Oh, thanks for making this a birthday to remember for Togekiss!"

_Now that, I have no problem with._ The Legend glided over to Togekiss. _Hmm… yes, Ash was right. You'll definitely do._ Reaching out with a wing, Ho-Oh gently touched his feathers to the birthday Pokémon, producing a rainbow-like light display.

She blinked, then concentrated for a moment and produced a thin stream of rose-coloured fire.

_My gift to you. The knowledge of Sacred Fire. If any deserve it, you do, as you are a great protector._ Ho-Oh bowed lightly, then turned. _And now, I was promised food._

Brock started pointing a hand in front of him randomly. "But-guh-what-_how?_"

Misty made an _ah_ of realization. "Oh, you weren't there for that bit. The Ho-Oh of the Kanto-Johto area asked Ash to be the one to protect a Poké ball keyed to him, on the grounds that that way it would be impossible to capture him."

"You mean Ash was _right_ about seeing Ho-Oh the day he set off as a trainer?"

"Yep!"

"And now I find out if my cooking's good enough for a _legendary._" Brock sat down hard.

_At least we managed to get you to prepare enough,_ Psyduck's mental voice muttered.

* * *

><p>Professor Oak watched the feed from Dexter with his mouth agape.<p>

He hadn't even imagined Ash's first proper catch to be a Legendary, especially since Ash had apparently messed with the registry systems and prevented the catch from being attributed to him – or indeed anyone. It was probably Dexter's fault.

Speaking of which… "Check: Is sentience development complete?"

…Provisionally complete. Good morning, Doctor Oak. Do you have a name assigned to me?

The Doctor thought for a moment. He was aware of the names given to his two best trainers' Porygon, so thought it best to keep up the theme.

But then, his lab AI deserved a meaningful name. What was that person Ash mentioned from his largest time travel jaunt?

"…you are to be known as Damos. The name originally belonged to a brave and wise man from the distant past."

I have located the appropriate memory file. Thank you.

"Then allow me to say, this is your home as well as mine, Damos." Professor Oak smiled, looking at the camera through which his first new Pokémon in a good decade was watching him.

It was a major thing in Japanese culture, Damos knew. To declare somewhere your home, and to be welcomed to it.

There was a certain formula to it. I'm home.

"Welcome home."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for inviting me. Especially because of the food… that was marvellous. And the company.<em>

"Not at all!" Misty replied, with Togekiss agreeing strongly from behind her. "Besides, you're the one who gave her an unbeatable gift!"

_She most assuredly deserved it. Well, then, I will take my leave. Live well, all of you._

Ho-Oh, the Legend of the Storm's End, made a pair of powerful downbeats and flew into the air, a sparkling wind behind him.

"Now ain't dat just touchin'?" Meowth said, scratching irritably at something in his eye.

Yes, that was all it was. Really. Honest. Stop looking at him like that. Nothing to do with emotions at all.

_You're not convincing anyone, you know._

Meowth scowled. "Shouldn't ya be asleep?"

_Not while I'm eating. This food's amazing._

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Queen of the Princess Festival contest! I assume you're here to watch?"<p>

Brock nodded, and grabbed Ash. "We are. Misty here wants to enter."

"That's right!" Misty said, before frowning suddenly and turning to the others. "And where's all my shopping?"

Ash held open his pouch for a second. "This thing gets larger every day. I swear, if it weren't for that attraction thing to what the owner wants to use, I'd never find half my stuff."

"Fair enough. Who do you think I should use?"

Ash reached into his pouch and pulled out a blackboard. Misty's eyes widened. "How?"

"My clothes are under size-altering Aura effects, I think the mouth of the bag works the same way. The hard part was getting it in." Ash took a chalk and began drawing. "Jessie has at this point a Lickitung, Cubone, Arbok and access to Meowth, Abra, Arcanine and Weezing. I think you need Water, Psychic, possibly Fighting and something anti-psi for full coverage. Also consider what will look good."

"Starmie covers the first two…" Misty muttered. "Togekiss, mind fighting here?"

"_Not at all. But I can barely control the Sacred Fire as of yet, and I wouldn't use it here in any case."_

"Right… Brock, mind me borrowing Ninetales? And would Charizard mind?" She then thought about that second option, and the dangers of open flames and dresses. "Right, never mind Charizard. Ninetales has the control, but he doesn't. Interested, Pikachu?"

"_Sure!"_

Ninetales emerged from her Poké ball. _"I also agree. And if you're interested, I managed to work out Dark Pulse."_

Riolu jumped from his perch. _"Teach me!"_

She laughed. _"Maybe later."_

* * *

><p>Let's not bother with the early rounds. They were just a bit one sided.<p>

* * *

><p>Misty faced Jessie across the field for the finals. "Fancy meeting you here."<p>

Psyduck's mental voice came from the sidelines. _What do you expect? You two are main characters, of course you get to fight in the finals._

"Pardon?" Ash asked, puzzled.

_Nothing._

Jessie moved first. "Arbok!"

Misty replied by not reaching for a Poké ball, but pointing forward. "Togekiss!"

The Jubilee Pokémon - who had been drifting around for the last few hours as Misty used Starmie to fight, admiring the scenery and unwittingly gaining a great deal of attention - shot forwards onto the stage.

Ash's voice was suddenly heard. "Remember, guys, damage to the field is frowned upon!"

Togekiss focused, drawing in a small rock in front of her. _"Ancientpower!"_

The rock flew forward and bounced off Arbok's nose.

Jessie blinked, as Togekiss continued firing such tiny little attacks. "…that's it? Not very impressive from such a powerful move!"

In reply, Misty simply smirked. "Maybe. And maybe Togekiss is doing something else. Noticed where all that energy being built up is going?"

Arbok got it first, and sighed deeply. _"Why me?"_

"Togekiss, Stored Power!"

Togekiss had been using the Ancientpower attack itself as something of a sideshow. Her Serene Grace ability made it far more likely that Ancientpower would imbue her with Aura-derived strength.

And each of those boosts made Stored Power a _lot_ more potent.

Arbok went flying backwards, departing the arena at about a foot above head height and landing on a convenient tent.

"Arbok is defeated by ring out! Misty is ahead by one!" The organizer, Fiorello Cappucino, said. "And one step closer to meeting me…"

Misty made a face. "Well, Jessie?"

Jessie snapped her fingers. A moment passed, then Meowth kicked a Luxury ball on the floor.

_Alright, already. Sorry._ Abra appeared on the stage in a flash of light.

Riolu looked impressed. _"That's showmanship, right there."_ Ash and Brock nodded their agreement.

The Psychic type raised his hands. _Heart Swap (fake)._

Uh-oh. Dexter muttered. That can't be good...

"Why?"

True Heart Swap swaps around the bodies and minds of the targets. The Fake version that he just used seems to swap powerup levels.

Ash pulled his hat on.

A series of Barriers and Light Screens began to form between Togekiss and Abra. Misty frowned, not having heard Dexter and unaware of what was going on. "Togekiss, try a Future Sight to get him from an angle he can't cover."

At that point, Abra expanded out the defence barriers and catapulted Togekiss out of the arena herself.

"The hell was that?" Misty asked angrily.

_Fling. My version. Thanks for the boost, by the way._

She bit back a snarl and threw her first Poké ball of the match. "Ninetales!"

Ninetales came in hard, launching out a Dark Pulse that knifed through most of Abra's defences like they weren't there, before rolling her neck while carefully studying Abra.

_What are you doing? And that hurt!_

She giggled. _"Sorry. Just Psych-ing myself Up."_

I advise you duck, Dexter said flatly.

An enormous stream of fire seemed to coalesce from the kitsune's nine tails around her muzzle, then shoot forward to splash off hastily raised Light Screens.

Some of the audience noticed that the trails of wayward flame were forming into little quadrupedal shapes and running back to their mistress, and a few saw that her eyes were glowing with the manifestation of Extrasensory.

The rest were just generically impressed.

After a few seconds, Abra felt the effect on his shields lessen slightly and looked up.

He saw an incoming ring of darkness enshrouded with purple fire, and realized that Ninetales had managed to use her Flamethrower and Dark Pulse at the same time.

The Pulse didn't do much except lock down his powers for the briefest instant, but it was enough for Ninetales to get a hold on him with Extrasensory and throw him out of the arena too.

"Are we going to get a defeat that isn't a ring out?" Jessie muttered, reaching for another Poké ball.

Misty shrugged. "Probably not."

"_-the hills!"_

Riolu's jaw dropped. _"Now that is just not fair. She can incant her aria inside her Poké ball?"_

Ash slammed his foot on the ground. "I said no collateral damage!"

But by then the world was a field of swaying grass and a clouded sky.

Ninetales looked around, unconcerned. _"So this is your Reality Marble that I heard so much about. I have to say, it's not living up to the hype."_

"_I am not proud of it, I do not boast of it. It simply is. And I simply am."_ Cubone then called a bone into her hand that Ninetales couldn't quite identify. _"Do not think to best me with fire, or with Psychic tricks. I am one of those Darkrai has touched."_

Abra, levitating back over, blinked with surprise as her mind vanished off his senses. _That can't be good._ He then shrugged. _For Ninetales, anyway._

Ninetales shrugged. _"That's not what I mean. It's just, this is your soul's manifestation. But bringing it out here means it can be affected normally. And you thought to fight me on a grassy plain?"_

Not bothering to explain any more, she punched out a Heatwave, causing the dry grass to flash into fire.

* * *

><p>Pikachu squinted through the smoky haze beginning to develop. <em>"What's she doing? If we have to fight Cubone, then it better be under advantageous conditions."<em>

Dexter briefly manifested his projected body and sent out lidar rays. Large thermal currents detected. But I can't see through the smokescreen.

"_Me neither. I think at least one of them is augmenting it with a technique."_

Flashes of light and rumbling _boom_s echoed from the battlefield, followed by a meaty _THWACK_ and Ninetales went flying out of the area, being caught hurriedly by Brock.

"_Thank you, Brock. And sorry you had to catch me." _She stepped off her flattened trainer, and rubbed her flank with three of her tails. _"Starmie has a good setup now, Misty, though that was definitely a Thick Club in one hand and what I think was Absol-based in the other."_

"You think?"

_It certainly shut down anything Psychic I tried. And Pikachu can't go in just yet…"_

"Right. Starmie, you're up! Now, what was that support you mentioned?"

"_Any second now…"_

* * *

><p>Cubone began spinning her Dark-typed bone in front of her, trying to be as sure as possible she could block any psychic attack that came in. <em>What was that Ninetales playing at? Sure, the fire gave me some trouble, but no more than could be expected.<em>

Something hit her on the nose, making a light _plink_ off the skull she wore.

_What was that?_ she thought, looking around for what had made it.

_Plink. Plink._

* * *

><p>"<em>And cue the rain."<em>

The heavens opened.

A curtain of flame sprung to life above the heads of the watchers, evaporating the rain before it spoiled their clothes. Ninetales was considerate like that – and she had an enormous amount of charged power to, ahem, burn off.

Pikachu watched in some awe as a torrential rainstorm began. _"Okay, how did you do that?"_

Ninetales smirked. _"Well, her sky's overcast, and the appropriate metaphor for her soul is that she's constantly sad but never lets it get to her – that is, she's holding back tears. So when she pulls her soul into the real world as a battlefield, the effect is that there's clouds nearly ready to rain. A bit of an upcurrent and all the moisture comes right out."_

Riolu and Togekiss had now joined Pikachu in looking from her to the battle, admiration on their faces. _"That's pretty amazing."_

She shrugged. _"Ninetales live for a very long time, I'm getting my planning ahead all practiced up."_

* * *

><p>"Starmie, Surf!"<p>

Cubone barely heard Misty's command through the driving rain – but hear it she did, and abandoned her Thick Club to take up a bone from an Electric type Pokémon. She'd have to counter Starmie by blasting the entire area in electricity, and rely on her typing and ability to survive.

Her task was made harder by the fact that Starmie didn't really have a skeleton as such, instead being possessed of a water vascular system and so she knew relatively little about the Pokémon's moves.

_There!_

She fought her way through the torrent developing to turn herself, then fired a sizzling lightning bolt at her target.

Which did nothing.

Her eyes widened, but then Abra materialized next to her and gestured. Dropping the Absol bone irritably, she turned to him. _"What?"_

_You're out of the arena. The wave swept you out entirely._

Cubone slumped, and released her mental grip on the Marble. The gentle hills, clouds, bones and even the water disappeared, sucked back into her own inner world. _"Is it me or are there a lot of ringouts?"_

_Well, we're all friends here. Eventually._

"_How do I prevent that from happening again?"_

_You mean the rain? Well, my guess is that you haven't properly mourned your dead yet. Once you do that, things might improve._

Cubone sighed. _"I can't. I need to stay strong. So it never happens again."_

Abra levitated off. _Your choice. But think about what I said._

* * *

><p>Jessie pointed to the stage. "Lickitung, use… well, you know. The same move Lickitung always use."<p>

Lickitung agreed, and lashed out his tongue in a Lick attack, quickly catching Starmie and paralyzing it.

Misty strained for a moment, before managing to hold in the unladylike words that came to mind. "I forgot Lick's a Ghost typed move, stupid… And Camouflage only affects the primary typing, so Starmie's still Psychic."

Lickitung used the paralysis to throw his opponent straight out of the arena. Ash watched as the Starfish Pokémon went flying.

"And that's a sixth consecutive victory by ring out. Pidgeot, catch Starmie would you?"

"_No problem." _Pidgeot shot out from her trainer, causing a breeze that ruffled the ruffles of the dresses nearby.

The announcer frowned. "Shouldn't it be me doing the commentary?"

Ash shrugged. "I know both of the finalists, it just sort of happened."

"Pikachu, you're up last!"

_Bzzp._

Misty shrugged. "Well, what do you know. Tongues are highly electrically conductive."

Pikachu walked over to the twitching Lickitung and strained for a moment, before picking it up and throwing it out of the arena. _"It didn't feel right without a ring out."_

* * *

><p>"Jessie! Wait up!"<p>

Misty hurried over, and gestured to Ash… and Brock, and Charizard. All of whom were carrying her prizes.

"Last time, all I did with them was show off to my sisters. So I thought, since you wanted them too, you could have them this time!"

Jessie's eyes sparkled. "Thank you!"

"No, please, I think you deserve them more. Oh, do let us know when to visit Viridian Gym, if we don't meet again before then."

James frowned, concerned over something. "Yeah, that does remind me. The Boss is still running the Mewtwo program – we'll let you know when that goes out of control, look out for a text that mentions cats twice consecutively."

* * *

><p>The Knight focused his Aura, bringing it into the form of objects to use for battle.<p>

No bones these, though. Sir Aaron had refined that aspect of Aura use beyond anything ever seen before, and what took shape in his hands were a pair of falchions – weapons he had created himself, following the concept of _brotherhood_ down to its' limits. They were in essence two halves of the same weapon.

Then he threw them at his opponent, one Ieyasu Tokugawa.

Ieyasu tried to slide through the gap between the trajectories of the two weapons, only to find them twisting crazily in mid air and cutting two thin lines across his torso.

Sir Aaron noted the success of his first move and continued the sequence, one that had made him famous. Another pair of the falchions appeared and flew.

Each weapon drew on the two identical copies of its' brother, and the paths of the four became wilder. Ieyasu had to spend more and more time dodging, and correspondingly less pushing forward to attack. Which was fine by Sir Aaron.

For this took a great deal of concentration. It was his own version of an attack that very few _Pokémon _could manage.

A third pair of swords formed, and these ones were different. Overloaded. Fragile. Using them to direct the other two pairs with slight movements of his hands, he swept them up past his shoulders. "Spirit and technique, flawless and firm. Strength that pierce the mountains. Sword that split the river. Fame reaching the imperial villa. We cannot embrace heaven together."

The last time he had done this, it had won a battle against an entire high command. The impression it made was so strong that the battle was named not for where it had been fought – a field to the north of Saffron – but for the single devastating strike that had been the entire conflict.

He bowed his head for a moment, and murmered, "Sacred Sword." Then it rose again, and he was no longer quiet. "Crane Wing Three Realm!"

All three pairs of swords struck at the same moment.

When the dust cleared, Ieyasu was supporting himself with his hands on his knees, utterly exhausted by the effort of deflecting the attack. "I'm… huff… impressed, Sir Aaron. I find myself unable to fight. But I must insist that you allow my second in command to match himself against you as well. Once that formality is over, then we can unite Japan together with the power of our bond and rid it of the violence that has plagued it!"

The knight shrugged. "Certainly. Where is he?"

A massive BOOM sounded next to him, and the earth shook.

Sir Aaron looked around. "Oh, don't tell me…"

The forty foot tall second in command set himself.

"Dialga! What are you doing here?"

"_Replacing Honda Tadakatsu. Why?"_

"Oh, never mind."

* * *

><p>AN: Yes, I did give Togekiss Sacred Fire. Why? Because she's another Pokemon we haven't seen for a while.<p>

Other things of note: The reason the lightning bolt didn't affect Starmie is because of the use of Camoflage. I think the area of battle counted as puddles enough to allow changing to a Ground type.

And the (strange) place Sir Aaron and the Space-time dragons are is the world of Sengoku Basara. 3, specifically. It's an utterly lunatic place where Oda Nobunaga is from hell, Hideyoshi Toyotomi is forty feet tall and can punch away the sea, and Ieyasu Tokugawa unites Japan by punching every single Japanese person in the face.

Oh, and Honda Tadakatsu is a Gundam.

The attack Sir Aaron used, though, is from Fate/Stay Night, as are the swords, Kanshou and Bakuya. I'm expanding on the way I see Sacred Sword, so that it's basically the ability to manifest a Noble Phantasm.

I've actually decided what Ash will have if he ever completes the move himself. Anyone guess what it is?

I almost forgot: The "I'm home"/"Welcome home" exchange, or "Tadima"/"Okerai nasai", is a deep rooted part of Japanese culture. It's different if the place is just somewhere you live, for example, instead of your home.


	22. Chapter 21

"Hey, look at that." Ash commented, squinting at one of Todd's photos. "That one has me in it."

Todd frowned. "Really? That one's a Pidgeot going through the sound barrier up near Cerulean."

"Really. In fact," Ash looked even closer, "There's my bag. Little red dot. Must have been the day trip to Sinnoh."

Misty pointed to another of the pictures. "This looks like Charizard and Pidgeot, one of those times we used them to get around. Where did you take this?"

"Off Cerulean Cape-"

"Must have been the Dragon King incident." Misty shuddered. "And I hoped I'd forgotten that…"

Brock shrugged. "Well, not a problem. If you want, we'll do our sparring nearby for you to snap a few pictures."

* * *

><p>"You guys going to take the League Qualification Exam?" Todd asked idly, looking through his selection of pictures.<p>

He particularly liked the one where Ninetales was coaching Togekiss on the use of high impact fire attacks – the rose and saffron flames interweaved beautifully.

Ash mulled it over. "Could be fun… do they let you take in any Pokémon?"

"No, you have to fight without any of your Pokémon, to prevent the use of strong Pokémon with an unintelligent trainer. They test something different to the normal Gyms, see. Though I must admit that most people who pass tend to do poorly on their first League challenge."

A shrug. "Well, I may as well. Let's see what happens."

* * *

><p>The questions, it seemed, were determined at least a year in advance – they were exactly the same as last time. Though that did bring up its' own problems…<p>

"In fact, it is a Jigglypuff, seen from above."

Ash raised his hand. "Question. How is that particular perfect circle identifiable from the other hundred or so perfect circles achievable from other Pokémon? And when will it ever be necessary rather than a party trick to identify Pokémon from their silhouettes anyway?"

The examiner straightened his clothes. "To answer your first question, the point of the year long course here is to allow the students to become familiar with what to expect. And the second-"

"Hold on a minute, that's not enough. Dexter?"

The Porygon materialized – Ash had noticed his friends were spectating from the back of the room, and they had his Pokédex with them. Correct. Partial listing of other Pokémon with identical silhouettes under the correct conditions: Squirtle, Wartortle, Kakuna, Sandshrew, Jigglypuff, Parasect, Diglett, Poliwag, Grimer, Muk, Gastly, Voltorb, Electrode, Ditto – need I continue?

The digital Pokémon shimmered. I note, however, that the last year of lessons' flashcard identifications have _only_ used the answer of Jigglypuff. Could it be that this is due to the wish to make those who take the course here seem smarter and better prepared?

The examiner coughed, looking flustered. "Aherm. As I was saying, the possibility exists that there might be a wild Pokémon illuminated only from behind – that is, the light source is on the other side of the Pokémon from the human."

Ash chuckled. "Yes, because as we all know light sources mainly come from directly below the Pokémon, and the viewer is always in an aircraft."

* * *

><p>A spiral appeared. Ash raised his hand again. "Is this Pokémon seen in a mirror? Is it a silhouette? Is it this colour?"<p>

"Please answer the question."

Ash entered Spinda, and when the answer turned out to be Poliwag, had Dexter project images of Spinda, Politoed and the mirrored versions of two other Poli's.

Along with silhouettes of many, many serpentine Pokémon, coiled up.

* * *

><p>"Now, this Pokémon has a firey tail."<p>

Ash sighed deeply, and entered Rapidash.

"The answer is in fact, a Ponyta."

Dexter formed on his own this time. This is ludicrous. How is it determined you mean Ponyta and not Charizard, Charmander, Charmeleon, Chimchar, Infernape, Magmar, Magmortar, Moltres, Monferno or Rapidash?

"Could you please stop interrupting, it's not the time or place."

It is most definitely the time and place! My entire original purpose was to gather, catalogue and store information about Pokémon, you're making a mockery of it!

* * *

><p>Todd snapped a picture of the scoreboard. "Never seen 'interfering busybody' on the grade rankings before…"<p>

* * *

><p>Ash closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the aura of the three randomly assigned Pokémon he had. Parasect, Mankey, Fearow.<p>

Perhaps a bit weak to flying, but he could work with it.

The first examiner's Pokémon was a Venonat. Ash promptly sent out the Fearow and jumped on his back.

"Okay, listen. I'm going to be able to help you, so just dodge when I tell you and we should be fine."

The Fearow muttered to itself. Ash idly noted that his comprehension of Pokémon was apparently now complete.

"I heard that! And I'm not delusional." Ash's hand shot out to block a Signal Beam from the ground, producing a brief flare of green. "See? I can be a big help to you, once we're in position for a Drill Peck. I'll keep the enemy attacks off you."

"_Was that Protect? How did you do that?"_

"Long story. Very long – break right - story." Another attack howled past, this one looking more like a Bug Buzz. "Okay, when you attack you need to keep your front torso top, where my hand is, facing the Venonat. That means you'll have to spiral in, but I can keep the pressure off you while you do that. It'll probably look like the attacks are just being taken by you since they're not very effective, but I'll be the one blocking, or Enduring them."

"_Protect, Endure and your order to dodge there makes me think of Detect. You're an impressively paranoid fellow."_

"I try. And I've been attacked enough to make it seem the right choice."

"_Right. Hold on."_ The Fearow went into a power dive, moving obliquely towards the Venonat to avoid giving it a clear shot.

Ash watched the attacks lance out from the ground, evaluating each and where it would go. That one was a Signal Beam… that a Psybeam…

As an electric attack came in, he let himself slip down the Fearow's wing to catch it in a Mirror Coat, trusting his own high endurance to electricity to let him survive it.

The attack blasted the Venonat hard enough to render it unconscious. Ash completed his slip down the wing and returned Fearow as he landed. "Thanks, Fearow. I don't know if you'll be needed for the next bit."

* * *

><p>The second was a Drowzee. Ash sniggered to himself, gave Parasect his hat and pointed. "Fury cutter until he falls over!"<p>

"Drowzee, Hypnosis." The examiner called. The Drowzee focused… and got nothing.

"Drowzee, I said Hypnosis!"

_I'm trying, there's nothing to hypnotize! Is this a Dark type?_

The fifth Fury Cutter hit home, and Drowzee surrendered before it got too badly hurt.

* * *

><p>The last Examiner sent out a Hitmonchan. Ash whispered to the Pokémon in their balls for a moment. "Okay, I don't know what elemental moves this Hitmonchan has, so I'll try and be as alert as possible on the switches. Parasect – spore clouds, try and throw him off. Toxic'd be favourite. Fearow, see if you can get a Drill Peck to hit. Mankey, I think I can refine the release enough that you appear behind the enemy, hit then pull back."<p>

"Come on, come on, we don't have all day… The examiner muttered.

Ash shrugged, and threw a Poké ball. "Fearow, around to the left!"

The Hitmonchan watched his opponent come in, then summoned electricity to his hand and threw it in a punch-

Red and white beams lanced out, and Hitmonchan contacted nothing but air. A pair of claws hit him in the back, forcing him to turn to face that opponent and charge up a Fire punch instead. He would be able to-

Beams of light again, and a Mankey's powerful Karate Chop lashed out at his comparatively weak legs. Again, and the Fearow made another pass. Again, and the Parasect created a thick haze of powders.

The Mankey fired in a Low Kick. The Fearow's Drill Peck sent him flying. But there was a pattern, and he'd had the chance to see it.

_The next will be Parasect._ Another Fire Punch began to charge-

And the Mankey volleyed in a powerful Close Combat attack, taking the impact of the Fire Punch and skidding backwards, before smirking.

The moment of respite allowed Hitmonchan to notice something was off. Specifically, he had been poisoned. Toxic. Quite some time ago.

And with that, he passed out.

* * *

><p>The examiner was gritting his teeth so hard it was like he was trying to grind through them as he handed Ash the diploma.<p>

Misty laughed. "Well, Ash, looks like you do have some ability to think things through. If that's what they were testing, anyway…"

"Hey! I'm perfectly untellagent!" Ash replied with a wink.

* * *

><p>Ash frowned. "Do these breeding centres actually fit their name? Seems a lot more like a Day-care to me."<p>

Brock shrugged. "Who knows. Though I have to admit, I'm confused as well."

Dexter beeped. Text message. James reminding you that he'll want his Weepinbell restored now he's caught it.

"Okay, let him know we'll be at the breeding centre Banana and Cassidy are running."

Misty grinned. "Is it me, or is it a little cruel that we never remember that guy's name?"

Ash shrugged. "His reactions are funny. And an annoyed enemy is one that's not thinking clearly."

The others stared at him for a moment.

Pikachu broke the silence. _"Ash, I know how this shouldn't be a surprise any more… but when you start showing that kind of philosophical bent, it almost scares me."_

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up…" Ash clapped his hands. "So! Shall we go and get that free meal?"

Ah, the restauranteur who likes Psyduck. Now _that_ is something I could expect you to remember.

"Hey! Stop stereotyping me!" Ash laughed.

* * *

><p>"Man, but this place is a real dump." Ash commented absently to the two Rocket grunts 'running' the breeding centre.<p>

Butch and Cassidy both frowned at him. "What do you mean? The centre is committed to the welfare and development of all the Pokémon who we look after here."

Togekiss shuddered, and Misty gathered up the Pokémon to her chest, hugging her.

Ash continued, secure in the knowledge that the Rocket bosses knew he was an Aura wielder and hence telling these two wouldn't come back and bite him. "Well, their auras seem really close together, and my friends' Togekiss isn't reacting well so they must be really unhappy. Mind if we take a look?"

"Sorry." Cassidy said, thinking fast. "Since many of the Pokémon are only used to their trainers, they would react poorly to the presence of another trainer. I'm afraid you'll have to leave. Unless you want one of your Pokémon raised? That Riolu of yours could evolve in mere days if you left him with us."

"Yeah, no." Ash tossed something in the air. "Dexter?"

Stand by, ready. Set up. The Porygon formed, two Lock On beams glaring out of his eyes and zeroing in on the Rockets. Thunder Waves targeted. Please do not resist.

At that point, Brock came in the door. "Hey, guys, I managed to get the Officer Jenny here."

Misty frowned. "How?"

Brock shrugged. "After I introduced myself, she instantly began running after me."

The Officer skidded into the room. "So! You're the pest my clanswomen told me about – hang on." She reoriented herself. "What's that Porygon doing with red dot sights on those two?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Sorry about my friend, Officer, he's just enthusiastic. These two are keeping Pokémon in appalling conditions, and they're also employing false advertising. This place is hardly a paradise for Pokémon."

The officer nodded slowly. "I see. But your friend IS a pest, over half the Kanto Officer Jenny's have mentioned him and it's clear he's obsessed."

Misty shrugged. "As much as I hate to defend him on this… he's actually nice about it. We joke, but he has a big heart and just loves every woman he meets."

"You're sure it's not something more… unsavoury?"

Ash smirked. "Brock, what is the distinguishing feature of the Mt. Moon area Jenny?"

Brock's eyes went distant. "Her caring personality, and her perfume, which smells like honeysuckle though she doesn't use it much when on duty. She also loves playing with her Growlithe when off duty and the two have a strong relationship as a result."

The boy grinned. "Would someone just interested in their looks pay that much attention to their more subtle side? Brock loves just talking to the Jennys and Joys he meets, and he actually listens to everything."

Brock then threw a sidelong glance at Misty. "Besides, if I _did_ try anything, Misty would get me in the chops with a fish in seconds."

"You know it, rock-boy." Misty grinned, then kicked Cassidy in the shins as she started to sidle for the exit.

* * *

><p>Todd shrugged. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways. I'm off to the mountains. Nice meeting you."<p>

"Nice meeting you!" Ash replied. "Hey, don't forget to come see me win the Pokémon League!"

Misty sighed. "Unrealistic expectations as always."

* * *

><p>Ash extended a hand to the Weepinbell in James' hands. "Right, here we go. I checked, and you used him against me enough to…"<p>

Fwoosh.

James' voice mumbled something that Jessie's expert ears translated as "Thanks, but why did he have to evolve such that he's eating my head?"

"_You feel nice to Grass types." _Victreebell answered.

With a pop, James pulled his Pokémon off his head. "I was afraid that would be the answer. My Cacnea and Carnivine acted the same way." He turned to Ash. "Where are you headed next?"

Ash paused a moment. "I think we're due at Cinnabar, actually. Should be fun."

James raised a finger. "Don't use Squirtle in the main room. He gets touchy about the possibility of massive steam explosions."

"Right, gotcha. Pikachu for his Rhydon, Charizard'll be game for it, Pidgeot maybe… Yeah, I'll ask for a battle in the top crater rather than the main arena."

* * *

><p>AN: I've never agreed with the characterization of Brock as a pervert or similar. It's too offensive for me to believe he'd have friends like Ash, Misty and so on.<p>

Instead, I choose to see him as being just overly enthusiastic.

As for the Pokemon League school, that was naff. Really, really naff. In the anime, it's a place that seems designed to turn out either overconfident League challenge failures, or (potentially) Pokemon Rangers. All that 'work with any Pokemon' stuff is the job of a Ranger, whereas a normal trainer is the opposite.

It so happens that the Pokemon used in the "practical" part of the exam were randomly generated for this chapter. I think the results went well.


	23. Chapter 22

A rippling _boom_ raced across the sky, Ash's Pidgeot dancing in the air over the Kanto Bay.

The friends watched from the cruise ship. Ash smiled on noticing all the tourists paying a great deal of attention to her.

"Hey, Ash!" Gary's voice came. "Nice to see you taking a break from being a trainer."

"Actually, this is me getting back into the swing of things." Ash replied. "Cinnabar does actually have a Gym still."

"Really? Huh. News to me. I thought it had shut down because of having too many tourists battling there." Gary muttered, glancing at the horizon.

"And their job is? That's pretty negligent, but then a lot of the Kanto gyms seem to be doing that lately."

"Tell me about it. I had to head to Chubu for some of my badges – you know, east of Pallet town and a bit north? The area of Victory Road has a few towns with gyms."

Ash nodded. "So that's where you got those ones I didn't recognize."

"Some of them. The others are Sevii islands – and Lavender town."

"Neat. How's the research going?"

Gary held out a notebook and flipped through it. "Current project is about what Pokémon live only in industrial environments, and where they came from before we developed like we have. Apparently Cinnabar Labs are ruined and quickly being colonized."

Ash glanced around for a second. "If you find any evidence related to Pokémon cloning, then keep it firmly under wraps. That's big and important stuff, and I can't remember whether it was here or somewhere else they were researching that."

Understood. I'll update Dexter next time we're in range for whisker laser or something similarly private.

Ash blinked. "Oh, I see Dee has undergone second stage development."

"Yeah, started about two weeks ago. Lots more colloquialisms now. Fascinating to watch, actually."

"You scientists…" Ash shook his head with a grin.

At that point, a glimmer of light in the sky caught both their eyes, and they turned to look.

"Oh, wow!"

Pidgeot had slowed down through the Sound Barrier, and seemed to be running the energy buildup stage of Sky Attack. The resultant corona was being whipped by the wind into a huge tail of bright yellow flame a hundred feet long.

As she shot overhead with a sound like a jet aircraft, Gary shouted to Ash. "Did your crazy bird just invent dump-and-burn for _Pokémon_?"

"Looks like it!" Ash called back, grinning. "Man, but I look forward to the contest circuit in a couple of years!"

Pikachu noticed something. _"Er, Ash… I think she's building up to a finale."_

High above the ship, Pidgeot flared her shroud of fire and dropped it into the centre of a huge Windstorm, producing a disc of ethereal fire several hundred feet across. Then she flew up at just subsonic speed to about twice the height of the disc, before reproducing her original effect and blasting through the centre of the windstorm with a strobing concussion as she rode the sound barrier itself.

The whole cloud detonated into a series of rippling concentric rings spreading across half the sky.

Ash grinned as the ship burst into applause, watching Pidgeot glide down to the level of the deck and alight on the rail. "Nice work, girl!"

She began preening, enjoying the attention. Gary shook his head wryly. "Now that is style. Wasn't she..?"

"Yeah, she protected the local Pidgey. From your Fearow, actually, strange how things work out."

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, can you tell me where the entrance to Cinnabar Gym is?"<p>

The man shook his head. "Cinnabar Gym's closed. Has been for years."

Ash frowned. "Really? Because some friends of mine got a badge from there not more than six or seven months ago. Of course, since they teleport everywhere they have no clue where the door is, but…"

"Oh. Them." The local sighed. "Don't suppose they said anything else?"

Ash snapped his fingers. "That was it! It's in the volcano!"

"Damn." Blaine removed his disguise, such as it was. "So much for riddles."

"Sorry. But if it's not too much trouble, could we have the fight in the volcanic bowl instead? I have a wildly overenthusiastic Squirtle."

Blaine shuddered. "No argument here. Meet me up there tomorrow morning. Do you have Flying types to get up there, because if not I can offer you a room in the gym itself."

"No, that's fine. Actually, my Pidgeot was the one showing off earlier today."

"Of course." Blaine sighed. "No matter what I do, instead of treating the volcano like the… well, enormous mountain with a penchant to explode that it _is_, most people seem to end up in Cinnabar for tourism."

"My friend Gary's here for research, though I can't say the same of his paradoxical cheerleaders."

"That at least is something." The man sighed again, and handed Ash a sheet of paper. "Mind having a go?"

Ash looked it over – it was a long list of riddles. "Yeah, I'll see what I can do. Some of my Pokémon will probably like the challenge."

* * *

><p>"Thirty white horses on a red hill…"<p>

Pikachu frowned. _"Teeth? There's always one that answers as teeth."_

"Yeah, could be. Thirty, though?"

"_Best guess we have now."_

"Sure." Ash pencilled it in. "When you take away the whole from it, some still remains. Hmm, not sure."

Riolu looked at the paper for a second. _"Is 'whole-some' a word?"_

"Hey, yeah! Nice work."

Misty pulled a pillow over her head. _Why can't Ash just get himself to bed already? Damn him and his attitude to anything that even looks like a challenge._

* * *

><p>"I am impressed and gratified. You managed to get eighty-three of the riddles." He glanced at Ash, who had bags under his eyes. "And now that I said that, I realize I may have overdone it on how many I wrote."<p>

Ash shook his head, rubbed his eyes, and grinned. "I'll be fine! Let's get to it!"

"Very well. The unique stage of a challenge against the Cinnabar gym is a test of fire power. Do you wish to hold this first or last?"

"Let's go with first. Charizard!"

Blaine raised an eyebrow over his glasses. "Magmar!"

Ash raised a hand in question. "Blaine, is Magmar immune to fire attacks?"

He nodded. "Magmar lives in, well, magma."

"Charizard, you have full release authority on Blast Burn."

"Wait, he knows-!"

A thunderous BANG sounded, and Magmar went flying clear out of the crater.

Charizard snorted. _"That do?"_

"Nice… work, Charizzzzz-"

Misty stepped forward quickly to catch Ash as he nodded forward. "Sorry about this, Cinnabar leader."

I'll wake him. Dexter began playing a piece of recorded music.

Brock, Misty and about half of Ash's Pokémon turned at the simple notes of an ocarina.

"_That sounds like… Lugia's song?"_ Pikachu asked.

Yes. Worth a try.

Ash shook his head and opened his eyes again. "Whoo, sorry guys, I was feeling a bit tired there. I'm fine now."

Misty looked at him sceptically. "Really?"

"Really. That song's like aural coffee for me. Probably my link with Lugia." Ash bounced on his feet, full of energy again. "So, what's next?"

Blaine sent out his Rhydon.

Ash replied with Pikachu. "Go for the horn!"

Pikachu shot a _look_ at his trainer, ran forward and delivered a Force Palm hard enough to send the Rhydon flying itself.

"Fine then, don't go for the horn." Ash sulked.

"_I have no idea why it worked last time, but it wasn't supposed to."_ Pikachu pulled his feet out of the small crater they'd been left in from the 'recoil'.

Blaine _tsk_ed. "Ninetales!" The fox Pokémon's eyes began to glow red with Foresight.

Ash thought for a second. "Squirtle!"

Squirtle came out of his Poké ball with one hand drawn back. _"The burning heat of this volcano only produces a challenge for me to overcome!"_ Water formed on his hand, bubbling and steaming for a second before becoming perfectly clear and still. _"I will use my fiery spirit to match and exceed it! Scald!"_

He tossed forward the bubble of water, which Ninetales dodged with a simple jump – and was startled when the bottom of the sphere promptly exploded in steam, flinging it up and into him.

"_How the hell did you do that!" _he yelped. _"That's not possible, it breaks all the laws of probability that superheated water boils where you want it!"_

Squirtle threw another water globe, grinning cockily. _"Theoretical calculations mean nothing to me! I'm the great Squirtle of the Squirtle Squad!"_ The second globe used two eruptions of steam to steer itself into the path of Ninetales, who was knocked backwards by the blast.

"_All right… enough playing around." _Ninetales blurred, and vanished into a Faint Attack.

Squirtle looked around himself warily, bringing up more water. _"My enemy is somewhere, but I don't know where… so the only answer is to attack everywhere at once!"_ Thrusting out with both hands, he sent a violent wave of boiling water out in a globe – which impacted on the invisible Ninetales sneaking in for an attack with an Energy Ball.

Now that he had his opponent's location again from the depressions left in the puddle across the gym floor and from the flow of the steam, Squirtle followed up with a Hydro Cannon and sent him flying back into the wall.

Blaine held up his hand to cease the action, then returned his Ninetales and sent out a Rapidash.

Ash smiled slightly. "Nostalgic… is that Rapidash a Laramie Ranch breed? I recognize the horn shape."

Blaine nodded. "I train only the best. And if I recall, you're a clan member of theirs now. The race was very impressive."

Ash rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Well, I tried. But anyway. Kingler!"

Dexter made a humming sound for a second. Accessed.

Blaine frowned. "Er, what?"

Ash caught the Poké ball as it materialized. "Sorry, I forgot to alert Professor Oak until a few minutes ago."

Rapidash leapt into the air with a Bounce as Kingler emerged, hoping to dodge any first attack the Water type made.

Kingler replied by using the free time before his opponent landed to generate even more water using Surf, then hid beneath it as Rapidash came back down.

The diamond-hard hooves impacted hard, but the water cushion was the saving grace – no real damage was done, and Rapidash retreated through the water as Kingler's pincers attempted to get a Vicegrip.

Blaine shook his head. "Oh, the downside of being a Gym Leader… vulnerability to a number of types. In my case, water especially."

Kingler's claws snapped shut with a strange crackling sound, and the water about ten feet in front of him erupted in a plume that nearly cleared the crater lip.

Oh, so that's what Crabhammer looks like underwater. Supercavitation?

Rapidash began thrashing his way through the deep water to dodge more and more watery eruptions, Kingler firing further and further, and more and more accurately, as he got used to the method of fighting.

One erupted fifteen feet in front of Rapidash, who dodged back and tried to move away – only to see another plume form the same distance behind him.

Brock nodded to himself. "He's bracketed now, it's over."

A final eruption of water shot upwards, carrying Blaine's last Pokémon with it, and he returned the Rapidash before the Pokémon hit the floor.

"Congratulations. You certainly understand both the use of great power and the ways it has to be controlled. You have earned the Volcanobadge."

Ash grinned on accepting the badge. "Only one left… and still a few months to go before the League."

Blaine nodded. "Yes, though there's been some interesting challengers for me this year. One of them had a talking Meow-"

"We know them." Every one of the friends chorused.

"What was their challenge like?" Ash added.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Lots of collateral damage. One of their battles nearly melted the Quartz screens in one of the underground chambers. That said, I apparently got off fairly lightly."

Ash shrugged. "I feel for you. Well, see you around!"

He turned to go, and abruptly collapsed. Riolu and Pikachu caught him before he hit the floor.

Wow, ten minutes exactly before it wore off. Come on, everyone, we'd better get him to a bed.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Ash!" Misty said chirpily. Ash groaned and tried to roll over back into bed.<p>

"Oh, no, you don't! It's all your fault you're so tired, the least you can do is accept it. Come one, we have to visit the island of the Turtle Pokémon."

Ash stuck his head out from under the covers. "Why? Jigglypuff's happily in a band by now. We saw them on the news, sweeping Saffron city as a sensation."

Misty nodded. "True. But on the other hand, I'm a water trainer and I want to know more about the societies of Water Pokémon – especially since the only Squirtle I've interacted for long periods of time… apparently isn't normal."

"Yeah, sure." Ash reached for Dexter on his bedside. "Better keep up Lugia's song all today. I'll need it."

I suggest headphones. Dexter began the lilting notes nevertheless, and Misty left to get herself breakfasted.

* * *

><p>Misty twitched in place. <em>This cannot be happening…<em>

"_So!"_ Ash's Squirtle said, looking at the rest of his evolutionary chain in front of him.

All of them were wearing metal headbands inscribed with a turtle shell.

"_This is the hidden village of the turtle?"_

"They're all anime freaks… every last one of them…" Misty muttered to herself, clutching her head. "And I thought Ash had an _un_usual one…"

* * *

><p>"Oh, hello, Misty!" Daisy called. "We've got a plan for a new type of show to draw in crowds, because we've been-"<p>

Misty passed over a script. "If we're going to do a show involving me, we do this one."

Daisy blinked, and read the script more or less for something to do. "Er, Misty? Half of this is impossible, I don't know if that move would even work the right way, and we'd need five more cast members."

Misty shrugged. "I can get the cast members easily. And as for the rest – Ash, get Pidgeot and head to Saffron to recruit Jigglypuff, would you?"

Ash nodded. "Right!"

"Oh, and leave Dexter. I'll need him for the rest of the plans."

* * *

><p><span>I think that's everything with the stereo system set up. And I can do the narration as well, if you want.<span>

"Yeah, probably for the best. Everyone else is tied up in the action sequences." Misty muttered to herself. "Psyduck, how are you up on making sure none of those attacks quite hit?"

_I can do the above water stuff and most of the underwater, so long as they don't put much actual power into them anyway. Starmie could help a lot, though, so assign it as well. Electric attacks are a bit more tricky._

"And they're the ones that look most impressive anyway. Right, we'll just have to have Cubone or Pikachu present at all times to draw the attacks in."

Brock came back in with his script. "It's pretty good, but I don't get the girl."

"None of us 'get' anyone, Brock, we're not old enough. And I don't, I really don't, want you to start obsessing over my sisters."

"But I thought the whole point of the story was-"

"It's platonic. And a metaphor for all emotions. Besides, the original version is set in _space._"

* * *

><p>"Dat's right, it's all a matter of formin' the right sounds wid yer mouth. Took me quite a while ta learn everythin', an I still have a bit of an accent, but all ya gotta learn is a specific sequence. So it should take less time."<p>

Jigglupuff nodded. _"Pity I can't learn that Aura trick that translates things, it'd be a lot easier."_

"Not wid da need for ya microphone. The speakers'd just play an unaltered voice."

* * *

><p>The crowd watched raptly as Dexter's narration explained the events unfolding in front of them. A story of an underwater land, one where the peace was disrupted by the attack of a band of unfeeling mercenaries from the surface (Team rocket, of course), and the band of heroes (guess who) who descended into the depths to fight them off and protect the innocent. The battle lasted for at least half an hour in the show, until finally one of the mermaids (Misty, naturally, had picked herself for this role) realized the truth, and enlisted the aid of a recent arrival to their court.<p>

Jigglypuff stole the show. Thanks to Meowth's tuition, she was able to manage the musical number – to Dexter's backing – that went with the story.

_Do You Remember Love._

Squirtle had watched it at some point in the future because of the giant robots, and casually mentioned it to the rest of the group a month or two ago. On getting more information, Misty had seen the potential and found it to watch herself.

The story _did_ have to be altered somewhat, but it worked and the crowd loved it.

* * *

><p>"You don't think that was… overdoing it, perhaps?" Daisy asked, the next morning.<p>

Misty shrugged. "Jigglypuff enjoyed it, and Togekiss tells me the entire cast and audience did as well."

* * *

><p>Half a dozen Clefairy looked up, caught stealing random things from a convenience store.<p>

"Okay, why are you lot _really _here?" Ash asked, exasperated.

The Clefairy looked between themselves, then one came forward. _"Sorry, Cresselia asked us to check in on you, Chosen. We thought this was the best way, but Rayquaza blew part of the ship off on the way down because he mistook it for a meteorite."_

"And this is what comes of poor coordination." Ash sighed. "Why not head down to Hoenn? There's a space centre there."

The Fairy Pokémon looked abashed. _"That… would have been a good idea, yes. We've been here for months."_

"Well, now you know. And I think that Steven Stone lives on the island – Mossdeep – so you could ask him for help when you arrive in Hoenn."

* * *

><p><em>Bink<em>

_And here we are at the Rocket base,_ Abra 'pathed casually over the thuds of Jessie and James hitting the ground head first. _Hm, that's odd. It's not usually on fire._

James bounced upright with the ease of long practice. "Wait, what? Fire? Where?"

Abra pointed. _There. And there. Spreading from the hole in the roof. And it looks like most of the superstructure's badly damaged as well._

Jessie, James and Meowth pelted into the Rocket command centre. "Boss! You okay?"

Giovanni picked himself out of the wreckage of the central chamber. "Yes, thank you. I'm tougher than I look." He turned to the Rocket cell. "Send an alert to all points – be ready for potential Legendary-class retaliation attacks. And leak information to that Ash Ketchum of yours in some way that a Legendary with a grudge against humanity has gone rogue. Psychic type, if it matters." Giovanni refocused. "Right. May I borrow the use of your Abra to get to the Saffron command centre? It's going to be a nightmare keeping a lid on this one. Handle the Viridian Gym while I'm gone."

The three saluted. "Sir!"

* * *

><p>AN: Squirtle's Scald variant is very Gurren Lagann.<p>

Dump and Burn, if you're not familiar with it, is the practice of using the Afterburners on a slow moving jet aircraft at a display. The result is a big tail of flame from the burning fuel.

Sorry for the Macross thing, by the way. But I had the idea, and it refused to go away.


	24. Chapter 23

Dexter emitted a bleep. Text message from the Rockets.

Ash took his Pokédex out of his pocket and looked. "Hmmm… 'How are you doing? Sorry we've not had time to chat for a couple of weeks, but things are a bit hectic here. Running one way, then another… it's all we can do to _cat_ch up. Meowth's been practicing, though, as he doesn't have the kind of paperwork we do, and he says to watch out for your wallet next time. Anyway, we got assigned as the temporary heads of Viridian since the boss is busy. Want to come try your luck?'"

Misty's ears pricked. "Was there the same emphasis on the cat in catch that you read it as?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I think this means Mewtwo's still on – if perhaps a bit early. But more importantly, this means it's time to go get the Earth badge!"

Misty blinked. "More important?"

"_It's Ash." _Pikachu reminded her.

"Ah, never mind then."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Viridian City Gym. The philosophy of this Gym is not like that of any other you have encountered." James said.<p>

Jessie took up for him. "This Gym does not follow type segregation. It never has, and it never will. Instead-"

James interrupted her. "Doesn't the boss usually use Ground type Pokémon here?"

"Shut up! Besides, last time I checked the Gym had a Kingler and a Machamp. Anyway, the gym is based on using the battlefield – the earth – against the opponent."

Meowth stretched lazily. "I don't remember dat from the briefing."

"I said shut up!" Jessie looked suspiciously at the other two for a moment. "As I was saying, the moves most commonly used here are the ones that rearrange, reshape or reorder the battlefield."

James raised a hand. Jessie kicked him in the shin and finished very quickly. "Can you fight an enemy who alters the rules of the fight itself GO!"

Her Cubone landed on the field with a rumbling BOOM, her Earthquake forcing up walls of earth to block the attacks of Ash's Ivysaur. A bone club shot over the wall, curved and hit Ivysaur's flower, sending him sprawling.

Ash frowned. "Didn't you have that idea of wiring the stands to hurt trainers if their Pokémon got hurt?"

"We considered that, yes. But then we decided it would be stupid, overcomplicated and nigh impossible."

"Fair enough. Ivysaur… send some Seed Bombs over that wall!"

"_Sure! You tell me when I'm hitting, okay?"_ Ivysaur said, firing a trio of seeds. All of them burst on more bones before they hit, though.

"She's shooting them down! Can you manage more at once?"

"_Tricky. But I'll give it a go."_ Ivysaur sent up five this time, shooting them far too high into the air so they broke clean through the roof. Another five, which punched holes slightly closer to the space of roof above Cubone. Five more, and-

-James gasped. "Cubone, watch out! Time On Target fire incoming!"

Brock nodded as he got it. "All those seed bombs are coming down at the exact same time. So Cubone can't shoot them all down."

"But can she do something else?" Misty asked.

"I can think of something…" Brock said, listening intently and just catching the faint sound of Cubone talking.

As the bombs screamed down on her, at least fifty of them, she finished her Aria and the wall of Aura that changed the world swept the attacks away.

Ivysaur grinned. "_So much for that wall! Sunny Day!"_

The sky roiled for a second, then stilled.

"_Nope? Pity. Best use the indoor version, then. Sunny Day again!"_

This time, the attack simply produced a number of bright spheres of fire that hung in the air like flares.

"_Better. Now, as I was saying…"_

Cubone rolled her eyes, and pulled a reflective Bronzor body from the ground next to her. _"You've telegraphed that you're using Solarbeam quite enough, thank you."_

"_Fissure."_

Cubone looked surprised for a moment, then abandoned her shield as it fell down a crevasse and leapt for safety.

"This_ one's Solarbeam."_

Jessie's Poké ball snatched her Pokémon out of the way of the laserlike beam. "That's one. Next!"

James threw his own Poké ball. The Gyarados that emerged from it immediately shot underground into the fissure, just before the Reality Marble lost cohesion in the absence of its' mistress and vanished.

Ivysaur looked around, warily trotting forward. _"Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you… are…"_ He looked down at the splash generated by his feet.

Water was seeping out of the ground at an increasing rate.

"_Hm… interesting. Giga Drain?"_

The attack brought back only a little energy to revitalize him. _So… wherever he is, whatever he's doing, the water doesn't lead straight back to him. Pity. Well, I wonder if I can try something else._

Gyarados erupted from the ground behind him, describing an arc over his head and launching a blast of Flamethrower fire at Ivysaur from midair.

"_Ow! What are you doing, you-"_ Ivysaur shielded himself from the fire with a hurriedly fired Energy Ball, then watched as Gyarados plunged back into the now water filled Fissure. _"Okay, got it. Gyarados can't normally Dig, but he did before in the marsh. So he must need the ground to be soft and waterlogged. I somehow wish I had an easier one."_

As Gyarados burst from the ground again, a red beam lashed out. "Pikachu, Discharge!"

Pikachu shot into the arena and blasted Gyarados thoroughly. _"Job done."_

James nodded. "Not bad. Now, the ultimate expression of terrain alteration. Abra!"

"Pikachu, Agility so you can keep up with him!" Pikachu nodded, his form blurring slightly.

_Curse._ Abra replied lazily. _Curse. Curse. Curse._

Pikachu blinked. _"Why are you making yourself so much slower?"_

_Trick Room._

The altered space sprung into existence, and Ash joined in the general theme of cursing. "Damn, we got suckered. Pikachu, Counter shield!"

Pikachu frowned. What did this do again?

Then Abra spawned a series of shields with dizzying speed and Flung Pikachu clear out of the arena.

Ash caught him, and he shook his head. _"What happened?"_

"Trick Room screws with space, the slower you are the faster you move. You alright, boy?"

"_Yeah. What do we do now?"_

Ash thought for a moment. Sadly (for now), most of his Pokémon were really rather fast. It was his preferred battle style. Granted, Abra were fast themselves and it took several Curses to get the most from Trick Room, but…

"Charizard!"

Charizard formed from his Poké ball, and roared, before bathing the entire Trick Room area in flame from safely outside it. Abra teleported out of the blast, but once out of the Room his speed boost reversed itself and he fell quickly to a wing cuff.

Jessie nodded to herself. "Nice work. You get the Earth badge. And I'll just take another one for us as well…"

Meowth checked their box. "Yep, dat's all of dem. We got eight Badges too."

As he took the badge meant for him, Ash peeked into their box. "Nice, same set as mine. How did you do the Saffron Gym?"

Jessie shrugged. "Cubone. She used a skeletal Absol."

"Gotcha. Well, see you at the League – if not sooner, of course."

"See you there."

* * *

><p>With an audible THUD, Ash walked into an invisible wall.<p>

"…not again…" he muttered to himself, before frowning and looking up with one eye closed.

"Ah, good, that's Mum's Mimey. I did wonder." Ash punched a hair-thin spike of Aura into the Reflect wall and widened it, popping it and causing the Mr. Mime to fall on top of him.

His hand flickered blue for a second, then began waving frantically from underneath. "Mmmf mf! Mmf!"

Brock frowned. "What's he saying?"

"_I think it's something about how much Mr. Mime weigh." _Pikachu commented. _"Do you think we should lift Mimey off him?"_

"It's probably for the best." Misty muttered, then she and Riolu heaved Delia's only Pokémon onto the grass.

"You okay, Mimey?" Ash asked, as soon as he had his breath back.

"_Yes, thanks. We back in time?"_

"That's it exactly. Come to think of it," Ash looked guilty, "I probably should have done Mum at some point before now. I was sort of worried how she'd take how much I get into danger, especially if she ever finds out how Dad died."

"_You'll have to bite the bullet some time. She found out pretty much for sure when the world's weather went haywire in the next few months or so."_

Ash nodded absently. "In the meantime, Dexter? Mind arranging for an anonymous report of a brewing situation in the circus to reach the local Jenny? I think they could both do with a little counselling."

Sent. Good thought.

"Right. Now for a much bigger challenge." Ash grimaced. "Let's hope I get out of this with my outdoors privileges intact."

* * *

><p>Ash, his friends and closest Pokémon, his mother and the Professor sat in one of the larger rooms of Oak labs. The gathering had been silent for the last few minutes, ever since Ash had finished explaining why he'd gone back in time and then transferred the adults' memories.<p>

Oak finally broke the silence. "I'm… astonished, my boy. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined what you and Gary had got up to."

"Nightmares, more like." Deila said with uncharacteristic bitterness. "Ash… why? Why did you end up in so much risk? To me, you're still my little boy, and now I find out you've done so much… it's hard for me to imagine why you had to."

Ash shook his head. "That's the wrong way to look at it, Mum. Every time I went into danger it was to save someone. I just couldn't possibly leave anyone in trouble if I could possibly prevent it. And as for why it's me… I mentioned the thing with the Chosen. How there really is a reason only I can do this."

Delia blinked back tears. "But I… I… I just don't see why you should be in so much danger! All these Legendaries, ancient warriors, and skilled trainers in the world, why should it be you?"

Ash smiled weakly. "Because I get into this sort of thing all the time anyway. I may as well be able to take care of myself. It took a civil war to take Sir Aaron down, and we don't have those anymore."

* * *

><p>"I think that went quite well, actually!" Ash said to the others as they walked down to the shore, near Ash's hometown.<p>

Misty exchanged a disbelieving look with Brock, then glanced back to Ash's house. She could just about see Delia on the roof with a pair of binoculars. "You're not allowed out of her sight for a week! And she's insisted you have her with you at the Pokémon League so she's sure you're good enough for her peace of mind!"

Ash shrugged. "Could have been grounded for a year. You know her."

After a moment, the others nodded with resigned expressions. "What shall we practice, then?" Brock added.

"Well," Ash began, "I've secured the approval of Gary, Sammy and Oscar to borrow their Pokémon for practice teams. So if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you two to form a series of teams and test me against them."

Brock nodded. "I assume Sammy and Oscar are the other two Pallet students from your cohort?"

"Yeah. Sammy has a Charmeleon at the moment and Oscar's decided not to evolve his Bulbasaur. Gary's apparently evolved his Squirtle all the way up to Blastoise by now, impressive."

Ash's Squirtle appeared unannounced. _"And I bet he's become a positive Attenborough in that time! When he arrives I must-"_

"Yes, yes, insert random challenge." Misty sighed. She'd really soured on his evolutionary line after finding out they were all, without exception, Otaku of one type or another. "Well, I'll see what I can do. Brock, want to get him started?"

"Sure!" Brock sent out his Ninetales. "Ready, girl? Ash, you only get two Pokémon for this. You have to be able to predict your opponent's probable rosters."

Ash thought for a moment, then gestured Squirtle into the arena.

* * *

><p>Delia watched in some shock as Ninetales' elegance clashed with Squirtle's flamboyant style and liberal overuse of aura-mixed water.<p>

As the battle continued, Ninetales switched with Steelix, then Crobat, while Ash sent his Charizard into the battle. It eventually ended with a huge eruption of flame that nearly set fire to the trees, but Squirtle managed to contain the flames before they got too close.

* * *

><p>"Well?"<p>

"Not bad, Ash." Brock achnowledged. "But we'll see how you do when the teams are unseen."

Ash nodded. "I've got a bit of free time. Riolu, Pikachu? You two up for a spar?" He pulled his gloves on tighter and let his hands flare blue.

* * *

><p>Delia blinked. <em>Did I just see that?<em>

Then her son blasted a stream of electricity from his hand, and things got surreal.

* * *

><p>As an Aura Sphere from Riolu curved in on his left, Ash <em>focused<em> and split off a body double. A bit more than the illusion of a double team, but not quite the solidity of a Substitute. It was, in other words, just about real enough to fool the usually unerring type four Aura Sphere.

Jumping away from the blast and flowing electric aura over his body to counter the Thunder Wave Pikachu launched at him, Ash began engaging Riolu in a series of close combat blows. Riolu fell back from his series of attacks and Ash pressed his advantage… until he felt something in the wind around him.

_Is it me, or is it a bit chilly?_

Then he switched to Aura sight and spotted the pattern of heat (from his own determined Aura) and cold (from Riolu – Ash also noticed he'd been using a pair of elemental punch techniques to boost the effect.)

As soon as he saw it, the spiral of opposing temperatures clicked over to mix and a sudden uppercut from Riolu caught him in the chin.

Then the Flying Dragon Uppercut triggered.

"_Sorry about that!" _Riolu shouted as Ash went flying into the sea from a small but powerful whirlwind, _"But it only really works on Aura wielders or powerful Fire types and I wanted to test it!"_

Ash sputtered for a moment as he surfaced, then steadied himself in the water (as a boy who lived near the sea, he'd known how to swim almost as soon as he could walk) and pushed Aura into his hands, then his feet, climbing onto the surface as if through a trapdoor. "One question. Why?"

Riolu shrugged. _"Not as if Aura wielder automatically means on your side and aware of it. Besides, a lot of the most powerful Pokémon have it even if unconsciously."_ He then looked a little embarrassed. _"Good thing the sea's so calm, though. I hadn't considered how much harder water walking could get when there are waves."_

* * *

><p>On her roof, Ash's mother tried to make sense of what she'd just seen.<p>

Then Ash charged back onto the shore, lit up his hands with blue Aura and began volleying in blasts of air on the now dodging Riolu, and she began once again scrambling to keep up.

* * *

><p>Ash nodded as Riolu explained. "I see. So the spiral's a critical part of it, then."<p>

"_Yeah. I can produce the spiral artificially with a Fire punch and an Ice punch, but of course that's less of an option for you as of yet. Charizard could get some use from it against an Ice opponent, possibly, but in that case he'd have to take control of the cold part of the spiral while producing the hot part. Much more of a challenge."_

"And can the spiral that results be… reused? So once it's already active, there's already this big spiralling plume of hot and cold air."

The little blue Pokémon frowned. _"Not sure. I could try, but that was the first actual use of it."_

"Something to look into, then." Ash then glanced round. "Ah, Misty's back. I think she has her picks ready."

Misty walked over with three baskets of six Poké balls. "I'll use three from each of these, so I can adapt to what you have out. You got everyone you want?"

Ash frowned. "Not quite, actually. Pidgeot, mind getting one of the Tauros over here?"

"_Not at all. Be back soon."_

* * *

><p>A blast of electricity stabbed into the evening sky, then spread into a great disc a hundred metres up.<p>

"_Shock wave!"_

Pikachu slammed the disc down onto the battlefield and caught the agile Persian Misty was using, knocking her out.

Brock raised a hand. "And Ash wins!"

Ash hurried over to Pikachu. "You okay, buddy?"

"_Yeah, but ow. That took a lot out of me. Good move for forcing a hit or a ring out, though."_

"You and those Shockwave variants… oh well." He glanced at his Pokémon. "I think it might be a good idea to stop for now, a lot of them seem quite tired."

* * *

><p>"Should we head off to the Seafoam Islands?" Ash asked the next morning.<p>

Misty frowned. "What did we actually do there? I can't remember."

Mainly a Slowpoke evolved to Slowbro and we watched someone surf.

Riolu looked interested. _"I might want to try surfing, actually. I mean, I think the water-walk aura trick might be modified to surf with."_

"If that's the only reason, then we might just try making some waves for you to surf on here. I'm sure Kingler or Squirtle would be glad, not to mention Gary and his Blastoise when they get back in a couple of days."

"_Suppose so."_

Not to mention how ludicrously crowded the islands are going to be. The number of cars that go over there is enough to jam up the islands' only road pretty much solid.

Ash shrugged. "That's decided, then."

* * *

><p>Gary's Blastoise spun, firing a salvo of Water gun shots as he did so, aiming to box in his opponent – Ash's Squirtle.<p>

"_You know as well as I do that this kind of lame half-assed series of attacks isn't going to work against me!" _Squirtle declared, lashing out with an Ice Beam and freezing the shots into a wall.

The Blastoise simply steadied itself and hunched down slightly, his cannons centring on Squirtle with a click. _"No, but this will! Fire fire fireeee!"_

Both Squirtle and Blastiose fired out massive Hydro Cannon shots, which collided in the middle of their impromptu battlefield and produced an instant tidal wave.

Riolu jumped onto the gush of water with blue-glowing feet. _"Woohoo!"_

Blastoise followed up with a second salvo of shots – as a fully evolved Pokémon, he could use one of the potent Hyper Beam variants without completely overloading his element – before trying again with the Hydro Cannon.

Squirtle entered his Horn Drill Break, rode the attack straight back into Blastoise and knocked him clear back into his Poké ball, before landing in the marshy ground with a heavy thump.

Ivysaur went over to help him up. _"You okay?"_

"_Of course!"_ Squirtle panted out, nevertheless very visibly leaning on his friend.

Misty nodded to herself from the sidelines. "Good. The biggest disadvantage of doing that was always that it knocked you out as well. It seems that you've managed to handle that, if barely."

Ash grinned. "We're always improving, right, Squirtle?"

"_Hell yeah! Every turn we progress! Like a-"_

"We get the idea." Gary sighed, tapping an earbud leading to his Pokédex, Dee. "Normally this thing's a great help. But when he or Blastoise are going on about their anime, it's a burden."

Ash looked across at him. "I didn't want to say anything – that's giving you a translation, right? I figured it was either that or you're listening to the radio."

"Exactly, Ash." Gary said. "I'm a researcher half the time, after all, and if I can hear what Pokémon are saying I can just, well, ask them."

His friend nodded. "Yeah, it's… wait, what's that?" Ash pointed past Gary, out across the water.

Gary shaded his eyes. "Pokémon alright, headed more or less straight for us. Big, too, and pretty fast if it's getting bigger that quickly."

"Dragonite." Ash said, before frowning. "Guys? I think it's time. This might be the invitation. I remember that bit at least."

"Oh, I heard about this. This is the Mewtwo thing, right?" Gary said.

"Yeah."

Any further conversation was stopped by the Dragon-type's arrival, as it swooped down on them and pulled a pair of cards out of a pouch.

Ash took one when it was offered, and after a moment's confusion Gary realized the other was for him. "Ash, why-"

Ash had already triggered the card's hologram. "Ssh, this is important." Gary frowned, but paid attention to the woman.

By the time she had finished, the Dragonite had flown off. Ash double checked for a second with Aura sight, then relaxed a little. "Good, we're not being watched any more. Anyway, Gary, what were you saying?"

"Why have I got one, Ash? I didn't last time."

Gary was worried. He'd only heard what Dexter had seen last time, and not a lot of that, but he knew it was serious business – and also knew he'd never received any invitation hand-delivered by Dragonite.

"My guess is that you're along because of your Blastoise. Dexter tells me he brought trainers with each of the three highest evolutions of the Kanto starters, just to prove a point. His own, cloned, versions hammered them – my Charizard included."

The Charizard in question exploded out of his Poké ball. _"It'll be different this time!"_

"Charizard, you don't even remember being beaten."

"_Dexter does, and that's enough for me. Besides, I spent years in the Valley, remember? I know counters for the counters for the counters for normal brute-force Charizard tactics."_ He looked smug. _"And I know Blast Burn as well, of course."_

Gary grinned. "I'll look forward to it, then. And I assume you have a plan for Mewtwo, Ash?"

Ash looked sheepish. "Define 'plan'. Mewtwo's ludicrously strong. But it's this or he destroys the planet. Via a stupidly strong storm."

Which reminds me. The message said to take a ferry, but Mewtwo jumped the gun – the storm's going to stop us getting to New island via ferry. Have a backup plan.

"Pidgeot?" Ash ventured.

Should work. Not a storm, real or artificial, that could intimidate her. What about you three?

Brock frowned. "I'm not certain, actually. I'll look into it – we have a few hours, right?"

"Right." Misty nodded. "Starmie and Psyduck between them can keep the wind from being too powerful, and then you and I can ride on Gyarados, Brock."

Gary nodded absently, engrossed in thought. "Fearow'd be willing, but he's more of a glider. Krabby might do… he's _enormous_ for some reason."

Misty looked worried. "Krabby are mainly the type of Pokémon that walk along the bottom of the ocean, Gary. Might be a bad idea."

"Gotcha. What about Blastoise?"

She considered for a moment. "Should work. He's strong enough."

Ash clenched his fist. "Right! Now all we need to do is sort out which Pokémon we're taking!"

Dexter beeped for a moment. The Pokémon you take might well end up cloned, Ash, Gary, but if you don't have enough strength on hand Mewtwo might know something's up. He can't read thoughts except via direct contact based intrusion – Sabrina was better at the mental arts than him, it requires finesse - but if he decides it's worth sullying his hands with the job then we are going to become unstuck _fast_.

Ash nodded. "You, Pikachu, Riolu, Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard, Pidgeot and Primeape?"

Makes sense. Pikachu's never in his Poké ball and I'm completely secret. Don't worry, Ash, I'll make sure he doesn't notice me.

"And I'll bring my Blastoise, Fearow, Golem, my two Nido's, Eevee and of course Dee."

I'll stay hidden too, Gary.

"Thanks." Gary thought for a moment, then set off to get any of the Pokémon he'd mentioned that he hadn't already got with him.

"Oh, you already have your Eevee?" Ash asked. "What you going to evolve- her, right?- to this time?"

Gary shrugged. "That's her choice, not mine. Though she'll probably go with Umbreon again because she wanted to since she was very young. Her mother was one, you see."

"I do see." Ash pulled his pack up his shoulders. "Well, we'll get started. Meet you at the pier – you know the one, next to the Pokémon centre."

"Is it the one just to the southwest? The port we used to go to for those disastrous boating lessons?" Gary asked.

Ash winced. "I still say that the mast should be strong enough for you to use all the sail at once in a gale. And yes, that's the one."

* * *

><p>AN: Ash lives quite close to the sea, but I can't remember that ever being brought up. Probably because most of the population of Japan lives close to the sea and it's sort of assumed.<p>

The Flying Dragon Uppercut, or Hiryu Shoten Ha, is from the Ranma 1/2 series. There's going to be a few other techniques from that series coming in as I develop the uses of Aura.

Ash's mum shows up in some of the films, and she's usually shocked at the kind of danger Ash is in. I think she understands how important things really are, and will if pressed let Ash go save the world, but it can't be easy knowing what kind of things he gets up to.


	25. Chapter 24

Miranda shook her head. "Sorry, but the ferry services have been cancelled. This storm is too much for the ships." A Wingull flew to her shoulder and cawed something. "And it's only getting worse. He says it's an all-up Supercell. Strange, it's definitely not the right kind of weather for a hurricane."

Ash shrugged. "Well, I'll just make my own way."

The local Jenny appeared next to him. "That's not very safe, young man!"

By way of reply, the boy flipped his jacket open to show his eight Badges and released his Pidgeot. "I'm not just a kid, you know, I have a fairly impressive set of badges. All of these were combat, not just emotional test. Besides, Pidgeot sneers at hurricanes."

The Flying type ruffled her wings. _"It's true. I do."_

Jenny looked blank. Miranda leant over and whispered a translation to her.

"I see. Still, it's dangerous, so take care."

"You know," Miranda said, looking preoccupied, "I heard a story about a storm that came from nowhere – just like this one, actually."

"Oh, the Winds of Water?" Ash asked. "I remember hearing that once. Not sure where, though." As he spoke, he climbed onto Pidgeot's back. "Ready, girl? Tell you what, we'll go right up above the clouds and drop down into the eye."

"_Ah, a challenge!" _Pidgeot launched herself up and into the storm with a slamming downbeat of her wings.

Miranda and Jenny looked after him. "He's awfully young…"

Then the two of them spotted some people moving on the wharf, and watched as Gary, Misty and Brock plunged into the water on and with a succession of Water Pokémon.

The pier master huffed. "How rude! They didn't even wait to ask me!"

* * *

><p><em>Bink<em>

James looked at the high cliffs, large number of surfers and storm on the horizon. "Nope, Seafoam isn't at the centre of the hurricane either."

_Then find the one that is! Teleporting all of you these kinds of distances more than once is too much like hard work._

"All right, keep ya fur on." Meowth examined the map again, sighing at the number of archipelagoes that littered that area of the Pacific and the Kanto Bay. "Hang on a sec. Remember when we ended up on dat island wid no clue how?"

"You'll have to be more specific." Jessie muttered, remembering an incident shortly after falling from Lugia.

"About dis time last timeline?"

James nodded. "I think so. You think that was the place?"

Meowth shrugged. "At da least, we can triangulate from it."

_Good thought. I'll take the coordinates from your memory, though we best drop in in the sea nearby._ Abra moved over to take Meowth's shoulder._ With your permission?_

Meowth nodded, and Abra's eyes glowed as he scanned through the scratch cat's mind.

_Got it._

_Bink_

* * *

><p>"Wow…" Ash said, looking out over the storm from above. "That really puts it in perspective. Three hours ago, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and now it's spread as far as Viridian city. I have to admit, I'm impressed."<p>

Mewtwo _is_ a Legendary Pokémon, Ash. Possibly the strongest – apart from Arceus.

"Yeah." Ash's thoughts drifted off for a moment. "Well, at least I managed it."

Yesterday.

"And there's a reason I had so much more food than normal last night, especially all that wheat-grass. I don't intend to just give up."

Be careful, Ash.

"I will. I wouldn't even contemplate this if he wasn't maintaining a storm the size of a small country as well." Ash said, solemnly. Then turned his face forwards, grinned, and patted Pidgeot on the flank. "Back down we go, girl!"

She chirped enthusiastically, flipped over into a dive and shot downwards.

* * *

><p>"This place is just amazing," Jessie breathed. "It's some kind of lab, but it's more complex than anything I've ever seen. Didn't Mewtwo come here bare weeks ago?"<p>

James shook his head. "I think this is where they originally created him. The Boss gave us his file on Mewtwo, remember?"

Jessie huffed. "I read the bit about his powers. You're the one who decided to read the life story as well."

_Well, it's certainly impressive. Meowth, back here a bit._

"Why?" Meowth asked.

_I can't block too large an area. Don't go more than about ten metres away or Mewtwo can sense you._

* * *

><p>Pidgeot came gliding down over New Island in a lazy spiral, shedding her height and speed as she dropped past the mile or two of Eye wall, then alighted on the edge of a large pool in the main courtyard.<p>

The same woman from the invitation walked over to him, and began speaking in a light monotone. "Welcome to New Island. You are the first to arrive. Would you like refreshments while you wait?"

Ash nodded. "That'd be great, thanks." Riolu and Pikachu clambered out of his bag, and he released the rest of his Pokémon. "Right, guys, we've arrived. Looks like we get a bit of a wait before we find out why we're here."

Most of them made varied sounds of assent. Primeape shrugged, and jumped onto the pool to practice, while Charizard took his turn to stretch his wings and flew off to mess around with the edge of the Eye wall.

"Watch out!" Ash shouted to him, "The eye's tiny, so this is going to be one hell of a storm!"

He turned away, throwing up his hands. "I warned him. I warned him, and three to one odds he's going to be struck by lightning within the hour."

Ivysaur watched as Pidgeot took flight again. _"And are you going to warn her?"_

"She sneers at hurricanes. We know this." At this point, the hostess arrived with a tray. "Oh, thank you."

* * *

><p>Ash heard footsteps, and turned to a door set into one wall of the dining room.<p>

Misty stomped up, utterly drenched, followed by Brock. Gary, similarly soaked, brought up the rear.

"Glad to see you made it!" the young trainer said, getting up from where he'd been sitting. "You all look fairly damp!"

Gary rolled his eyes. "That storm was ridiculous. I eventually just borrowed a rebreather from Misty and came here underwater."

"I wouldn't know." Ash shrugged. "Pidgeot flew over the entire hurricane." Misty looked resentful, but let it go.

A rumbling boom sounded. Ash turned to see Charizard coming back for a landing, smouldering slightly.

"_Not a word. Not. A. Word."_ The dragon muttered, Pidgeot piping laughter next to him.

"Did you actually get hit by lightning?" Ash asked, grinning broadly.

"_It's not my fault. I'm not sure whose it is, but it's not mine."_

Ash nodded, before looking concerned. "All joking aside, are you alright?"

"_Pikachu shocks harder. I'll be fine with a bit of rest."_

* * *

><p>Over the next hour or so, another two trainers and their retinues arrived. Fergus was a water speciality trainer who spent most of the time after he arrived chatting animatedly with Misty (he said he'd got there by having his Vaporeon use her Acid Armour ability to carry him in a shell of her water) and Corey dropped in by Pidgeot much as Ash had done, though he hadn't thought of going up and over the storm.<p>

Brock stared at the hostess whenever she appeared, mentioning how she seemed very familiar - but he couldn't tell how. Ash wished he could ask Dexter, but the Porygon was lying low, and as their trump card Ash couldn't risk revealing him.

Eventually, the hostess stepped onto the dais once more and attracted everyone's attention.

"Here is the one who called you all here. The strongest Pokémon in the world, Mewtwo.

The Pokémon stepped out from the shadows behind her. Fergus snorted. "You mean you take orders from a Pokémon? How?"

Misty put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't antagonise him."

Corey's Rhydon tried to charge at the apparent threat, but found itself pinned to the floor by a number of roots. Growling, it looked around and saw Ivysaur with his feet sunk in the ground. Ivysaur shook his head, and retracted the roots, warning given.

_She takes orders from me in this manner._ Everyone in the room but Ash flinched as the powerful thought imposed itself on their minds._ I am a Psychic type Pokémon. But her usefulness has ended._ With a touch, Mewtwo removed his control from the hostess and she slumped to the floor, startled.

Brock ran over and helped her up. "I knew I recognized you! You're the Joy that the Jenny from Viridian said went missing weeks ago!"

"I… where am I? I don't recognize this place." The Joy said, still a bit dazed.

_This is New Island. My birthplace, and the birthplace of a new order. But I get ahead of myself. Come._ Mewtwo gestured, and the connecting door between the dining room and the courtyard-arena in which Ash had arrived swung wide. _One of the reasons for inviting the trainers I did is that among your number are trainers of all three of the Kanto Starter Pokémon. I first began my time as a Trainer with those same Pokémon – but, of course, they are stronger now. I will show you._

Riolu hopped onto Ash's shoulder and discreetly whispered something to him. Ash nodded, and headed for the door behind everyone else.

* * *

><p>Under the island, three tanks with fully evolved Pokémon in them lit up.<p>

Meowth flinched, as he'd been tapping on one of them at the time. "Gah!"

Not noticing, James beckoned Jessie over to a computer. "Look. Usage files for the machine – I think it's a cloning device."

"Well, we know Mewtwo's a clone." Jessie said, before reading the screen again. "Wait, that's new. Ambertwo? Bulbasaurtwo? And a lot of other clones as well – page down, I want to see the rest."

* * *

><p>Fuji process uses record file<p>

* * *

><p>Batch one<p>

Mew DNA = Mewtwo

Amber Fuji's DNA = Ambertwo

Bulbasaur DNA = Bulbasaurtwo

Squirtle DNA = Squirtletwo

Charmander DNA = Charmandertwo

All clones under this batch apart from Mewtwo died quickly due to a problem with the fifth stage process, resulting in insufficient life force for protracted survival. It is believed that the sheer power of Mewtwo compensated for this.

Experimentation will continue in the hopes of a viable human cloning method being developed.

* * *

><p>Batch two to four<p>

Non-viable clones of Amber Fuji. As before, the main problem is the loss of life force and subsequent death.

* * *

><p>Batch five<p>

Bulbasaurthree

Charmanderthree

Squirtlethree

* * *

><p>Jessie chuckled weakly. "Not very imaginative, are they?"<p>

James ran his finger down the list. "Those last three have a much later date stamp. Barely a week ago. Wonder where they are."

_I think Meowth knows._

The two humans turned. "Gah!"

At that point, the three Pokémon were released from their tubes and lumbered off somewhere.

Shaken, James returned to the computer. "Wait, there's a video file here. Most recent thing on the system apart from all the stuff since Mewtwo escaped."

The Rockets crowded round the screen, and watched as Dr. Fuji hurriedly explained the origin of Mewtwo, making the dire pronouncement that Mewtwo was the world's "strongest Pokémon."

Meowth shrugged. "Eh. Don't tink he beats out Arceus."

_True. But apart from Arceus, none of the Legendaries match him on sheer power. I mean, most of them have had decades or centuries to practice. Mewtwo's had only a fraction of that and his control's still terrible, relatively speaking, but… well. The giant hurricane speaks for itself._

* * *

><p><em>So. One of you has a Charizard, one has a Blastoise, and one a Venusaur. Which will be the first to face their cloned – their better – counterpart?<em>

Gary and Corey looked at one another, then to Ash. "Well? What do you think?"

Ash blinked. "Who to the what now?"

_Strange…_ Mewtwo mused, finding that he'd been miscounting. The boy had seven Pokémon, not six, which had caused him to miss the way Ash was psychically blank._ Miracle Eye. I asked which of you would be willing to fight my Pokémon first._

The boy shrugged. "Don't know. I'm not desperate to go first."

After a couple more seconds, Corey stepped forward with his Venusaur, Bruteroot. "I'll go first!"

_Very well. Venusaur, advance._

Bruteroot fired a volley of Razor Leaf attacks which were blocked more or less effortlessly by the cloned Venusaur, then a simple Vine Whip attack knocked the natural-born Pokémon backwards into the wall and out of the fight.

Ash frowned. "Why did both of you use Grass attacks? I mean, Tackle would have worked better."

Corey and half his Pokémon hauled Bruteroot out of the wall, and the trainer began fumbling for a Potion. "He's trained as a poison and grass attacker. I use him for things like Rock type enemies."

"I see." Ash then looked at Gary. "You want to go next?"

"Yeah, whatever. Blastoise!"

Gary's Blastoise ran his cannons out to their full extent, and faced down the clone unflinchingly. _"I won't give in! I won't hold back! That's how team Dai-gurren roll!"_

_Is your Pokémon well? _Mewtwo asked, somewhat taken aback.

"Yes," Ash answered for Gary, drowning out Misty's quick "No, he's an anime nut."

_If you say so. Blastoise, water gun._

"Rime!" Gary shouted, diving for cover. Ash and co. followed suit as both of the cannons opened up with a blast of water. Upon contacting the clone's Water Gun, it instantly froze solid.

Ash glanced at Gary. "Rime?"

"Supercooled water. Freezes as soon as it touches something. They have weather like it in Sinnoh sometimes."

The cloned Blastoise broke free of the thin icy layer that splashback from the collision had produced, and launched into a rumbling charge. Gary's Blastoise volleyed off a pair of Flash Cannon shots into the floor of the stadium, then stamped his foot on the ground and caused it to cave in. More Rime then filled the pit to waist height as the clone recovered.

Gary smirked. "Yield the match? He can't break that much ice."

_Impressive, human._ Mewtwo's eyes glowed, and the ice shattered. _I am grudgingly impressed, but that was trickery to substitute for the force you do not have. Just as my whole life has been servitude I was tricked into by those less powerful._

Ash jogged past Gary. "My turn! Charizard, get him!"

Charizard roared a challenge. _"Any instructions?"_

His trainer shrugged cheekily. "Nothing lethal, no other restrictions."

As one, Ash's Pokémon and those of his friends dove for what cover they could. Brock, Misty and Gary followed suit.

Ash's Charizard opened with an enormous flamethrower attack that nearly engulfed Mewtwo as well, though the Psychic type simply gestured and a shield covered him and his other clones. The cloned Charizard took to the air and replied with a gout of his own flame, more to generate cover than a serious attack.

The natural-born Charizard leapt into the air to follow him, and the two began a series of long-ranged fire blasts interspersed with lunges to close and bite.

Gary squinted up into the sky. "That's strange… it almost seems like your Charizard knows what the clone's about to do."

"Good to know his boast was well-supported, then. He spent a good couple of years in the Charific Valley, you may recall, so he knows all the moves Charizard use when fighting." Ash shaded his own eyes; it looked like the other Charizard was enduring the hits well, so this would be safe. "Hey, boy? Come down a bit!"

Ash's Charizard disengaged somewhat and hovered lower, keeping an eye on the other orbiting above. _"Yes?"_

"I think it's time to show off, Charizard... Blast Burn."

Charizard nodded once, curtly, and opened his jaws, an eerie blue light shining from them.

When he exhaled, for a moment a cone of blue gas seemed to just blink into existence, barely a foot wide at his mouth and extending to completely cover Mewtwo's Charizard in the strange substance.

Then, starting at the apex, the entire cone exploded.

The awed watchers saw, through the shimmering of the heat from the earlier stages of the battle, a line of fire connecting to a great starburst in the heavens.

Then the shockwave hit, hammering everyone to the floor, dislodging loose stones and even knocking the instigator backwards almost fifty feet.

The first people to recover from the blast saw a mushrooming cloud of smoke from the great explosion and a smouldering cloned Charizard dropping from the sky to slam into the fountain - though fortunately for the clone, his life-flame was outside the water and clearly still alight.

Ash's Charizard landed daintily on his hind legs, snorted at his foe, and turned to the awestruck trainers.

"Okay, Ash!" Gary got out, "What the hell was that?"

"New kind of Blast Burn, basically a hydrogen fuel-air bomb." Ash said innocently. "It uses the outer edge of the blast to compress the inner section, and with a little Aura in there to control itself properly it can – just – achieve fusion. That's about as powerful as the attack can get, though, as soon as any fusion occurs it destroys the local pressure necessary to fuse in the first place."

"Sorry, Ash," Misty said in a brittle voice, "Did you just say you nuked Mewtwo's Charizard?"

"Kinda, yeah." Ash rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. "It's based on what we managed to reverse engineer of how V-Generate works, though I think that relies on Vinicti's Psychic typing to keep the hydrogen compressed."

_I can say with all honesty I did not expect that. Regardless._ A trio of levitating black balls shot past Mewtwo and instantly captured all three of the Pokémon that had fought.

"What was that for!" Ash shouted, all light-heartedness gone, and let his Aura build into the visible spectrum.

_Your Pokémon are unusually strong. I will make clones of them, and they will be the only creatures left to inherit the earth after I have scoured it clean of life._ Mewtwo 'pathed implacably. Dozens more of the black Poké balls appeared and swarmed the trainers.

Pikachu reacted first, creating a shield of electricity like a canopy over all Ash's and most of Brock and Misty's Pokémon, along with Gary's Eevee. Gyarados and Steelix, unfortunately, were too large to protect and promptly captured. Ash ran out of the shield and fired a brace of Aura Spheres at the Pokeballs heading for some of the other trainers, but to little effect – within an astonishingly small span of time, the only natural-born Pokémon left in the room were those inside Pikachu's shield.

"Damn it…" Gary sighed. "At least Eevee's safe. How long can you keep that up, Pikachu?"

"_Pretty much indefinitely, actually, I can run it on Light Ball alone at this size."_

Mewtwo frowned, and with a gesture the shield was struck by a massive psychic blow. Misty's Psyduck opposed the blast, boosting his abilities as far as they went and throwing off an enormous corona of backlash, but after only a few seconds the shield collapsed and the Pokémon scattered.

Finally pushed beyond his measure of emotional control, Ash released a blast of unfocused Aura that caught Mewtwo's attention. "Mewtwo, what the hell are you doing!"

_I explained this._

"No, I mean why this whole plan to begin with!" Ash heard a screech of despair from his Pidgeot that was cut off by the sound of a ball catching her, and his heart ached.

_Humans are inferior, and the Pokémon that follow them are fools. To end the human trickery, I must purge the entire planet of them and begin anew._

"What about if I could convince you that you were wrong? That humans aren't all like the ones you've met?" Ash pressed, hardly believing how far Mewtwo was willing to go. Behind the Genetic Pokémon, two of the balls exploded under a massive blast of flame from Brock's Ninetales, which then wrapped around her and the Eevee sheltering next to her.

_Intriguing. Demonstrate to me, human, and I may reconsider._

* * *

><p>"Let's sort this out ourselves, then." Ash said, striding forward. "You, a Pokémon made by humanity to be their weapon, who broke their chains… and myself, a human shaped by his Pokémon. One on one."<p>

Mewtwo chuckled, his Miracle Eye allowing his thoughts to be conveyed past the strange shield this human had. _And do you think you can match me?_

"Normally, no. But I've learned a lot in the past year, and one of the most interesting things is the nature of the Ghost type." He held out a hand, gloved as usual, and sliced his forefinger with a nail – a thin sheen of metal on the nail revealing how he had done it.

Blood welled up, and he clenched his fist for a moment to spread it across the gloved palm of his hand. "Their powers are related to sacrifice. For a Ghost, it's something they can channel without problem as they've already paid half the equation." Something smoky began to coalesce in his hand. "For a Pokémon, they can just fuel Ghost attacks with their energy, becoming fatigued. But although I could do the same, it would exhaust me in mere minutes for little effect."

Finally taking shape, a Shadow Ball spun in his hand. "So I can use my very life blood. That alone can give me the strength to fight you, Mewtwo."

The Legendary stared at the greyish, half-there ball. _What are you?_

A sardonic smile graced Ash's face for a second. "Just a kid trying to fill some very big boots. So, what do you say?"

_I have to admit, I am impressed. Very well. If you can demonstrate to me your strength enough to injure me, then I will recant my opinions on humanity's strength. If you can somehow convince me that even one human on this rock is noble enough, then I will recant my opinion on their treacherous nature. If you can do both, then, who knows? Maybe mankind will live another day._

Mewtwo gestured, and the world seemed to ripple. _The storm wall is no longer advancing. I will maintain it at this size until your challenge is up… one way or another._

He levitated six feet into the air and enclosed himself in a protective bubble, then slashed a powerful Psycho Cut at Ash, who dodged and shot his Shadow Ball back.

* * *

><p>Right now, Ash was feeling doubly grateful he had managed to decipher the Shadow Ball. Not only was it an attack that had a lot better potential hurting Mewtwo than any Aura Sphere (he dove behind some cover as a bolt of pressurised air snapped at his kneecap) but since he was using a physical reagent, it took very little Aura. And he needed all the Aura he could get to dodge.<p>

Forming a Shadow ball in one hand and shifting his other into the shimmer of Mirror Coat, he contemplated the Ghost attack for a moment.

Aura Sphere was actually very similar to a Shadow Ball (and thankfully for him, while Mewtwo knew that attack himself it was not his strong point), but the latter attack didn't home in on its' targets. The fundamental property of the Aura Sphere was that it was formed of one of the energies of life, so it could be induced to do that. The same was not true of Shadow Ball.

Ash pulsed a Protect as two of Mewtwo's Shadow Balls (speak of the devil!) arced over the improvised barricade. Mewtwo's version of the attack used his own psychic powers to make them curve after firing, which wasn't exactly something open to Ash.

More worrying was that, after almost ten minutes of combat, he was running out of scenery to hide behind. And starting to feel a bit woozy.

Ash pulsed power to his boots and jumped clear onto the ceiling, then stuck there by way of one of Riolu's little Aura tricks and dropped his Shadow Ball. Not that it would do much good even if it hit, though. Ash had found out early on that the protective bubble Mewtwo had up was able to resist Ghost attacks.

What, in all honesty, _could_ he do? He wasn't low on Aura, but he couldn't get anything from it. He had lost what he estimated to be a good pint of blood just powering his Shadow Balls, half of that in a single thirty-second barrage when he had scored a hit and seen the shield ripple in his Sight.

The main problem was definitely the shield.

Ash kicked off back to the floor as yet another mammoth salvo of Psychic energy obliterated most of the roof, and rolled upright after using a flare of Aura to blunt the impact.

He had to surprise Mewtwo. The only way to do that would be to disappear from his sight – fortunately, Mewtwo couldn't track him by any other method since his Miracle Eye had worn off long ago.

Got it.

Ash dove behind the wall between the dining room (the current area of their battle) and the the courtyard. It hadn't taken as much damage as the rest of their battleground, mainly because Ash didn't want his friends caught in the backlash and they were hiding outside.

Once there, he drew blood yet again from his abused hand, fought off a dizzy spell, and coated both his hands with a generous helping.

As yet another blast of force blew the wall into rubble, he raised a Protect shield to defend himself and slipped over to one side.

Mewtwo floated through the demolished wall, ignoring the cracking sounds coming from the fortress and the rain of brick parts pinging off his shield. Ash imagined he was probably broadcasting something snide telepathically – it didn't matter. He had his chance.

Only when Ash's needle-thin spike of a Shadow Claw punctured his shield did Mewtwo realize something was wrong. He began to turn, even as Ash pushed a whirling Shadow Ball forward in his other hand. He had to-!

Then a psychically-launched blast of air sent him rocketing back into a wall, and something cracked.

_Miracle Eye._ Mewtwo's mental 'voice' came again, through a _lot_ of pain. _Almost, boy. But all it was in the end was deceit and trickery again. _

_Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Of course, since I need to remove all humans from this world, I'd better start with the ones right here._

Mewtwo began to charge up an attack that looked/felt like the one he'd been using on all the load bearing walls… and this time it was pointing at Misty, Brock, Gary, Corey and Fergus.

"No!" Ash protested, pushing himself back up. Yep, that was definitely a broken rib.

_Foolish boy. You can't possibly do anything in your condition._

By way of reply, Ash began stumbling forward, to do anything to protect his friends, to-

He was too late. Mewtwo fired before he'd made it more than halfway.

* * *

><p>"Afternoon!" A cheery male voice said through the smoke and dust.<p>

Ash checked himself in his run, grabbing hold of a lump of masonry to keep himself up. What the hell just happened?

"Sorry we took so long," a female voice that Ash knew he really should recognize. "But it took quite a bit of work to knock all those clones out."

The smoke cleared abruptly with an angry sweep of Mewtwo's arm, revealing what had happened.

In front of the five humans were stood two more and seven Pokémon, most notably an Abra with his arms extended and a staggeringly dense array of shields in front of him and a Cubone holding a badly dented Thick Club in one hand. The other looked to be holding something off a Weavile.

Ash caught a glimpse of hundreds of translucent fragments dissipating into thin air in front of the shieldwall. It looked like Abra had lost most of his shields from the attack, in fact – but not all.

"Thank you, Arceus. Thank you…" he muttered, resting his hands on his knees for a moment.

_How?_ Mewtwo asked imperiously. _How did you block my attack?_

_That was simple,_ Abra said. _All it took was Cubone using Ancient Power, me using Psych Up and then an absolutely immense number of Barrier, Reflect, Light Screen and Protect shields._

_This changes nothing._ Mewtwo glared at the Rocket cell. _All you have done is added to the number who will die here today._

James shrugged. "If we didn't do anything, we'd all die in a hurricane within the week. It's this or we wonder if we could have made a difference."

Mewtwo noticed their eyes flicking to his left, and turned to block whatever Ash was going to try to do this time.

Instead of the punch or Shadow Ball he was expecting, all he got was Ash grasping his shoulder for a second, then collapsing.

And Mewtwo _remembered._

_I… I see. I have done terrible things, and nearly done them all again. Thank you, Ash Ketchum, for saving me. Once again._

Then he noticed that Ash didn't actually seem to be breathing.

* * *

><p>Ash found himself floating in nothingness. For the second time in fairly recent memory, in fact.<p>

:Well, I suppose this means I'm dead then.:

_Dead?_ _No, no, this isn't quite dead._ A shape appeared in front of him. A Pokémon made of darkness, with a red collar and a white plume.

:Darkrai. Aren't you the god of death? Why didn't I see you before?:

_I only appear for special occasions. It keeps things flowing, as it were. That being said, Ash Ketchum, from your file you have quite the history with near death experiences. And time travel, for that matter._

:So… I'm dying, then?:

_Not any more. This isn't for between living and dead. This is for when things go… very unusually. I'm not taking you for quite a while yet._

Ash felt himself being drawn back the way he'd come.

:But… how?:

Darkrai vanished, leaving only a ghostly chuckle.

_What did you think the purpose of Sacred Ash was?_

* * *

><p>His eyes fluttered open, and saw a familiar yellow mouse gazing with concern at his face.<p>

"Hi… Pikachu." He managed, weakly. "Looks like I'm still here."

_Indeed, though I am not sure why. But we had better resolve all this._

With the help of Riolu and Squirtle, Ash managed to rise to a sitting position, and caught sight of his friends standing around him. His hands were bandaged, and there was the tang of a Sitrus berry in his mouth.

Misty affected an angry pose, though the pretence was threadbare. "Ash! You have got to stop making a habit of this!"

"Please, Misty… later." The boy turned to Mewtwo. "Alright… now?"

_Fully. Thank you for…_ Mewtwo paused. _I think it's called Aura Purge, yes?_

After a moment of incomprehension, Ash caught what Mewtwo meant and nodded.

_Thank you for that, then. To think I had forgotten what my very first friend in the world told me… _Mewtwo made a grand gesture, and the entire storm dissolved as if it had never existed. _If any of the Pokémon here who I did not manage to capture are willing, I would be honoured to take clones of them with me as well – for I intend to travel to a remote location to contemplate what my place in the world will be._

Most of Ash's, Brock's and Misty's Pokémon responded in the affirmative near instantly – those that weren't already caught, anyway. Riolu and Togekiss shared a glance, then nodded as well.

_I had at first contemplated wiping the events here from the minds of those who witnessed them…_ the Legendary continued, and many of those in the room flinched, _but to do so would be a disservice. And I couldn't leave Ash scrambling to explain where his blood loss came from._

"Yay…" Ash muttered weakly. "My mum's… going to love _this_ one…"

* * *

><p>In short order, the clones were decanted or revived, and the originals released (often in some indignity) from their captivity. Gary's Blastoise had been adamant that ten more minutes and he'd have broken the tanks, while Pidgeot demanded that she get a chance to shower as soon as possible to clear the gunk from her flight feathers.<p>

_I assume you have some kind of explanation worked out for Giovanni?_

"We got sometin'," Meowth replied, "But he's not da kind of man ta let it go lightly."

James nodded. "I think our best chance is to emphasize both your change of heart, and how you were throwing around building-demolishing Psystrikes while also maintaining a hurricane."

_If you would seek peace, prepare for war. Very well, I shall hope it is enough._

"Just one ting dat's puzzlin' me, though." Meowth said. "How'd da clones know any moves?"

Mewtwo blinked. _I'm… not actually sure. The machines are survivors of my rampage through the laboratory. I assume flash learning, though since Meowthtwo can't speak then there must be some kind of filter._

"Guess we'll call it a mystery, den." Meowth shrugged. "You takin' any of da stuff on da island wid you?"

_Only a little. The cloning tanks go into Mount Ember, frankly._ Mewtwo's arms spread. _Now, everyone, you may feel a slight disorientation._

The surroundings blurred, and suddenly everyone who had travelled to New Island was in the Pokémon centre from which Ash and his friends had set off.

The pier master started with shock. "Where did you come from?"

Brock shrugged. "The last ten minutes were very confusing and may have involved at least one Teleport."

Behind him, the Officer Jenny embraced the returned Joy. "Oh, it's so good to see you safe!"

"It's good to be back," the nurse replied with a smile.

"But…" The officer stepped back a bit. "Where have you been?"

With a flicker of movement, Mewtwo appeared outside the window. _Sorry, forgot that loose end._ Another ripple of psychic distortion, and the Officer reached out to shake Ash's hand.

"Thank you for saving her from being stranded on that island, mister Ketchum. I can't believe I forgot to search the bay, in hindsight it's obvious what happened after both she and her schooner disappeared."

"Heh, yeah…" Ash said weakly, as he spotted Mewtwo levitating the schooner in question out of the harbour before teleporting off with it to parts unknown.

And as the Legendary vanished off to a self imposed exile, something dropped into his pocket.

After the rest of the people in the Pokémon centre who didn't know what had really happened on New Island had finished congratulating him, he checked what it was. He found an all-white Poké ball, with a note.

_I hope you don't mind the presumption._

Ash grinned. Only Mewtwo would have assigned himself a Premier Ball.

* * *

><p>AN: And that's the First Movie done!<p>

Writing Mewtwo was hard. I had to remember that his main human contact was Giovanni in full-on "Pokemon do not matter" mode.

If anyone's confused by the stuff about Ambertwo and Mewtwo's first friend in the world, then the answer is that there was a load of extra backstory about clones and cloning on the DVD version. Ambertwo didn't care whether Mewtwo was a human or a Pokemon - indeed, she said the question itself was sort of silly - so it's strange that Mewtwo went so bad.

Ash did in fact die there, mainly of blood loss and overexertion. Fortunately for him, I set up his way out of that mess quite a while ago...

Mewtwo's signature move as of Gen V is Psystrike. It's as powerful as Earthquake, in statistical terms, so ouch.


	26. Chapter 25

"You did WHAT?"

Ash cringed. "Sorry, Mum… but it was either I went or the planet got wiped out."

"A likely story! Why I-"

He's right. None of the Legendaries apart from Arceus could stop Mewtwo if he fought at full power, and I think Arceus is asleep at the moment.

Delia turned her gaze on Dexter, who reverted to his projector and let it drop to the floor.

Ash slipped his hand in his pouch for a moment, and pulled out the small drawstring bag he'd received from Ho-Oh over a year ago. "Besides, this brought me back. And by the looks of it, it's only been used up a little."

She sighed. "I'm not going to be able to convince you, am I?"

Ash grinned weakly. "Hey, apart from the property damage I'm doing pretty well. Besides, it's not as if death is too terrible a thing, seeing as we _do_ have confirmed proof of an afterlife."

* * *

><p>Misty leant over. "What are you doing?"<p>

Ash looked up. "Sorry, my mind was wandering a bit." As his head moved, Misty saw he was holding the Rainbow Wing he'd been given by Ho-Oh. "I was just wondering… did Ho-Oh guess this was going to happen?"

"With you?" Misty chuckled. "Probably a safe bet _something_ would."

"True." Ash twirled the feather, looking deep into the pennants. "This is pretty strange, you know. When I stop and think about it, I mean."

Misty sat down next to him. "Well, sounds like you need to talk about something. So, go ahead."

He gave her a grateful smile. "I mean, just that my life doesn't fall under any definition of normal. Most people, they spend a few years travelling around their home region, getting a few good Pokémon to live with them for the rest of their lives, maybe challenging the Gyms of one area. In my case, though… I just sort of ended up going further, faster."

The Cerulean Gym Leader nodded. "I can see where you're coming from… my sisters didn't travel all that much. In their case, it was partly the effort of running the gym, but it's also that they already had Pokémon inherited from our parents. So they had their life already laid out for them – train at home a bit, do the Gym Leader exam, and then settle down at Cerulean. As the youngest of four – and a lot more ambitious, I might add! – I had more freedom than them. I decided to go on a journey around Kanto after passing my qualification, see how other Gyms operated, and then…" She tailed off.

"Then I blew up your bike and the chance of a peaceful life with it." Ash said.

"Don't be like that." Misty paused. "Though I will admit it is completely accurate."

"Story of my life." Ash said, with a weak grin. "I do sometimes wonder how Sammy and Oscar feel, you know? They dropped out of the challenge after reaching Saffron, for Oscar, and Sammy at Viridian – which was her fifth gym, I think. They're just looking for a complete team of good friends, now."

Ash tailed off, and went back to contemplating the Rainbow Wing.

"I suppose this is a good metaphor."

"For what?" Misty asked, looking at it herself.

"Don't know." Both of them chuckled. "Be a pretty good one, though."

As it moved, the colours of each individual part shimmered through the spectrum. "It's made up of tiny little bits of keratin, you know." Ash broke the silence again. "They're in, sort of, sheets, and only one colour of light can bounce off all the sheets properly. But as you turn it, the thickness you look through changes, and the colours do as well."

"I didn't know that." Misty said.

"Yeah, well, I didn't either until I got curious and asked Dexter."

"Well, there's your metaphor." At Ash's puzzled frown, she elaborated. "You see a rainbow when you look at it. But everyone looks from a different place, so every rainbow is different. Like looking at a group of people." She gave a smile. "Best I can do."

Ash shrugged.

After a moment, his eyes closed. "That's odd." He turned the feather again in his hands. "This still has Aura."

Misty blinked, then closed her own eyes. "Hang on… there we go. Took me a moment to get the Sight on, I'm out of practice. Yes, you're right. How strange."

Ash breathed in deeply, held it for a second, and let it out. At the very tip of the feather, a tiny rose-coloured flame danced for a second.

"Wasn't there some story where Phoenix flames continued to burn after they left the bird?" Misty asked.

"Don't know. Makes sense, though, Ho-Oh is all about regrowth and renewal. The embers keep burning - that sort of thing."

"It's hopeful, to me." Misty said quietly.

"I agree."

* * *

><p>"You okay?"<p>

Gary looked around, and saw Brock coming out to him from the labs. "Yeah, sorry, I was woolgathering."

"Not a problem. I wanted to see how Ash was, but he and Misty are having a talk and I didn't want to interrupt them. Those two know each other as well as I do either of them, it'd be rude." The Pewter man gave Gary a look up and down.

"So, you okay?"

Gary nodded. Apparently this wasn't enough for Brock, who sat down next to him. "Come on, no need to put on a brave face. Ash, Misty and I have done this kind of thing often enough we're sort of getting used to it, in a weird way. But if I recall correctly, you had a quiet time of it in the other timeline."

"Y-yeah." Gary stammered. "It's… I… that was so scary. I've never really faced a Pokémon with that kind of power before. I, well, I battled Mewtwo in the Viridian Gym, of course, but I didn't know what I was facing so I was scared. Now that I know the kind of thing Mewtwo's capable of…" he tailed off for a moment. "I was so scared I couldn't bring myself to speak. It's one thing to know how powerful a Legendary is and quite another to see it blowing a castle apart in front of you. And when I saw Ash just… jumping about and playing the hero, it made me scared for him as well and I didn't want him to get hurt and-"

Brock put his hand on Gary's shoulder. "Calm down. It's over, you're safe now."

Gary steadied his breathing, which had begun to run away from him. "I… think I'm okay now. Thanks."

"No problem. Take as long as you want to calm down."

After a few minutes of deep, slow, even breaths, Gary resumed. "I suppose I'd have felt better about it if Umbreon was along, you know? I really got to rely on her once she evolved, more than Blastoise if I'm being honest."

"It happens. I know that I use Crobat a lot, though I do still tend to reach for Steelix first. Suppose it's just the way things are, it's why everyone spends a year or so making sure their team's the right one for them."

Gary chuckled weakly. "Ash could have retired with the perfect Pokémon for him on day one. He and Pikachu have an amazing rapport."

"Actually…" Brock began, "You'd be surprised the stories I could tell of when he came to my gym the first time around."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I don't think he paid attention to type effectiveness at all. He actually tried to fight Onix with Pikachu."

The two talked about Ash's early time on the road for another twenty minutes or so, Brock commenting on all the silly things Ash had done – from the hydroelectric power plant incident, to getting kicked unceremoniously out of Celadon Gym for being a loudmouth.

As the lights went out in the Lab, Gary realized the time with a start.

"Wow, it's already midnight." He looked at Brock again, and his face softened. "Thanks. For taking my mind off it."

"Not a problem, Gary. I just want everyone to feel better." Brock grinned wryly. "Must be my time looking after my younger siblings."

"You are the only one of Ash's friends who has them – well, apart from May, and her brother's only a few years younger."

Silence fell, but this time it was more contemplative. Gary pushed himself onto his feet, and walked back to – presumably – his room, without saying anything else.

Brock looked over at Ash and Misty for a few more minutes, before heading in himself.

* * *

><p>Pikachu lay back on the grass on a low rise, staring up at the heavens.<p>

Without turning, he casually said, _"__I__'__ve__ seen __them __different,__ you__ know.__"_

Meowth phased back into visibility. "How'd ya know I was dere?"

"_Electromagnetism again. You're not able to feel it, so you don't know what to fake."_

"Ah well." Meowth flopped down next to him. "Kinda strange for us to be just talkin'."

"_I suppose it is. But more power to us if we can keep doing it. I didn't like having you for an enemy."_

"Just business, right?" Meowth said. "I mean, we didn't mean anytin by it by da end anyways.

_"There's an old saying. I destroy my enemy when I make him my friend."_ Both of them looked around to see Riolu padding up to them. _"Sorry if I'm interrupting, I just didn't want to be alone tonight. Not after that."_

_"It's never a problem, Riolu." _Pikachu assured him. _"And I like the saying. It seems practically designed for Ash – he's certainly turned a lot of enemies into friends."_

Riolu shrugged, lying back and closing his eyes. _"In a way, both of your old selves have been destroyed, in becoming friends. But how else can you have growth?"_

Meowth nodded, then frowned. "Did ya say you'd seen da stars differently?"

_"Yes. This little jaunt isn't the first time travel trip I've had with Ash, or even the biggest – just the longest duration one, as it's only one way. We went into the past to make sure history wasn't ended by Arceus."_

_"I'd have thought you'd be rather too busy to stargaze."_

The mouse gave an embarrassed shrug, unseen by the other two. _"We get thrown in prisons a lot, I took the opportunity. Really amazing. Did you know that the stars are all moving in different directions?"_

"Can't say I did."

_"It's very slow, but the constellations move and change." _Pikachu pointed to one, three tiny sparks flickering above them as he made it clear which set of stars he meant. _"The dragonair? Those five stars near the centre of the constellation used to be the 'wings' of a dragon_ite._"_

As the other two digested this, a light breeze developed. Pikachu glanced over at Riolu, who was shivering slightly. _"You okay?"_

Riolu shook his head. _"Battle shock. I recognize it, it's just that I've never been in such a stressful situation before. Even with Hunter J, either I could see how well my rescuers were doing or I was able to help. But just staring into that cloud of dust, seeing the blasts and feeling the ground shake… Ash was pouring out his own life like water to fight, and I couldn't do a thing."_

_"I've felt helpless before. But I made a private promise to myself, a few years ago."_

Meowth turned towards him. "What's dat?"

_"If Ash dies, I'm breaking into the afterlife and bringing him out myself." _Pikachu's cheeks sparked momentarily with emotion.

Riolu frowned dubiously. _"How?"_

_"I start in Sinnoh, head to New moon island, and get what I want out of Darkrai one way or another."_

"What about-"

The response was immediate. _"Worry seed."_

_"I have to admit, that sounds like it might actually work."_ Riolu said. _"If you ever have to, I'm coming with you."_

"Amen to dat."

Pikachu sighed, and lay back. _"That's too morbid. Let's talk about something else."_

"Sure ting." Meowth thought for a moment. "What's happenin' next?"

_"Let's see…hmm… first time we were at Ash's house… you haven't been selling fake Leaf Stones this time? Because there was that poor woman with the Gloom."_

"Nope!" Meowth said. "We did sell a few real ones, so hopefully dat's not gonna be an issue."

_"Good to know. Next after that is…" _Pikachu tailed off for a second, then rolled onto his feet and looked at the other two, grinning. _"Movie time!"_

* * *

><p>"So." Sir Aaron caressed the hilts of his Sacred Swords, and looked out over the grassy plain before them. Next to him was Dialga, with Ieyasu standing arms-crossed on his back.<p>

"Who do we have to fight here?"

Ieyasu leapt down. "This is the territory of the one-eyed Dragon of Osshu."

The knight froze. "Did you say dragon? Because I have a terrible feeling about this."

Suddenly, a shout of "ARE YOU READY GUYS!" echoed across the plain, followed by a rumbling. Ieyasu clenched his fists, Dialga's gem pulsed as he gathered power, and Sir Aaron contemplated how good a stiff drink would be right about now.

And then, Palkia rode over the crest of a nearby hill on top of a visibly straining Rapidash… with exhaust pipes? Whatever… followed by a horde of mounted samurai.

The three allies charged, Sir Aaron launching his Swords in a series of dazzling, looping trajectories as he closed with the enemy general.

"Okay!" he shouted, appropriating a horse from one of the Osshu men with a swift punch and swinging into the saddle, "Since when could you talk?"

Palkia looked guilty. _"I didn't say anything. It must have been your imagination."_

"And _one_-eyed dragon? You've got both eyes! I know you've got an eyepatch on," as well as a really rather nice helmet, Sir Aaron admitted, "but there's nothing on this plane that could actually hurt you permanently, so why?"

_"It goes with the image."_ Palkia extended two sets of three claws each. "LETS PARTY!"

* * *

><p>AN: A bit of a breather after the first movie plot. They deserve it.<p>

I think Pikachu's plan is pretty much what Ash's Pokémon would do, really.

The Rainbow wing's description is based off the real-world mechanism of iridescence. It's the same reason why butterfly scales or Peacock feathers shimmer different colours, and how that special car paint that changes colour works. CDs produce rainbow effects by a different but related phenomenon. It's one of those things where knowing how it works only makes it more beautiful.

The idea of the phoenix feather still burning after it has been shed is one I first encountered in _Carpe Jugulum_, by Terry Pratchett. It may not be the origin of the legend, but I can't track it back further. In the Discworld book, it's specifically stated they burn in the presence of evil - but I decided not to carry that part forward.

Oh, yeah, and Palkia is Date Masamune - who did not in reality speak Engrish. Or have a motor horse. The Sengoku Basara one does, though.


	27. Chapter 26

Ash watched as Pikachu launched off an immensely powerful Thunderbolt at Dexter, who simply hovered there and absorbed it.

Thanks to a Traced Lightningrod, it did nothing at all, and Dexter waited until it had finished before responding.

Better than last time. You're improving the ramp-up of the Voltage on contact without running it at full power the whole time, which will increase your endurance. Dexter then shimmered into a dozen images. Now, you need to spot which one is the real Double Team. They're electrically perfect duplicates, as well, so don't rely on your voltage wells.

All the duplicates began to glow. You will of course be under Zap Cannon attack.

Pikachu hopped out of the way of a series of thunderbolts and began running around frantically.

Meanwhile, Ninetales sat next to Riolu. _"For us non Dark types, to create a Dark Pulse is hard. It involves being able to create a null structure without any psychic signature in it at all, then to make it self propagating. It's a subset of Aura use, but as it involves draining all the emotion out of the Aura in question, it's not something those with enough Aura to use otherwise are normally very good at."_

_"I see, because they have so much Aura from the very strength of their emotions." _Riolu sat down in seiza, and began to focus.

Squirtle and Brock's Geodude went past, shades clashing against rock arms, and fire and wind exploded overhead as Charizard's Flare Blitz hit a Brave Bird coming the other way.

Pretty much a normal day's training, really.

Then, with a yell, Gary's Blastoise charged into the area. _"Rival!"_

Squirtle spun, knocking Geodude back with his tail as he did so and settling into a stance. _"What is it, fellow member of team Gurren?"_

_"I wish to challenge you!"_ Blastoise' cannons began bubbling with water. _"I too have learned the finishing move!"_

As Blastoise began to coalesce the water he was creating into an enormous drill, Squirtle flipped his shades off his eyes for a second. _"You really think you can beat me? I'm the badass _leader_ of team Gurren!"_ With a moment's effort, Squirtle formed his own drill. _"Giga…"_

Blastoise swung his enormous drill to face Squirtle's smaller one, and spoke along with him. _"Drill…"_

Ash and friends peered over the lip of a small hill. No fools they, the entire group had run for it at the word "challenge".

_"Breaker!" _both Turtle Pokémon bellowed, charging one another in matched vortices of water.

With an almighty crash, they met. The two drills ground against one another for several long seconds before Blastoise' finally destabilized, and Squirtle pressed forward…

Only to meet another drill inside the first. _"What?"_

_"Two cannons means two drills! And both have the entirety of my strength behind them, to match your blazing spirit with my own!"_

Ash's lips moved for a moment. "Does that make sense?"

_"_N_o."_ everyone answered him dully.

"Just thought I'd check."

The now-familiar enormous eruption of water signalled the duel was over, and Ash tossed Squirtle's Poké ball into the air to release him again.

_"What was the number of the cathedral that ran me over?"_ Squirtle muttered to himself, shaking his head.

Gary strolled into the clearing, sending out his own Blastoise again. "Hi, everyone. Wondered where Blastoise went, suppose I should have guessed."

_"The cathedral that hit you was the Cathedral Terra, of course!"_ Blastoise said, wincing in pain, but nevertheless confidently.

_It still knocked you out too…" _Squirtle muttered to himself.

_"A minor inconvenience!"_

"That was just amazing!" a voice shouted from nearby. Everyone turned to see a man with glasses and a large, crew-served camera. "Positively inspirational!"

Brock frowned. "I know you. You're the director, Cleavon Schpielbunk! You made my favourite movie!"

"Oh?" The producer was pleased. "Which one was that?"

"_I Saw What You Ate Last Tuesday._ I was particularly impressed by the ending."

"Ah, yes. One of my better works."

As Brock and Cleavon fell to chatting, Ash sidled over to Gary. "Should I know this guy?"

Gary shrugged. "Grandad mentioned him once. Apparently his films do better with the critics than with the crowd."

"Tell me," Cleavon said, looking at the large number of Pokémon around the clearing, "I had an idea for making a film wherein the Pokémon are the main characters. Would you and your friends be willing to help?"

After a frozen moment, most of the friends' Pokémon nodded enthusiastically and split into groups, talking intently.

Dexter hovered over to one. Yes, I'm fine with providing camera work. I assume you are as well, Dee?

Gary unclipped her core from his necklace and dropped it. She formed before it hit the ground and braked to a halt. Perfectly. CGI work too?

Sounds good.

Riolu was the first to walk over to the producer. _"I have an idea for a film."_

Cleavon looked blank for a second, and Ash began to translate. _"What I want to do is make something set in the Meiji era, around a Ronin."_

"Hmm. Sounds interesting, and certainly might help my films break into the mainstream more."

Gary, meanwhile, was approached by Squirtle and Blastoise. _"Gurren Lagann movie!"_

"Won't that be a bit difficult? I mean, the series is only a few months finished."

_"We'll contact them and do it ourselves! All we'll need is the voice actors!"_

"Sorry, guys. Bit to difficult to arrange."

Pikachu came over to address Dee first. _"Mind sending a message to the Rockets asking them to come over here? I have a plan that needs a few of them."_

Sent. Hm, that's strange.

_"What?"_

"I tink it's cause we're right here." Meowth said, strolling out of the bushes. The rest of the Rockets followed.

Explains how quick the transmission was, then.

_"Can I speak to Cubone, and Abra, and I think Arbok, please?" _Pikachu asked. _"I think Riolu could use you in what he's doing as well, Meowth, though I have a role for him as well."_

Gary rolled his eyes. "I can see this getting confusing quick."

I'll take notes.

* * *

><p>Lara picked up the phone. "Darn good thing ah was in the house… oh! Howdy, cousin!"<p>

On the other side of the phone, Ash blushed slightly. He was still getting used to that term, even the second time around. "Uh, yeah. Hi, Lara. Listen, I was wondering – I had an idea for a film, and there's a producer interested in seeing what we come up with. How many horsemen and women do you have in the area who might be interested?"

Lara blinked, and ran the numbers in her head. "Good few dozen, if we're talking immediately. Ah could scrape up maybe a hundred in a few days."

"Great! I was thinking about something…"

As Ash continued, Lara's eyes widened and she began taking notes. "Sounds fun, Ash. Your place or mine?"

He muttered something at the other end of the phone for a few seconds. "We'll come over to you, if that's okay. Pidgeot and I should arrive in a day or so."

"Sure!"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure we have time for all this?" Misty muttered to Ash. "I mean, it's not all that long before the League."<p>

Ash nodded. "To be honest, I was starting to worry about overtraining. This is a great way to let off stress, really. And we have a couple of months." He finished checking his bag, and climbed aboard Pidgeot. "Oh, get Gary to ask the Professor if he can lend us Damos, a third Porygon camera would speed things up, especially since I'm taking Dexter."

She nodded in return, then snapped her fingers. "You could probably pick up Muk while you're over there."

After a moment of utter stillness, Ash slapped himself in the forehead. "I can't believe I completely forgot him! Must have been because we had that whole kerfuffle with J."

_"I don't remember him all that well either." _Pidgeot chirped reassuringly. _"Now, it looks like the weather's good at the moment. Let's get going."_

Ash braced himself, and shot off to the east.

* * *

><p><em>"How do you see me incorporated into this film you wanted me for?" <em>Cubone asked, looking over the first part of the script Riolu had hurriedly transcribed.

_"Well, actually, as two characters. The female lead – though that's a somewhat irrelevant term with this, really – and as her."_

He pointed to a second one of the characters. Cubone closed her eyes for a second. _"I see. It appears to have been written with me in mind, then."_

_"Well, yes, that's the point of the main events actually."_

Abra came over – walking, for a wonder. _I like my part, myself. And Cubone? Don't just refuse outright. You said you wanted to handle your weakness, well helping with this might be a good catharsis. That and it lets you get out your views to a wider audience, at least._

She stood still for a moment, then read through the rest of the script silently. Finally, she raised her head. _"How do you propose to have me fight myself? Will it not be confusing?"_

_We can get Meowth to teach you Substitute, he knows it. And as for confusion, the director has something he picked up in Isshu a year or two ago for situations like this. It comes up a lot in filming._

_"Oh?" _Riolu asked, interested. _"What is it?"_

_An Eviolite crystal. In essence, it makes you seem to have evolved._

_"That would actually work very well."_ Cubone looked down at her paws for a second. _"What about the weaponry?"_

Dee answered that one. Everyone uses bones or something similar, I'll edit them into the proper forms that we need. The bow's going to be a bit harder but I'm sure we'll come up with something.

_"One last question. What about the dialogue?"_

The wonders of dubbing. Don't worry, I'll use something that's basically what your Aura-translated voice comes across as.

_"Very well." _She sighed. _"Then it seems I have no convenient excuse. When do we start?"_

_"In a bit. I have to check on the other project as well."_

Misty, walking back over, frowned. "You're doing the lead on two separate films?"

_"I'm a Riolu. Humanoid, exotic and with the appearance of nobility. That and my first life was in a noble warrior culture – I know a bit about heroic storytelling." _He formed a bone in his hands, and walked off. _"I also need to see someone about sword-fight practice…"_

* * *

><p><em>"It's a poor replacement for a Gurren Lagann movie." <em>Squirtle sulked.

Pikachu tried to make him see reason. _"You still get to break physics, though. And it's every bit as impossible in setting as out."_

_"Fine, I'll do it."_ Squirtle got up, took his shades off and swiped once-three times at once, somehow, all three blows hitting empty air at the same time. _"That what you wanted me to do?"_

_"Er, yeah."_ Pikachu closed his gaping mouth, and continued. "_You sort of need to know how to fight in kendo style as well, though, that's the backstory. And your opponent, Riolu, is going to be using European style broadsword. I think you'll have to work something out together."_

_"Sure. I'll see him when I get a chance."_

The mouse hurried off, already thinking through his own choreography. _So, I need to emphasize the speed the spear point moves… but the key is to be able to do that while still making it look good._

_Run an electric current down a metal pole to make it glow red hot? Possible._

* * *

><p>Ivysaur frowned. <em>"I think I understand. So I'm cast as the evil Chinese guy?"<em>

Taking the script back, Riolu nodded. _"He's distributing anti-pain drugs to his forces, and you make the most sense for that."_

_"No, I have no problem with it. It's just… who's going to do the climactic duel? I've got no arms."_

Riolu considered. _"I thought Squirtle, but he's unlikely to like it if he has to lose in every plot he's in."_

"I have a Kadabra." Both Pokémon turned to see Gary. "Would he work? I mean, he's got a spoon and with a bit of work from Dee...?"

_"Works for me."_

* * *

><p>Cleavon shook his head, and turned to his film crew as the Pokémon continued running all over the place, organizing, hammering out their scripts and beginning to practice the choreography.<p>

"You know, I could swear I had a plot to work from this morning. It was fairly generic, but at least I knew what was going on."

One of the cameramen shrugged. "We get post production done by Porygon, these films are going to look _amazing._"

"True." The producer rubbed his chin. "And there's that Abra, as well, so I suppose I could see if he'll be the other lead for _Pokémon in Love_."

_Forget it. Use Psyduck or something, he's not got a part yet._

"Uh, okay then."

* * *

><p><em>"Oh, I have a great idea for that scene!" <em>Jigglypuff enthused, and turned to her backing band. _"Ready?"_

The two humans, one Loudred and a Farfetch'd on drums all raised their fists.

_"Right! One, two, three, four!"_

A loud guitar solo began the piece, then the drums and other instruments came in. Jigglypuff nodded along for the first fifteen seconds or so, then broke into song.

_"I wonder what a person imagines, after finally reaching their dream's end…"_

Meowth began translating the song as she went along, trying to work out how to refigure it into something for her to learn that humans could understand – while still fitting the music, of course.

But the real arbiter here was Cubone. It was, after all, essentially her theme – both her two characters and, in a way, hers. Both her characters in the film were based off her, after all.

With a final chord, the song reached its' end. Jigglypuff thanked her band, then turned expectantly to Cubone. _"Well? What do you think?"_

_"It will do. I understand the lyrics are derived from what Abra told you about my past?"_

_"Yes, somewhat." _Jigglypuff deflated slightly. _"Sorry - if that's a problem, I mean."_

_"No, it is not." _Cubone then nodded, seemingly to herself. _"As it is, it will work. Let me know when you have the translated version."_ She walked away.

Jigglypuff huffed. _"Well, that's a bit rude!"_

"Eh, dat's pretty much how she is." Meowth picked at his teeth for a second, then wiped his claw and was all business. "So, how's dis work for you? First line, we go for…"

* * *

><p>Mewtwo looked at the sheaf of paper in front of him. <em>You want me to <em>what_?_

_"The part would fit you, you know." _Pikachu said. _"Besides, if anything's going to convince the Rocket boss to leave you alone, it's this."_

_I have to admit, he's less likely to be able to control a Pokémon who's a film star, and less likely to see me as a danger if I'm participating like this._

Mewtwo turned, and levitated into the air, Pikachu and Abra with him. _I will let Mew know that I will not be here for a week or so. Do come along, I'll handle the return teleport._

_"Uh…" _Pikachu said, anxious. _"Last time, Pikachutwo was really antagonistic towards me."_

_At least this time you'll know what he's talking about._ Mewtwo smirked. _Besides, he's the one who places a lot of our orders to the outside. I built an aerial – so far as anyone's concerned, we're a reclusive shrine to Suicune who use a drop box. It means we can access a lot of the luxuries of the outside world._

The Genetic Pokémon sighed. _In all honesty, the inclusion of Pokémon like Abratwo, Cubonetwo and Riolutwo to who was here last time around has been an amazing stabilizing influence, especially Riolutwo. He can tell if anyone's getting too stir crazy and defuse the situation._

They topped a rise and saw a number of wooden treehouses, along with two temple gates leading to a cave. _That's the route to the healing water – hence our choice of Suicune. The treehouses are largely Ivysaurtwo's work, he has a real talent._

Pikachu gazed at the little village in amazement. _"I'm really impressed, Mewtwo. Especially since last time you had none of this."_

_ Last time it took me a year or so to come to terms with what had happened on New Island. Ah, here they are._

The passengers looked. A Togekiss drifted over, a little Mew bobbing next to her. _"Hello! You must be Pikachuone and Abraone!"_

The two blinked. _"I've never really thought of myself that way, but yes, that's us. We're borrowing Mewtwo for a while, is that okay?"_

_"Of course! He's happy with it, and if it makes someone happy it's okay!"_

Mewtwo had apparently finished talking with Mew. _Would you mind if I got the coordinates from you?_

_"Oh, go ahead."_

_Thank you._ Mewtwo tapped one of Pikachu's ears, then the two of them and Abra vanished.

* * *

><p>"Sorry, Ash. Ah just don't think we can get used to firing a bow from Rapidash or Ponyta. Not so's it would be safe to shoot at someone else, anyway."<p>

Ash shrugged. "It's fine, Lara. I knew there were going to be problems."

I may have a solution.

The two looked at Dexter. "Oh?"

Yes. It is possible, with a great deal of care, to take several segments of film shot in the same place and isolate the differences, to apply on top of a blank area. I can effectively clone the entire cast several times over, for the battle scenes.

"That's pretty neat. Right, let's give it a go. Scene seven point one, second take, everyone!"

The various Laramie clansmembers, friends and locals replied with a hubbub of general agreement, and everyone corrected their costumes and got back onto their mounts. Dexter hovered into the air and zoomed in.

"Alright, everyone, this one we're the opposing force!" Ash called. "So put the horsetail banner _down_, Mara!"

The indicated clanner dipped the ornate prop in salute and rode over on her Rapidash to a nearby fence, exchanging it for a simpler one. "Like you remembered every time yourself, cousin!" She called back with a grin.

This drew chuckles, but soon the horsemen and women were ready. Ash signalled Lara; this bit was her show. He was concentrating at least halfway on staying on his borrowed Rapidash.

"Left guys, y'all gotta go first! Run in front, then circle back behind us and take up position on the right! Right guys, you swap places with them when they get to ya!"

As the hundred or so Rapidash flowed across the landscape, shooting volleys of arrows at the other side of the field and wheeling constantly, Ash and three others waited their turn. This particular run, they were in the second left 'horn' of horse, and their role was to-

With amazing suddenness, it was time, and they joined the second partial charge at nothing, firing their bows, before spilling from the saddle one at a time as 'casualties'.

That short scene over, Ash rubbed his ribs ruefully. He'd learned to fall well, of course, but it still ached. "How was that, Dexter?"

Very good. It was most convincing. With a shimmer in the air, Dexter projected a series of copied versions of the sally.

"Looks a bit too reg'lar for my taste." Lara commented.

That's why we're doing two more takes. I mix their order up and start them at different times, it'll look for all the world like a steppe skirmish.

"That's the plan." Ash said. "Hey, guys! Looks like we're doing it right!"

"Figures!" someone shouted back. "Even a sack of potatoes kin act if all you gotta do is fall!"

"Ah, go jump in a lake!" Ash replied to him. The Laramie clan was different, but after a few days working with the boisterous ranchers, Ash was getting used to them.

* * *

><p>"Good ta see you're back, Ash!" Lara called as he rode back in. "Ah was after wonderin' if you'd be back in time for the next scene!"<p>

Ash grinned weakly and pulled some glop out of his outfit. "Sorry, took a trip to Gringey city. I found what must have been the last Muk there and caught him." He jumped off the Rapidash he'd been lent with rather more aplomb than he had the first time, and led him over to the stables. "I think we both need a bit of a clean, right boy?"

The equine Pokémon snorted and followed him, looking forward to a good sand bath – water _was_ used on the fire types, but for the mane base only sand would do.

Lara looked after them. "Well, you two are certainly getting' along…" And a good thing, too. Ash wouldn't be able to hide away behind the anonymity of an extra's part much longer – the remaining scenes were solo or small groups.

"Ah well. Time ta let everyone know bout the smaller scenes. We kin let them get a bit of shut-eye between them."

* * *

><p>Riolu tugged experimentally on the peace-bonded hilt of the mock sword at his side. <em>"It's not coming out easily."<em>

Ivysaur shrugged. _"That's the point. Does it feel like it'll break accidentally?"_

_"No, but if I really tried I could."_

_"Good, that's exactly what we need. As you well know."_ Ivysaur flipped through the script. _"Okay, we cast almost everyone… made sure the people who are going to get slaughtered en masse are able to produce Substitutes to do it for them… is Growlie done with filming his bit for the other film?"_

_"I think so, yes. And Abra with him completes the list."_

Ivysaur suddenly snickered. _"This is going to be weird. A Psychic type and an Arcanine being protected from me by a Riolu."_

_"You mean a Ronin. That's the point. This whole exercise is partly about the way people's perceptions are different to how they should be."_

_"True, true. And the Viridian shrine is still fine with using them for those scenes?"_

_"Last I heard."_

The Grass type ticked off something else on a list. _"And I think Geodude and I will be able to handle all the rest of the terrain between us, at least as far as the structures go. Dee can do the rest in post-production."_

* * *

><p>"Ready?" Cleavon asked, looking over the shrine area by the moonlight.<p>

_"I am ready." _Ninetales replied.

Cubone, cloaked in the energy of the Eviolite, glanced across at her merely-Cubone shaped Substitute. _"I, also."_

"Okay, now where's Mewtwo?"

_Here._ The Genetic Pokémon floated past, stretched out his hands and effortlessly levitated Ninetales into the air.

"I have to say, this is much easier than wire work." The director said happily, slashing his hand down for the scene to start.

* * *

><p>Dexter flickered through the archive of stored footage. <span>I think we have it all.<span>

"Finally!" Ash collapsed into a chair. "I swear I've been walking for five hours a day, and riding another seven!"

Surprisingly close, actually.

"Right. Well, how are the others doing?"

One moment… it seems that the only remaining filming to do is from the original _Pokémon in love_. It seems that the final battle scene is giving some problems.

"Why?"

Trying to stop everyone showing off, mainly. It's supposed to be a small battle between two families, not the Battle of Sekigahara that everyone's treating it as.

Ash frowned. "Wasn't Sekigahara between retainers of the Toyotomi? So sort of a family feud itself?"

Not the point.

"Ah well. Guess we'll head back tomorrow, then."

Tomorrow afternoon. Thanking everyone who helped is going to take all morning.

"Well, night." Ash yawned, making a bee-line for his bed.

* * *

><p>"No, no, no, <em>no!<em>" Cleavon said, exasperated. "While your… what was it? Delta variant of Shock Wave is impressive, and yes, you'd probably want to use it in a fight like this, that does not justify electrocuting the entire Water type army!"

_"Sorry."_ Pikachu shrugged.

"You're supposed to be doing the weather! Aaargh!"

Pikachu, stop tormenting the poor man. We've finished everything else. Damos pointed out.

_"Fine. But Squirtle better stop going on about the manifest destiny of Water types, and stop Gary's Eevee from doing the same with the Normal types, would you? I'm just the weather technician."_

Wait, what are they doing in the cast anyway? Damos flashed a tight-beam message to Dee, and after a second or so Gary returned his Eevee and Ivysaur dragged Squirtle off.

"Finally! Now, can we please get it right this time?" Cleavon signalled to the pair of Porygon. "Your discretion for shots, start take in three… two… one…"

As normal, all hell broke loose. Fortunately, this time it was merely the chaos of a battlefield and did not involve drills, explosions or lightning strikes.

And then Psyduck got shot tragically with an arrow, though what arrows were doing being fired in the middle of a melee was never actually explained, and there was the tragic death scene.

"And… cut! Excellent!"

* * *

><p>Ash swooped back in on Pidgeot just as Cleavon was leaving the next day, and handed him a slim memory card. "Here. Working title is Sea of Grass, see what you think."<p>

"Oh, thank you. Well, I certainly got more than I expected." The producer smiled. "Four films, how wonderful. I'll invite everyone to the première, of course."

"Don't forget everyone from the Laramie Ranch and surrounds who worked on that film. I'm afraid we might take up most of the cinema if they all come, but they deserve it."

"Yes, I suppose they do. Well, I'll contact you in a week or so."

Ash glanced at Dexter's base unit. "Do we _have_ a week? I lost count."

Two and a half to go before the opening ceremony of the League. Since we three Pings-

Ash snickered. "You what?"

You heard nothing. I most definitely did not mention a silly nickname we have for ourselves. Anyway, since we were working on the post stage even as the filming was going on, it shouldn't take long to get it out there.

Dee floated over. Good going, Dexter, I told you not to mention that joke.

"So, you do call each other that?" Ash said innocently. "And here I was all ready to think I misheard."

Damnit.

* * *

><p>AN: Can anyone tell what the extra films are? Two of them are animated films, and the third is pure historical adaptation. You'll get your answers in a couple of chapters, so if you want to puzzle over it, wait a bit.<p>

It's really hard to keep track of the timeline when the main character never seems to age. I mean, in the anime he somehow went a year without having a birthday. So I'm starting to slip into mutable time - oh well, I'll make it up in the later areas, where things go a lot faster.

Cleavon is actually a direct and not very well hidden parody of Spielberg - though apparently without the other's success.


	28. Chapter 27

Ash! Dexter said suddenly. I missed something big.

"What?" Ash asked, one eye on Riolu as the Emanation Pokémon volleyed yet another series of attacks into Muk. The big gooey Pokémon was something of a specialist and contrary to Ash's normal sweeper tactics, but by those very qualities he was good at stopping an enemy from taking out his team – the radical tactical shift could work wonders.

Of course, that meant getting him used to being a punching bag again, which was why over half of Ash's Pokémon had been taking turns doing it all day. Indeed, the sun was low enough in the sky they'd need to stop soon.

Something really, really big. Remember that archaeological dig site?

Ash did indeed remember, and went pale. "The one with the utterly enormous Pokémon? The Alakazam, Gengar and… Jigglypuff?"

Yes. Well, this is the day the dig reaches the place they found the artefacts.

"Didn't we reveal the site in the first place?"

Only of the Alakazam device. The Gengar one was discovered by other, unknown means, and if only that one emerges the result's almost as bad.

"Yeah, Pallet Town plays the role of the Tokyo Tower." Ash's eyes flicked over his Pokémon. "What do we have that can handle a Ghost type?"

Not much, those ones were approaching Legendary grade powerful. Numbers might work, and Bruno – but no, he won't still be in the area.

"Right." Ash sighed heavily. "Best to be pre-emptive about it, then. Go find all three artefacts, and make sure none of them activate – or alternatively all of them. Hey, Pikachu! We've got some work to do!"

Pikachu hopped to his shoulder, and he set off towards the dig site.

* * *

><p>"Well, I have to say, Doctor, it was an inspiration to explore this side tunnel. We've found conclusive proof that this is some kind of ancient civilization." Gary said, holding up an artefact of two large black spheres with a smaller one in the middle.<p>

Gary, Dee said suddenly. I feel nervous around that thing. I don't know why yet, I'm still searching for the reference, but it's… wrong.

"Why?" Eve, the Archaeologist, asked. "We can't just stop exploring because someone is nervous. If we did that in archaeology, then nobody would ever have discovered the tomb of Tutenkhamun, or the Terracotta army."

No, this is different. Let's leave. Dee pleaded.

The object twitched, and an invisible force pushed Gary solidly in the chest. He let out an _oof_ of lost air, fell backwards and dropped the object… which stayed in the air.

"Doctor?" Gary wheezed out, pushing himself back upright, "I'm new to archaeology. Is this normal?"

"No…" As they watched, a shape began to solidify in the air. Becoming more visible and more solid with every passing moment, a huge Gengar began to form.

It looked like it was barely small enough to fit in the tunnel, and it was still growing.

I hate to say I told you so.

Gary grabbed the startled Eve, hoisted her in a carry against his front and turned to run. "Not helping, Dee! Mind giving us some cover?"

On it. Dee's form materialized from her projector. Set up. Zap Cannon.

Electricity slashed backwards, and the Gengar simply phased away from it. Warning: this Gengar possesses something that appears far more effective than normal Ghost typing. Conjecture is that it simulates Wonder Guard.

"Oh, just brilliant. And I'm fresh out of Dark types." Gary one-handed Dee's earpiece set into his ear. "Ash!"

A click, buzz, then he heard Ash running. "What is it, Gary?"

"Eve – an archaeologist I was working with – and I managed somehow to wake up a giant Ghost type in the caves to the east. It's got some kind of Wonder Guard ability, I can't touch it, and it's coming towards Pallet!"

Ash cursed. "Alright, I should have told you about this one. Wasn't thinking. Call your granddad and let everyone else know, I'll take over delaying it."

"Ash, you can't be thinking of-"

"If I have to, I'll use Shadow Ball again. But Pidgeot has a Ghost move, and if we can get Brock's Ninetales over here we have a chance."

Gary nodded, invisible to his friend. "All right, then. I'm heading straight back from the cave nearest the town itself."

"I know the one." Ash ended the call with a gesture on his end. "Pidgeot, get us in the air and over there!"

_"I will."_

* * *

><p>Gary stumbled as a sudden gale lashed at him, rolling as he fell so he took the impact on his side rather than the more vulnerable back or front – where Eve was, to boot.<p>

But that, he knew, was only the scatter from the actual attack, and with a quick apology to his passenger he pushed himself up to look.

Ash's Pidgeot swept past, barely ten feet over the enormous Ghost's head, and her Ominous Wind attack actually checked the monster's striding advance.

Ash himself ran over to Gary. "Are you okay?"

He winced. "Yeah, they'll bruise but I'll be fine. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, get out of here – and bring back support. I can't fight this thing alone, not and work out how to stop it."

The Oak pushed himself up again, and Eve slipped out of his arms. "I'll stay here – maybe I can help."

Gary glanced at Ash, who didn't seem to be objecting. "Fine. But both of you stay safe."

With a nod and a jerk of his head, Ash reminded Gary to get going.

"Okay, any ideas, Doctor?" Ash asked as Pidgeot swept in again with another Ominous Wind.

"I found a tablet earlier, in the ruins." Eve replied. "I wasn't able to decipher it, though, it's in a very old variant of the language." She shrugged. "I haven't had the time, what with everyone else from the trip being occupied elsewhere – that's why I asked Gary to help me."

"Okay." Ash flicked Dexter's core into the air, and the Porygon materialized. "Do you have any record of it on you?"

"Yes, on the memory card of my camera."

"Right. Dexter, have a look."

Eve brought up the image on the back screen, and Dexter's eyes flashed. Analyzing… language identified as Late Jomon, Kanto variant. Message is as follows.

_Beware the two great powers of destruction,_

_the shadow of the dark device will grapple with the prisoner of the unearthly urn._

_The sacred city will be no more as day is swallowed up by night._

_Darker still for you when they return to lay waste to the world,_

_but no human knows the secret to soothe the powers and guide them back to the shadow world._

"Now that," Eve muttered to herself, "Is irresponsible. What was the point?"

Ash frowned. "Arms race with Pokéatlantis?" At that last, a snatch of memory he never suspected he had rippled in front of his eyes – the rulers of Pokémonopolis and Pokéatlantis arguing heatedly about one another's plans to use the _maiju_ of the lands as weapons.

He shook the echo of a long dead king and his grandiose dreams of capturing a Legendary from his mind.

"I suppose it does make sense." Eve was saying. "But in that case, how did they make this Pokémon so _powerful_?"

* * *

><p>Pidgeot sent another Ominous Wind at the enormous Gengar, noting that this time its' attacks actually would have hit her were it not for her Normal typing. That couldn't be good, it was only a matter of time before it turned out to know some other kind of attack, and if it had her attack patterns deciphered enough to predict her, that other kind of attack would hit.<p>

A warmth ran through her. At least the repeated use of the Ghost type attack was strengthening her, making her attacks more powerful and herself faster.

Her keen eyes spotted something on the ground that shouldn't be there. _What's she doing here?_

* * *

><p>Gary ran into the lobby of his grandfather's lab, supported himself with hands on knees for a moment, and made for the Poké ball room. He'd have to check where the Pokémon he wanted were, but he could build a fairly competent Psychic and Ghost-attack based team.<p>

Brock was already there. "I thought you'd be coming here. Misty's headed out already – she's got some Psychic types. But you should know, there's a big Alakazam that could turn up as well. So remember to add in Bug types."

The younger boy nodded, eyes flicking over the shelves. "Thanks." Oh, Grandad had labelled them. That was nice.

Brock suddenly pointed at his belt. "So, who's in use?"

Gary glanced down at the six holsters almost everyone used. "What do you mean?"

Then he saw it. Of the six, five had the _full_ light lit. The other one was not.

"Oh, no. Eevee must have decided to fight!" Gary snatched up his hurriedly decided-upon team and was off and running, Brock a pace behind him.

* * *

><p>"Right. It mentions an 'unearthly urn' as well as a 'Dark device'." Ash pointed out. "Apart from being awesomely alliterative, that suggests that there's another around here."<p>

The nice thing about time travel was all those lines you thought of the next year that would have been really nice to come up with on the fly.

"If we could get it out as well and set them to fighting, at least we'd have more time to think of something. That and Pidgeot can't keep that up forever."

"Right." Eve looked around. "How are we going to find something like that?"

Pikachu hopped down from his perch. _"I can help. My electric sense is good enough that I can tell where there are spaces underground."_

The archaeologist looked blank, so Ash translated for her.

"Oh, I see. Like geophysics scans, then. Yes, that would help." After glancing over her shoulder at Pidgeot playing the role of a Pika-dore, she set off after Pikachu with Ash bringing up the rear.

* * *

><p><em>"What are you doing here?" <em>Pidgeot called down to Eevee as she executed a wingover above her.

_"I want to help! I don't want Gary, or his hometown to be in danger, and-", _she was quiet for a moment, as Pidgeot's attacks caused the Gengar to ponderously turn away from her, _"and this thing's the opposite of what a Pokémon should be! We're supposed to protect people, not to destroy!"_

_"At the moment, you're one of the people who needs protecting!"_

_"No! I won't accept that I have to leave you to fight alone! I'm a Normal type too!"_

_"Just hide! I'm sorry, but you're not powerful enough yet!"_ Pidgeot banked around Gengar, and one of the missed attacks hit a tree, blowing it into splinters.

Eevee spotted the effect and suddenly felt afraid. Her typing might make her immune to the direct effects of a Ghost's attacks, but the _side_ effects were something else entirely. Shrapnel, concussive force and collapsing trees were all risks.

Well, if she had wanted to avoid risk she would have been a different person altogether. Focusing, she used a Quick Attack and dodged out of the way of a Shadow Ball-esque beam of Ghost type energy.

* * *

><p>"What do you think?" Ash asked, holding up a strange, brown-camo-patterned object.<p>

Eve examined it critically. "Not much of an urn. But then the meaning of words does shift over the centuries. How do we activate it, I wonder?"

Pikachu loped over. _"Found another one. Looks the same kind of pattern as that, but it's a spoon."_

"Hm." Eve murmured, before looking at it and asking, "Don't Alakazam use spoons? It'd make sense for Alakazam to be in the Unearthly Urn, they and Gengar are well matched type wise."

Ash took the spoon from Pikachu. "Well, no other way to check." He made sure his hat was firmly on his head, and slotted spoon to urn.

There was an audible _click_, and the urn began to levitate before flying off back down the tunnel.

"What did you do that for?"

"Well, we did want to get them fighting, right? If they're such rivals, they'd ignore everything else to focus on the other."

"Seems quite reckless, but alright." Eve shook her head. "But what now? Two Pokémon that powerful fighting one another could do serious damage to the Kanto region, or even destroy the world!"

Ash looked at her. "There are dozens of legendaries on the home islands. They'd stop it before it got that far. Remember, there are Pokémon like Lugia or Ho-Oh out there."

The mention of Ho-oh brought up another flash of memory from the king of Pokéatlantis, specifically of how jubilant he'd felt when the great _maiju_ of his rivals had defeated one another and left the way open for his grand plan with Ho-Oh.

Ash frowned for a moment, and pushed the memories away again. _Looks like that encounter left me with more than I thought. Must be Pokémonopolis stirring them up…_

"Right, the world's not destroyed, there's got to be some kind of fail-safe for both of them down here. Pikachu, I need you to keep looking. Probably somewhere big – this thing would have been applauded, not hidden."

Eve nodded. "Makes sense to me."

* * *

><p>Pidgeot disengaged from battle, relieved, as an enormous Alakazam began fighting the Gengar. As the fight was no longer creeping towards Pallet Town, she could leave to rest herself. Firing that many Ominous Wind attacks had nearly spent her.<p>

Down on the ground, Eevee ran out of the way herself. She'd been using Double Team illusions to distract the Gengar, but couldn't honestly say it had been much use.

On spotting Gary and a small horde of reinforcements turn up, she headed over to him. He gathered her up and held her. "You shouldn't have done that… oh, don't do that to me again, okay?"

She knew what he meant, that he was concerned for her, and smiled slightly-

-but then a flash of light caught her eye.

One of Alakazam's attacks had deflected off that of its' opponent and was headed for Gary.

She reacted without thinking and jumped from his arms, straight at the beam.

"Eevee!"

Gary stared at the blast of multicoloured light that had, a moment ago, been his dear little Eevee.

Umbreon landed on the forest floor and briefly looked herself over, then gave a grin. _"MY turn."_

Inhaling briefly, she shot out a Dark Pulse at the battling titans.

* * *

><p>"Giant paintbrush." Ash sighed. "This is just getting silly. What do you think? Smeargle?"<p>

"What's a Smeargle?" Eve asked.

Ash held up Dexter, screen displaying one of the artistic Pokémon. "They can copy moves. They're pretty diverse in their possible moves, though do suffer from the way they're relatively physically weak."

"Okay, that's quite impressive. I didn't spend much time on Pokémon when I was younger."

Ash blinked, thrown off track. "You're, what, a year older than me?"

"And do you have any idea how hard it is to become a Doctor of Archaeology by nine? I barely had time to _eat._"

Pikachu flashed a spark of lightning to catch everyone's attention. _"Shouldn't we be stopping the rampage of enormous Pokémon now?"_

"Sure." Ash shrugged. "Well, I may as well do what worked with the last one."

Eve looked concerned. "And that is?"

Ash grinned.

With a quick yank, he pulled the enormous brush from the altar, and it activated.

* * *

><p>"That was anticlimactic." Gary grumbled. Umbreon rubbed against his shin, and he reached down to caress her. "I thought these fights you kept getting in were impressive."<p>

"Against those things?" Ash waved a hand. "No way am I going to go for impressive if something simpler works."

Misty snapped her fingers. "Hey, Ash? Remember all those cloned Pokémon? Well, these have similar markings. I wonder if there's some sort of relation?"

"Not like we can test it." Brock shrugged.

* * *

><p><em>Now, where are you?<em> Ash asked himself silently, meditating. He'd felt the alien presence twice today, and he wanted to find out what the deal with it was.

He was delving deep into his memory, searching for the mind of who could only be the King of Pokéatlantis.

Ash gave a mental snort. _Maybe it is poetic justice, but I sort of wish Ho-Oh hadn't made him immortal in the process. I really should have chucked the damn orb in the sea or the Reverse World or something._

Suddenly, something flashed. A shard of memory that felt like it was his, but one he didn't remember. Could it be what he was after?

_Battle__. Betrayal. Familiar scene, but unfamiliar participants. Absence of friends. Loss, pain, exhaustion, witnessing of battle. Hopeless charge._

_Death and renewal._

Ash staggered back. So _that _was what happened on New Island last time? There was an uncomfortable parallel of events there – and it added one to the list of prophecies he'd fulfilled. But it was good to know, especially as it filled in a lot of gaps about his second meeting with Mewtwo.

On examining it more closely, it looked like it had turned up at the same time as he'd restored Mewtwo. Something of a backup, from Mewtwo's memories rather than his own.

_Right. Now, where's that thing I was originally looking for?_

Something else twinkled in the distance. This one was a darker, purple colour. Colour? Something gave that sensation, anyway.

More hesitant this time after discovering how overwhelming a rush of memories could be, Ash gently reached out for it.

_Rage. Megalomania. Frustration. _But they were faint, and there was no king here. Just memories, like an echo of the real sociopathic monarch.

_Which is, of course, a good thing._ Ash relaxed, and scanned over what was there.

A few arguments. Diplomatic stuff, mostly. Three or four battles, though only one with any Pokémon in at all – and not many of them. And a more vivid section about the build-up to the king's imprisonment.

_Makes sense. It's what he'd have been thinking about when he was possessing me._

Ash locked away the alien shard and came out of his trance, to drop into sleep instead.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, so this set isn't a complete run of breather chapters.<p>

Why is it that ancient civilizations always seal away their weapons of mass destruction so insecurely that a random bloke touching it is enough to trigger its' release? Modern equivalents don't detonate if you drop them, set fire to them, shoot them, crush them, pretty much anything. They're made that way.

Also, Umbreon. She evolved earlier, but then Gary is nicer earlier. Though apparently the douche that we know and... tolerate, from the anime, isn't actually the original version. Like Kasumi(Misty) and Takeshi(Brock), Shigeru was very different to his English-language version - he and Ash saw one another as honourable rivals.

Kasumi, meanwhile, was very self-confident, flirty and thought she was the hottest thing in the room. And Takeshi often asked people when they were going to be eighteen and made suggestive comments.

You can probably see why they changed them for the US and English in general.


	29. Chapter 28

The post arrived, and Ash picked it up as he was closest to the door. "Hey, there's a letter from Hollywood. Looks like the Premiere managed to sneak in before the League opens."

Misty and Brock crowded around, and Gary poked his head in the window. "You got some too? There's plane tickets in there, we better hurry to catch the flight."

* * *

><p>"Ah, amazing to be somewhere so totally different to normal." Brock looked around the LAX airport. "Hang on, didn't the Rockets help us out? I didn't see them on the plane."<p>

"Maybe they were on a different flight."

Brock's reply was drowned out by a surging roar of turbines, and a large jet fighter descended vertically to stop on a helipad to one side of the group.

Meowth bounced out, followed by a slightly cramped Jessie and James. "Bet ya forgot we had dis!"

"I actually did. You guys teleport too much."

"So you guys got tickets too…" Ash was frowning. "We didn't see the Laramie Ranch people either."

Misty spotted a waving young woman. "Over there!"

"Howdy, Ash, James, and all y'all!" Lara grinned as she bounded up to them. "We got here last night. Been staying with relatives."

"Wait a sec. A hundred or so ranchers, Pokémon like Ash's Charizard, and a great big cast in general… is there going to be room in the cinema?"

"That's the best part! We got the whole day booked in the Chinese Theatre!"

Jessie blinked in surprise. "Okay, wow. Isn't that place really famous?"

"Yeah, the buzz about these films is really big. I think it's actually ours that got them to take a better look at the others, Ash."

Brock stroked his chin. "I can see that. It's not as quirky as the idea of an all-Pokémon film, and seeing it as one of the four would encourage the critics to look more at the other three."

"That's what the film guy said." Lara began gesturing. "Come on, this way!"

Meowth glanced at the map, then flickered out of sight. He wanted to check on something…

* * *

><p>"So, which one's first?" Ash whispered to Lara. She was acting as a barrier between Ash's party and the Rockets, with the horde of Pokémon spread out over several rows.<p>

"Think it's our one, now shush. It's starting."

* * *

><p>The screen lit, with the first image being a boundless sky with barely a cloud to be seen. After a few seconds, the camera panned down to show a spire of rock reaching up out of endless rolling hills of long grass.<p>

The first person to appear was Ash, though his friends had to double take at the screen before they confirmed that, yes, it was him. Dressed in Steppe tribal clothing of the kind that had hardly changed in millennia, he was followed by similarly attired children of around his age from the Ranch area.

"Temujin, slow down!" One of them called to Ash, and Brock snapped his fingers.

Turning to Ash, he whispered, "You're doing-"

Ash nodded.

The next few minutes established the characters of Temujin and his brothers via their attempting to take a Pidgeot egg to raise as a hunting bird. Borte breathlessly mentioned the superstition that an egg laid by a fully evolved Pokémon would be stronger and evolve faster.

Temujin was shown to be the son of the clan leader of a small tribe in the high Steppes. Not the first son, nor the youngest, and destined for a minor alliance marriage in a nearby minor tribe.

Then came the film's conflict. The assassination of his father, his family living in the wilderness, killing his elder brother when the brother tried to steal food, growing up, until finally at a shockingly young age he returned to his old tribe in triumph and took over.

Temujin then took over another nearby tribe with a show of strength, and another, until at the climactic battle of the film (with over three thousand participants, although barely a hundred actors – courtesy of course of Dexter) he secured control over his entire people.

The next day, members of nearby peoples such as the Turkic arrived to treat with him.

As one of them left the Yurt, he glanced back. "So, what shall we call you? You are not simply a chief, or even a leader of one people."

Temujin thought for a moment. "Let me be called the Lord of the Sea of Grass."

The man, a Uriankhai, chuckled. "Then the world will fear Genghis Khan of the Mongols!"

With that, the credits rolled.

There was a nice song by Jigglypuff's band, who had done the music for the whole film. This particular one, it seemed, was called 'behold a pale horse'.

There was a double meaning in that – for this _was_ Genghis Khan, who had been like death, riding to millions on a pale horse.

* * *

><p>Ash and Dexter had been so careful when adapting the film from the <em>secret histories<em> to not mention the word "Mongol" that the revelation took half of the audience by surprise. As the credits rolled, a hubbub of conversation filled the theatre.

Cleavon let it go on for a few minutes, then clapped his hands. "I've been informed there will be a twenty minute break before the second film is shown. If you need to get a drink, go and do it now."

Ash recalled his Pokémon with a series of swift motions. "We better let the Pokémon get some time outside, too, guys."

"I'm impressed wid dat, Ash." Meowth said, jumping over his partners. "Didn't get it till da end."

"Thanks." Ash said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

James blinked. "I didn't see you come in."

"Eh, I was lookin' for Meowzie. Didn't see her anywhere, so ya musta changed sometin', Ash."

* * *

><p>In Fuchsia city, a Meowth sneezed. Koga glanced over at her. "Make sure that doesn't happen on the assault course."<p>

_"Of course, sensei."_

* * *

><p>"Anyways, I'm lookin' forward to da next one!"<p>

_I rather hope you enjoy it._ Everyone winced slightly as a massive wash of psychic presence swept over them.

_Oh, sorry,_ Mewtwo added, _I'm still getting used to controlling the level of that. Anyway, this second one is the only one I was actually in. For the rest of the week, I ended up as special effects._

"You are the only Pokémon with the psychic power and focus to construct entire sets in a matter of moments." Misty said, remembering how many times the young Legendary had done just that.

_I prefer to think of my work on the aerial scenes when such a topic comes up._

The conversation was interrupted by Gary suddenly cursing. "Does this mean that Ash is the only one of us who managed to get _himself_ made a movie star? Damnit!"

* * *

><p>The audience fell silent as the second film opened, this time with a female voice's narration.<p>

"The Holy Grail War is fought every forty years, a struggle between seven of the Magus hiding away within the country to seize an artefact that can grant any wish. These mages are empowered to contract the spirits of heroes from the past.

Seven heroes are always called, one of each type.

Saber, the strongest, wielder of the sword.

Lancer, the agile master of the spear.

Caster, possessing magic greater than any found today.

Archer, dealer of death from afar.

Rider, with a swift and deadly steed.

Berserker, possessed of maddened strength.

Assassain, the secretive killer of the shadows.

Master and Servant fight until only one team is left, then those winners take the grail and achieve their fondest wish."

The screen lightened, to show Cubone walking along.

"Of course, it would have helped had I known any of that before the war found me."

* * *

><p>Flashes of a Marowak and a Pikachu, the former with a pair of exquisite ivory and ebony falchion and the latter with a long spear, fighting in what appeared to be a school yard late at night. Cubone watched, astonished, then saw an Abra behind the Marowak. "What are you doing here, Ran?" she said with one of Dee's many artificial voices.<p>

When Cubone tried to duck back out of sight, Pikachu broke off his battle, chased her up and promptly stabbed her. "Sorry about this, kid," he said, this voice vaguely Irish, "But it's one of the rules. Witnesses to the Grail War have to die, simple as that."

Then the Abra did something with a crystal pendant, and Cubone's wound was gone.

* * *

><p>"Who are you?"<p>

The electric-type frowned. "So, you survived that? That makes me feel better about this. It's crueller killing humans who haven't a hope fighting back!"

Cubone went flying from a kick, and strange runes began to glow on her hand. Then on the floor.

* * *

><p><em>"One of yours?" <em>Pidgeot chirped quietly to Mewtwo.

_Yes._

* * *

><p>A Riolu in armour appeared and attacked Pikachu with a shimmering, half-seen sword, quickly driving him off.<p>

"Servant Saber. Upon your summoning, I have come forth. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Cubone blinked. "What?"

The narration returned. "I am Sajou Emiya. And that is how I ended up in this mess."

The title card finally made an appearance: Unlimited Blade Works.

* * *

><p>Kirei Kotomine, a Psyduck wearing a crucifix, explained to Sajou and Ran that they would have to kill or be killed in the Holy Grail War.<p>

"I'll only fight to end this ridiculous war!"

Beside her, Ran shook his head at the naivete on display.

* * *

><p>It was amazing to watch, for everyone who knew Cubone, seeing how sincerely she could play Sajou's hot blooded character.<p>

Jessie, looking over at her, wondered if perhaps playing this role had helped her.

* * *

><p>The sound of thumping footsteps interrupted a conversation between Sajou and Ran. Both looked over into the night mist, and saw an Eevee picking her way forward.<p>

She stared dispassionately for a moment at the two Masters and their Servants, then smiled slightly. "Kill them all, Berserker."

With a roar, a Charizard barrelled forward out of the mist swinging an enormous club.

Marowak pulled Ran out of the way, summoned a bow and began firing. Riolu/Saber likewise leapt into battle.

* * *

><p>After Berserker had nearly wiped the floor with Saber, Ran suddenly got a message from his Servant.<p>

_Get away._

The camera zoomed out… and out… and showed the Marowak Archer. Five miles away, on top of a hill, a crackling arrow on her bow.

The shot devastated the entire battlefield.

* * *

><p>"Okay, how did you do that one?" Gary asked Dee. She replied with text.<p>

If you show an attack, then a vast explosion, people assume the attack caused the explosion. We just had Charizard let off a Blast-Burn and then started filming again in the smoking crater.

* * *

><p>"Let's go home, Berserker." Gary's (at the time) Eevee said calmly. "Bye bye."<p>

* * *

><p>Ran crossed his arms. "What heroic spirit are you?"<p>

"I don't remember." Archer said. "It seems my memories are incomplete." A slight grin crossed her face, barely seen under the bone mask. "This is because your summoning was done wrong."

* * *

><p>Cubone looked around her. She was in a field of blades. Just a dry, packed desert with swords and spears and all manner of weapon stuck into the ground.<p>

Looking towards the sun, she saw a figure on a small hill, impaled with many blades-

Then she woke up.

* * *

><p>Strange red threads over the school, visible only to the eyes of a Magus.<p>

One of Sajou's friends, the Ivysaur Shinji, asking her what was wrong.

Arbok, the servant Rider, appearing at Shinji's side that evening.

The Holy Grail War continued to unfold, Ran and Sajou trying desperately to keep a lid on the chaos caused by things like Arbok's "Blood Fort Andromeda".

But when they fought their way to the pair, they found Arbok already dead, and echoes of a Ninetales floating through the halls.

* * *

><p>"You're in luck." The Psyduck, Kotomine, said to an infuriated Shinji. "There happens to be a Servant without a Master at this time…"<p>

* * *

><p>Saber, running up the steps to the temple which Sajou had begun sleepwalking towards.<p>

Squirtle, introducing himself as Assassain.

The revelation that the Caster in this war was Ninetales.

Archer, pulling Sajou out of the firing line. "My own stupidity makes my head ache when I hear it from you!"

* * *

><p>Much of the audience nodded to themselves at that. Those who weren't aware of the plot twist instead frowned in confusion.<p>

* * *

><p>Archer avoided killing her enemy, Caster broke Saber's contract with Sajou…<p>

Everything became stranger.

Caster's master turned out to be one of the local school teachers, an Arcanine.

Sajou and Ran tried to confront Caster, and Archer betrayed her Master. For the first time, Sajou's true power was shown – the formation of blades, just like Archer.

* * *

><p>The next few minutes of the film were subdued, until the two Masters without their Servants tried to ally with the Eevee and her monstrous Charizard. Running into the main hall of her mansion, they found a horizontal blizzard of swords raining down on Berserker from the "servant without a master" that Ivysaur had contracted – Mewtwo, as a version of the ancient Babylonian king Gilgamesh.<p>

* * *

><p><em>I think I did quite a good job with this scene.<em>

Charizard tossed his head. _"Well, it hurt. And you certainly play an arrogant monster well."_

_I have experience._

* * *

><p>Gary winced. "Okay, <em>ew<em>."

Umbreon licked his face. _"Wouldn't work on me anymore, even if he tried. Dark, remember?"_

* * *

><p>Sajou revealed her background, as someone who has wanted to "save", because of her being the only survivor of a great fire.<p>

As the two discussed their next objective, Pikachu/Lancer hopped down from above and volunteered his help in the defeat of Caster.

* * *

><p>Pikachu and Marowak battled in the church grounds.<p>

"Gae Bolg!"

With that, the identity of the hero Lancer was based off was clear – the ancient warrior, Cu Cullain.

The attack was held off by the so-called Archer, but she then revealed that her plan was aimed at Caster in the first place.

* * *

><p>Below, Sajou and Ran fought to try and free Riolu. Their attack was mainly defeated by the teamwork of the Ninetales and Arcanine, the latter of whom destroyed several of Sajou's copies of Archer's twin swords with a blistering sequence of physical attacks.<p>

As the two Fire types gloated, however, Archer shot them from a nearby landing.

* * *

><p>Trying to save Sajou from her seemingly-berserk former servant, Ran executed the summons contract on Saber directly.<p>

The Riolu's hands once more clutched a sword, but this one was fully visible – a beautiful gold, blue and steel blade bearing letters in an unknown script. Only one part was legible- _escalibur._

The newly revealed King Arthur fought well, but Archer's trump card – the reality marble _Unlimited Blade Works, _a weapon version of the actress' own _Bones of the Hills,_ nearly killed both Sajou and Saber and forced them to retreat. Sajou demanded that Archer explain his actions at the manor the Eevee had lived in.

* * *

><p>"We both have the same pendant, even though only one was supposed to exist. We have the same powers. How is this possible?"<p>

Marowak nodded. "My real name is heroic spirit Emiya. I am the tired, bitter end of your ideals. I saved many people, but all I had in the end was regret."

* * *

><p>Riolu nudged Pikachu. <em>"I had to help her with the lines for this bit. She wanted it to be different."<em>

* * *

><p>"My purpose is to prevent you from becoming a heroic spirit. But it looks like you understand that we will fight by crossing blades."<p>

The two formed a pair of copies each of Durandal, and charged.

At one of the clashes of blades, the screen cut to show a vision Sajou had just received.

_My body... _

_Is made of swords._

_Iron is my blood_

_ And glass is my heart._

_I have overcome countless battlefields undefeated._

_Not once have i retreated_

_Nor once have i been understood._

_Always alone_

_On the hill of swords…_

_intoxicated with victory..._

_thus, this life has no meaning._

_This body... _

_was definitely... _

_made out of blades._

"So, you saw it then?" Archer asked, as her past self collapsed. "The truth that awaits you in the future, a fake bound by worthless ideals her entire life?"

Sajou charged back into battle with a cry, and the two fenced to the music of _Imitation._

* * *

><p>"How touching." MewtwoGilgamesh mocked, interrupting the tableau of Sajou's defeat of her future self.

Everyone turned, ready for a fight.

"You all get to live, to die another day, scum." Mewtwo levitated off. "I have to complete the grail."

* * *

><p>"The only thing that can match his power is…"<p>

"Me." Sajou said. "My power is the same as Archer's. If I have enough mana, I can match him."

"How do we manage that?"

* * *

><p>Everyone in the theatre blinked. "What the hell was that?"<p>

Dee hummed. I don't know. In my version they just forced twenty Ethers down her neck.

* * *

><p>Assassain agreed to fight Saber, explaining that it was because he was not a "real" hero and had never actually existed that he wanted to test himself.<p>

Their battle ended with Assassain using the Tsubame Gaeshi attack he had developed through experience, a refraction of dimensions through pure skill that allowed three sword strokes simultaneously, but his attack was just insufficient to defeat the Excalibur.

* * *

><p>Squirtle grinned. <em>"Took hardly any effort at all!"<em>

_"You broke space." _Ivysaur reminded him. _"Some people would consider that _harder_ than the acting stoic you had to do. We needed fifteen takes."_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ran went off to save Shinji, trapped as he was in a vast, suspiciously Muk-like mass of corruption leaking from the 'holy' grail, and Sajou matched Mewtwo sword for sword in a spectacular cacophony of crashing weapons.<p>

"Did not Archer tell you your ideals are borrowed?"

"Yeah." Sajou pulled herself up again. "But did he not follow them all the way to the end? What's wrong with that?"

* * *

><p>When Arthur arrived, Sajou sent him along to help Ran and continued the fight on her own.<p>

"You fool!" Mewtwo chuckled, then rained more swords on Sajou.

With a flare of fire, the Cubone used her reality marble.

"Everything here is an imitation! Completely worthless objects to you!" Sajou shouted, taking up one of the swords stuck in the ground. "But there's no rule that says a fake can't defeat the original!"

* * *

><p>Hundreds of swords from an apparently-still-alive Archer in the sky blew a path for Ran to get Shinji to safety. With them out of the way, Saber invoked his legendary weapon and annihilated the corrupt Grail.<p>

* * *

><p>Sajou and Gilgamesh, wielding legendary weapons like disposable toys, fought back and forth across the created landscape.<p>

Finally, when he lost one of his best weapons, Gilgamesh reached for his "true" weapon, Ea, and the extra second allowed Sajou to finally end the Grail War.

* * *

><p>"It's over." Sajou said, staring at the devastated terrain.<p>

"Yes. It is. And on a better note than my own." Archer nodded to her, then walked over to Ran.

Over the last few minutes, to the gentle theme of _Eternity, _Marowak said her goodbyes.

* * *

><p>"Was it me, or was that a combination of group therapy for Cubone and an excuse for special effects?" Ash asked as the lights went back up.<p>

_"Hey, we got to stage a fight between King Arthur and Hercules. What more do you want?"_

"True. But this could be a lot more deep than it is."

_"I'll try and get something worked out, there's about two weeks' worth of time we planned out. Hopefully show off who Rider really was as well as what Gilgamesh was doing here."_

"…special effects _were_ spectacular, though."

* * *

><p>The third film (Sword of the Stranger) was, thankfully, more conventional. Riolu once more played a major role, though this time as a Ronin around the time of the Shogunate.<p>

Other characters included a shrine priest (Mewtwo), evil Ming general in pursuit of immortality (Ivysaur), and a boy and his dog (Nobody commented on how the dog, Growlie, was about ten times bigger than the boy, being played by Abra.)

Gary's Kadabra played as a westerner with a passion for interesting fights, naturally on the side of the villains. Geodude, meanwhile, was a tough subordinate of Ivysaur's character Luo-lang.

* * *

><p>Ash frowned. "Why's Riolu's sword tied to the sheath?"<p>

_"It's called peace bonding. Indicates he doesn't intend to kill anyone, as he can't draw his sword."_

"Right, can't kill anyone, got it."

* * *

><p>After a fairly protracted negotiation and not a little emotional blackmail, Riolu finally agreed to escort Abra and Arcanine to a remote Buddhist temple, so as to avoid the Big Bad attacking him.<p>

Not that that worked all that well. In fact, generally speaking there was an awful lot of attacking.

* * *

><p>"How many substitutes did you kill off in this film?" Ash asked incredulously, as thirty copies of Meowth went down in as many seconds.<p>

_"We all lost count."_

"What, even Dee?"

_"All of us." _Pikachu repeated.

"And another thing - I thought you said the point of the peace-bond was to show he didn't want to kill anyone."

_"He's good enough to do it anyway."_

* * *

><p>"That was one of the most amazing pieces of film I have ever seen." Gary commented in an absent tone as the film wound to a close. "I mean, wow. I saw it when it was being filmed, but…"<p>

I'll take that as a compliment. Dee remarked lightly.

* * *

><p>After the other three, <em>Pokémon in love<em> was relatively pedestrian. But it was well-constructed, nevertheless, and the way Cleavon had _not_ relied on Dee's dubbing skills and used solely the expressions of the actors gave it a unique quality.

* * *

><p>Ash and his friends practically pried themselves out of the seats in which they had been sitting for the better part of nine hours on and off, ready to head back to LAX for their flight home.<p>

_Excuse me, but I'm going back to Johto myself via long distance teleport. I would not mind taking passengers for the Home Islands._

Several of the humans and Pokémon stopped, turning to Mewtwo. "How many can you take?"

_Remember the enormous hurricane?_ Mewtwo replied. _There's very little limit on how many I can teleport._

"Eh, we're goin' back our own way." Meowth said, speaking for his team. "We can't leave the Su over here."

_I see. Everyone else, I'll go back in three hours from here, so pick up anything you left somewhere and meet me then._

* * *

><p><em>Okay, wow.<em>

Mewtwo gazed across the huge number of people, mainly Ranchers, then cracked his knuckles.

_I do enjoy a challenge._

For a moment, everyone's vision wavered like they'd just plunged into water, then they found themselves sitting on their respective beds, at their respective homes or where they were otherwise staying.

Ash checked his. "Showoff! He properly made my bed, too!"

_"Actually," _Mimey commented from the door, _"That was me."_

"Oh, sorry."

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah, pretty self indulgent. But I think that UBW provided some character development for Cubone, at least, and also served the purpose of "humanizing" Mewtwo for Giovanni.<p>

Sword of the Stranger is a great classic of the Anime medium, and the main reason the description of it is so short is that I didn't feel I could possibly do it justice. I recommend watching it.

There's no actual film called Sea of Grass, at least as far as I know. There are several film reproductions of the story of Temujin, which is known fairly well from the Secret History of the Mongols, but for this version I drew primarily on the Wolf of the Plains, by Conn Iggulden, which compresses the time frame of the unification.

Next chapter is back to the main storyline.


	30. Chapter 29

"We're on the roo-ad, to Viri-di-an ci-ity…"

"Ash, please stop singing that." Misty said, frowning at him.

"Sorry. I'm just excited, I mean, this is my first Pokémon League!"

She rolled her eyes. "No, it's not."

"I demand written proof." He grinned. "Anyway, it's certainly the first one in far too long."

Riolu raised a paw. _"It's _my_ first, does that count?"_

"Hey," Brock said. "At least you get to do them once a year. Officially qualified gym leaders aren't allowed to compete in any tournament they faced the Elite Four of to qualify. So neither Misty nor I can even start a Gym challenge until they replace someone."

"Why's that?"

"Hangover from the Shogunate again. Stops regions from becoming too fractious, otherwise the Leaders would just challenge one another constantly and not do their job. Ieyasu Tokugawa really wanted to make sure the unification stuck that time."

Ash nodded. "I can understand that. It was, what, the third attempt?"

"Yes. I don't think he really had to worry, though, by that point everyone was heartily sick of the whole Warring States thing."

* * *

><p>A shadow flashed overhead. Ash dropped into a slight crouch, then relaxed upon seeing it was just an overly enthusiastic Pokémon trainer. "Afternoon. Heading to the League as well?"<p>

"I am. Do you want to have a practice battle?"

Ash eyed him dubiously. "You're not going to insist on anything stupid, like the loser having to give up all their badges, are you?"

"What? No!"

"Just thought I'd check. And you kind of sound familiar…"

The other trainer looked eager. "You do? I'm Otoshi!"

Ash, Brock and Misty looked between themselves and shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Figures. People only know me as a voice actor anyway." Otoshi then waved his hand dismissively. "I voiced a popular anime character for a couple of years, through they put it on hiatus while I did my League Challenge to let the manga build up a lead again."

Brock snapped his fingers. "That character who's a Poochyena youkai?"

"That's the one!"

Ash flipped Dexter open for a second. "Well, I can see why they picked you… forget voice, you _look_ practically identical. Apart from the hair colour, but then hardly anyone has pure white hair."

Otoshi shrugged. "Shall we get on with that battle?"

"Sure! One Pokémon each?"

"A skirmish, then? Fine! Marowak!"

Pikachu bounded forward into the fight, and started with a Magnet Rise to keep him off the ground and away from any earthquakes. _"Hah! Not much you can do against me now, Maro-"_

WAK!

The side effect of Magnet Rise is that it also means the user is not actually in contact with the ground. This means that 'friction' and 'gravity' barely apply in terms of staying in one place when, say, hit by a large club.

_"Ow…"_ Pikachu mumbled from a small crater in the bark of a tree.

Ash jogged over and pried him loose. "That's what you get for underestimating people, Pikachu. Remember, we're dealing with the Pokémon League now, and everyone's beaten eight gyms."

_"Okay, okay, lesson learned, now make the world stop spinning."_ Pikachu flopped backwards onto the grass.

Ash shrugged. "I suppose I should thank you, he and I both kind of needed that wake-up call."

"Was your Pikachu going against my Marowak even a good idea in the first place?" Otoshi asked, frowning.

"He's overwhelmed Lightningrod before, let alone Ground typing, but it's inconsistent."

"Fair enough, then. Well, nice meeting you and see you at the League!"

* * *

><p>"Ah, here we are. Indigo Plateau."<p>

"You know, it used to be called the Quartz plateau…" Brock mused. "It's a huge fault block of metamorphosed Quartzite that can withstand weathering better than almost anything else between these mountains, because…" he tailed off. "Oh, what? I do know quite a lot about this sort of thing!"

"You lost us at fault." Ash replied bluntly.

"Whatever. Kids…"

"You're still a teenager as well!"

"And you're not a teenager yet, so 'as well' doesn't fit. Anyway, they changed the name to Indigo so that all of the Leagues were associated with a colour, like the Orange and the Silver."

Misty frowned. "What about that one in Sinnoh? Or the Ever Grande conference?"

"Lily of the Valley has the official designation of white, Ever Grande is blue, and stop nitpicking." Brock huffed. "Besides, they're not Honshu leagues."

"Whatever."

At that point, the friends heard a faint rumbling from behind them, and prudently stepped out of the way of the Torch procession.

Ash gave a slight smile. "I remember when the Rockets tried to steal that, and…" he tailed off, and closed his eyes. "Thought so. Moltres is shadowing the torch, probably because of curiosity or something."

"What, really?" Misty asked. Ash pointed.

Squinting, she finally managed to pick out a tiny dot. "How did you spot that?"

"Legendaries have a lot of Aura. Now that I actually have a chance to watch, it's really kind of impressive."

The others concentrated for a moment, then engaged their own out-of-practice sight.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. Looks sort of like a star in the night sky…"

* * *

><p>"Good afternoon. It's the last day for registering, you made it just in time."<p>

Ash gave a weak smile. "Better than not making it at all, right?"

"I suppose. Now, your badges?"

He opened his jacket. "Boulder, Cascade, Thunder, Marsh, Rainbow, Soul, Volcano, Earth."

"Oh, I'm impressed!" the administrator, a Nurse Joy doing double duty, said. "We don't see the Volcano or Marsh badges a lot here any more, most people go to Chubu for some of their badges instead, as that's joint Indigo-Silver territory."

"Yeah, about that…" Brock interrupted. "What happened to the Indigo League regular inspections? I didn't see one in my entire tenure of a few years, then we found that Cerulean sometimes didn't bother with fights, Saffron's leader had been half-mad for a decade and the Cinnabar Gym had basically closed down entirely."

"That's somewhat worrying – sorry, your name?"

Brock flashed his badge of office. "Brock, Pewter leader – on sabbatical at the moment. My father has taken over my position."

"I see. So how did your friend get those badges anyway?"

Ash sighed heavily. "I cured Sabrina and solved something like eighty-odd riddles for Blaine. Seriously, that man needs something a bit more moderate if he's making his supplemental challenge intelligence…"

The Joy taking his registration paused, and looked more closely at him. "Oh, I get it now! You're the one who destroyed Cerulean Gym!"

"It was partly Misty's fault! How else was I supposed to fight a Chinchou with an Electric type?" Ash replied, then glanced at Misty's expression. "I mean, oops, yeah, that was me. Now can we get on with it?"

"Oh, sorry. Yes, you're registered to compete. It looks like your first preliminary is in three days, two after the opening ceremony tomorrow. Report to the Grass field at ten A.M, and you're battling someone by the name of Quinn."

"Thanks." Ash turned away from the counter, noticing that his entry number was #255. "Talk about by the skin of my teeth. Well, guys, looks like we get a day to look around before it's time. Wonder if Ritchie's here yet?"

Brock turned to him as they walked off. "Was that the kid who was basically a clone of you?"

"Yeah, I've run into a few, but he was the closest. Though one of the others had a Pikachu, too…"

More support for your hypothesis that the universe somehow finds you amusing.

"That's not a hypowhatever, that's solid fact. _Arceus_ was betting on my reactions, Dexter. Not to mention the whole prophecy thing."

* * *

><p>An image appeared in front of Ash: a Voltorb.<p>

"Ivysaur."

The image shifted. Now it was a Venomoth.

"Charizard."

Inadvisable. Charizard as a surprise is best saved for later in the tournament.

"True. Pikachu, then."

Pikachu would win, but likely be affected by a powder first.

Dexter's projection changed again, this time showing a Mr. Mime.

"Tough one. Riolu."

Prediction is of victory. But be careful showing your cards so early in the tournament – others knowing that Riolu knows Dark Pulse is going to affect their latter decisions.

"I know, but then that's half the point of the League. One of Tobias' biggest advantages against me was that I had no idea what his team was apart from that damn Darkrai."

And then it turned out to include a Latios, yes.

"Ah, end simulations. I don't think they take the nature of a battle properly into effect."

Ash made to get up, but then a thought occurred to him. "Can you contact Butterfree? Let him know that I might be calling on him in a couple of days."

Certainly.

* * *

><p>Ash and the rest of the competitors – except for the one carrying the torch - stood on the field of the main stadium as the opening ceremony played itself out around them. Under normal circumstances, there would be precisely two hundred and fifty five people in ranks.<p>

Normal didn't apply this year. There were two hundred and fifty six – or seven, depending on what the official status of a certain Meowth was. Team Rocket had entered as a group, and anyone who might have felt offended hadn't noticed in time.

Not that there were many, not with a man whose very name spoke of good will running the ceremonies.

An important-looking man stepped up to the microphone first. "I hereby declare open the three hundred and ninety ninth Indigo League in this era of the united Home Islands."

Ash suppressed a grin. He'd heard about this – like the Olympics, the Pokémon League officially insisted that every one of its' scheduled tournaments took place, even though they were shut down in wartimes. But as far as they were concerned, the year after Sekigahara had been the first one and it would be counted from then whether or not it actually happened, damnit.

"I would also like to say-"

Mr. Goodshow tapped the other official on the shoulder. "That's enough. You know your instructions, the speech doesn't keep going after that."

"Fine, then." The man, who looked like a minister of some sort, walked off the podium in a huff.

"And now," Mr. Goodshow continued, "The flame is to be lit! This flame, from Moltres itself, symbolizes the virtues of the competition."

_Funny how of the two Moltres I've met, one of them attempted to incinerate me… _Ash mused. _Wonder what that virtue means?_

"Will the last of the torch bearers please step forward?"

Ash turned with everyone else to look, then blinked. _That's Gary._ He hid a snicker._ I wonder, did he drive part of the way?_

Gary walked up to the steps and began to ascend them, holding the torch carefully, when a _whoosh_ of air nearly blew him over.

"Wow!" came from the speakers. "It seems that Moltres itself has decided to turn up for the opening ceremony! We can only hope that this means it will be a particularly fiery competition!"

The great flame Pokémon slowly turned in place over the bowl, watching as Gary recovered his wits and ascended, bowing to Moltres before touching the torch to kindling. Then the Legendary shot a Flamethrower into the bowl, igniting it with a dull _whump._

For a moment, as it began to take flight again, its' eyes swept the contestants, giving Ash a little thrill as its' gaze passed over him.

And was it his imagination, or had it lingered for a split second?

Then the Bird of Fire was gone once more, a lingering scent in the air where wood-smoke from the League flame had been blown around.

Three or four seconds late – understandable, given the shock of what had just occurred – several hundred fireworks shot skywards, bursting in a rainbow of colours that swept quickly through the spectrum to a deep indigo.

Over the four elemental arenas to the cardinal points of the main one, similar firework displays traced out a leaf, a rock, a drop or a snowflake in indigo.

This apparently reminded Mr. Goodshow of what he was supposed to be doing. "Ah, okay, for those who are first time competitors here, at the Indigo League we tend to have four matches going on at once until the last 32, which are held here. The first four matches you will each do will be in one of the four satellite arenas, so those who want to fight in the Indigo stadium will have to show the ability to use terrain as varied as Ice, Rock, Water and Grass, representing the four types of natural landscape. Once everyone remaining has qualified, it's a straight knockout tournament, with the winner facing the Elite Four. I believe Lorelei is the first member this year. Thank you, and I hope to see all of you do the best you can."

* * *

><p>"I just had a thought," Ash said suddenly as they watched Gary's first battle. He was using his Arcanine to melt the ice field, making things easier for his starter when he had to use it.<p>

"What is it?"

"Half the League contestants have some kind of dramatic entrance, from _sakura_ blossoms to magic tricks. I'd kind of like to have one as well."

Brock shrugged. "Well, the easy one would be to arrive on Pidgeot. I mean, it does reveal her, but then you're going to do that anyway as she's a better reveal than Charizard this early in the tournament."

"I do like that. And it'd look really impressive, too, given that I'll be wearing the full costume in the arena." Ash had been cutting back on how much he wore the enhanced clothes, recently, mainly because his mother had complained.

Misty chuckled. "You sure your mum will be okay with that?"

"She wanted me to look my best on TV, and that outfit's my best. It's simple logic."

* * *

><p>Sir Aaron sighed. "Really? This is the next guy we have to fight?"<p>

Uematsu Hojo rolled around on the floor. "My back!"

Palkia looked uncertain. _"That's not as impressive as it could be."_

"Tell me about it."

_Well, sor-ry._ A voice huffed from everywhere at once. _I thought I'd add character to them._

"You made the Magoichi of Saica into a time traveller!" Sir Aaron complained. "I mean, guns yes, even shotgun. But a rocket launcher, two machine guns and _air support?"_

_…You enjoyed the fight, didn't you?_

"Not the point." Aaron gauged his opponent for a moment, and kicked at Hojo. The old man flinched with the unexpectedly loud _crack_ of the impact, then stood up slowly. "Thanks, youngster, you fixed my back! But this is a battle, you know. Fuuma! Get him!"

Nothing. Hojo looked up. "Fuuma? Where's my ninja gone?"

_"Dialga and Ieyasu landed on him five minutes ago."_

Hojo gulped as he contemplated the pair of ludicrously good swordsmen (or –dragons) in front of him. "Aheh-heh-heh… no hard feelings?"

* * *

><p>AN: Otoshi's character design and voice actor (in some dubs) are carried over from the title character of Inu Yasha. In the original timeline, he had had his badges stolen by Team Rocket and tried to win Ash's to replace them.<p>

Bizzarely, that episode is banned in Korea.

The Kanto gyms are a bit of a shambles in the Anime, aren't they? When you list them all in one go, it really sounds a bit off.

One of the interesting features of the Pokémon world is that their mythology is very present - in this case Moltres. I decided to give Moltres a slightly different reason to be here than the last time (another Team Rocket shenanigan).

The Indigo, Orange and Silver leagues do seem to have a theme in their names - though in the Japanese, Indigo Plateau is instead Quartz plateau. Indigo works well because it's the name of both a colour (Kanto) and a plant (Johto), though with Johto having a different League in the Anime this is less important.

There will probably be mainly battles for the next several chapters. It's what comes of reaching the League. Hope the breather was nice.


	31. Chapter 30

Quinn strode boldly out into the Grass field area, and looked across the field. She couldn't see anyone at the other end. "Hey, where's my opponent?"

"Don't worry." The referee replied. "He put in an application for a flyover, so-"

A moving sliver of colour shot over the outer retaining wall of the arena, banked in a high speed circle over most of the crowd, and slowed in a stall over the side of the stadium opposite the female trainer.

As it did so, it became clear that the moving form was that of a Pidgeot. Just at the apex when Pidgeot was no longer rising, a blue human shape dropped straight down twenty feet and landed in a crouch.

"Morning." Ash said pleasantly. "Ten AM, right?" His left hand, which had braked his fall, tossed a Poké ball in the air and returned Pidgeot.

"…yes." The referee said, shaking his head. "I've seen a lot of entrances in my time, so don't think that impressed me or anything, but how exactly did you survive that fall without breaking a leg?"

Ash shrugged. "Trade secret. I traded for it."

"Fine, then." The referee turned and activated his microphone. "The rules are, three Pokémon each. Nothing that would endanger the crowd."

Pikachu muttered something into Ash's ear, who relayed it. "How are weather effects?"

"They're fine, the stadium has a retractible roof. We cover everything but the central arena itself if one is let off. Now, begin!"

Both trainers threw their first Pokeballs at the same time. Quinn led off with a Flareon, whereas Ash sent out his Pidgeot again.

"Damn!" Quinn muttered. "Match can't use his best attack if she's up there. Oh, well. Flamethrower!"

Pidgeot danced to the side as a blast of flame shot skywards, before wheeling back in on the tail of the fire to use the thermal.

"Grass…" the trainer muttered. "Pity to do this, but it's my best chance. Match! Flare Blitz, inward spiral!"

* * *

><p>Ash ducked as the Flame Eevee-lution dashed past his box. "Can Flareon even learn that move?"<p>

Apparently some of them can. It's a good thing Pidgeot can stay out of the way of that attack, though, it would be devastating.

He licked his finger and raised it over the lip of the box. "Yeah, that's pretty hot. And it looks like it's starting to rotate, too. Firestorm?"

Likely.

"Right." Ash gauged things for a moment, then held up a Poké ball in each hand. "Pidgeot, come back here! Squirtle!"

"_This blazing spirit of mine will always overcome! If faced with evaporating heat, there'll just be more water to make up the difference! This is my Pledge!"_

Ah, Water Pledge. Interesting move.

Ash looked down at his Pokédex. "I think I saw that in Isshu. The one that is more effective if Fire Pledge precedes it?"

A series of pulsing explosions sounded as a column of water hit the firestorm from above, throwing droplets of water all over the stadium.

It's supposed to be, but I think he just managed to get it to trigger on the flaming tornado of doom.

"Yep, that's Squirtle."

* * *

><p>Match, Quinn's Flareon, broke off his Blitz and danced out of the way as the water finally broke through the core of the firestorm and slammed into the ground.<p>

Braking to a halt, he let off a quick Inferno and drove away what water there was near him.

Squirtle and Flareon faced one another warily over a landscape of scorched ash and crumbling grass skeletons.

"And the battlers have completely destroyed the field, in only ten seconds more than the league record!"

Ash poked his head over the armoured box. "What's the record?"

"Two seconds. Ice field, high powered Camerupt, first move Eruption."

Everyone winced. "Ouch…"

"Right!" Quinn said, pulling out a second Poké ball of her own. "Ivysaur!"

"Pidgeot, back out there!"

"Ivysaur, send up some stun spore cover!"

Pidgeot knifed in, launched a Defog and was gone so fast that Quinn's Ivysaur couldn't really keep track. Then a one-layer Razor Wind stirred up the ashes of the grass field, causing a few of them to flicker feebly, and spread them throughout the area as a Smokescreen.

The Ivysaur looked around for a moment, then caught a disturbance in the swirling clouds and lashed out with his vines.

They caught, and he began to capitalize on this with a Power Whip – and then was pulled into the air with a sudden intense tug.

Pidgeot chuckled to herself as her relatively small movements whipcracked the Ivysaur into the air, around in a great, nearly-circular arc, and sent him crashing back into the ground. _Ah, physics._

A red beam caught the groggy Ivysaur, returning him before he passed out completely.

Quinn took her third and last Pokémon for the fight out. "Polaris!"

"Polaris?" Ash repeated to himself. "Wonder what that might be…"

* * *

><p>"Thunderbolt!"<p>

Pidgeot danced aside from the quick bolt of lightning, a series of air layers attempting to buffer the voltage that did catch her wing, and upon seeing that the Pokémon was a Starmie replied with an Ominous Wind that blew the smoke away from the centre of the arena.

Pikachu shivered as the wide-area move touched him. _"That's really creepy, you know. It feels like a breath of cold air in an empty room."_

"I know what you mean." Ash shrugged. "But I've used Ghost moves myself, so it's something I'm more ready for now. Felt really strange when I was one, though. Sort of like everything real was the opposite, so it was all warm."

Pikachu pointed into the arena, as a series of thunderbolts snapped skywards in an increasingly dense pattern. _"You think maybe I should go in instead of Pidgeot?"_

"Oh, yeah, sure. Pidgeot, return!"

Pikachu jumped over the retaining wall, cheeks snapping, and drank in the next volley of thunderbolts in his Lightningrod. _"Thanks for the pick-me-up!"_

The Starmie spun in place and fired out a shot of Brine at Pikachu, who tried to use it as a conduit to blast Starmie instead of dodging. The Starfish Pokémon had apparently thought of that, spacing out the stream in discrete blasts to break the circuit.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, as he realized what their plan was. "That salt water's going to stop your attacks from getting anywhere, they'll just conduct straight back into your own Lightningrod!"

"_Now you tell me!"_ Pikachu yelped. _"That's almost as cunning as that thing Pidgeot just did!"_

Now safe from electric attack, Starmie hovered slowly upwards and began sending psychic blasts at Pikachu, who ran in a random evasion pattern to dodge.

"_Any ideas?"_

Ash thought for a moment. "That smokescreen's still there… run through it! The water will settle the smoke and hopefully get used up!"

"_If you say so!" _Pikachu dashed off to the edge of the arena, and began to do as Ash had specified. It wasn't long, though, before a Psybeam caught him and sent him flying into the air.

"Pikachu!"

Or at least that's what all the humans watching heard Ash shout. Pikachu, however, along with every other Pokémon, heard something rather different.

"_Natural Gift!"_

The Rawst berry that Ash had passed him earlier upon seeing Match was consumed, and a blast of condensed sunlight hit Polaris from a completely improbable source.

Thus stunned and driven back towards the ground, the Starmie's first notice that Pikachu was on the way was when the Volt Tackle arrived from above.

"_Well, I didn't think it would be useful, but I was wrong." _Pikachu commented, before running back over to Ash's side of the arena to take his beloved Light Ball back.

"The move or the berry?"

"_Both."_

"It is the best way to learn different Aura types, though." Ash muttered, and threw Squirtle's Poké ball back into the arena to face off against Match.

* * *

><p>Squirtle shot a blast of water at Match, who evaporated it with a Flamethrower.<p>

"_Hmmm… interesting. Aha!"_ Diving out of the way of a Flare Blitz, he retracted his limbs and shot into the air with a Hydro Pump.

After a moment, much of the released water began to form a sort of cocoon around him, rotating rapidly as he spun. _"There's a big difference between the temperature of the air and the temperature that water boils at. All it takes is a moment out of the line of fire and it cools down. So take this!"_

The flying turtle began to shoot downwards towards Match, the water in his outer layer never exposed to the Flareon's fire for more than a second or so. _"Water Impact!"_

* * *

><p>Ash frowned. "Does that move exist?"<p>

I think it's Waterfall with a fancy name.

* * *

><p>Mud and water fountained into the air, along with an unconscious Flareon. Quinn returned him, then threw up her hands. "I forfeit. Ivysaur's too beaten up and your team is still pretty much intact."<p>

"Winner, Ash Ketchum!"

Ash felt his cheeks heat as the crowd applauded.

* * *

><p>Three days later, Ash's second battle came around. This time, on the Rock field.<p>

"And facing him, Jaxon!"

Jaxon was a big guy, who looked like he was on the other end of his teens from Ash. He lost no time, starting with a Muk.

Ash promptly replied by sending out Ivysaur. "Make sure to keep your distance!"

"_I don't exactly intend to charge, if that's what you mean." _Ivysaur replied, launching a mud-slap at Muk.

"Muk, Flamethrower!"

Ivysaur vanished underground with Dig as the fire approached, popping back out a couple of dozen feet away. _"This is going _brilliantly_."_

"Shut up! I don't know which poison types can arbitrarily use fire techniques!"

Ivysaur ducked down again as another blast of fire went over, and didn't return to the surface. Muk looked around, confused.

Ash closed his eyes, did a double take, and ducked down into his box.

A rumble heralded Ivysaur returning to the surface, some distance from Muk. _"Well?" _A Solarbeam hit Muk in the side, not injuring him as much as it could have, but still a powerful attack.

"Fire Blast this time!"

Muk inhaled, and then exploded violently.

* * *

><p>A Light Screen, courtesy of Dexter, blocked some wayward sludge from entering Ash's box.<p>

"Wh-what was that?" The commentator shouted, sounding almost panicked.

"Poisonpowder released from underground, as a fuel air bomb?" Ash muttered.

Correct.

A few seconds later, the commentator came over the speakers again. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, after a talk with our local Joy, I can tell you that Jaxon's Muk is not permanently harmed. If you have a piece of sludge near you, those in the front rows, please signal and a bag will be provided. Muk is going to be reincorporated later, and will be fine so long as not too much mass is missing."

"Your Pokémon's got style, kid. I like that." Jaxom then took a second Poké ball. "Kadabra! Take this 'saur down!"

Ivysaur disappeared underground again, but a few seconds later that area of the field creaked, cracked and he came bursting back out again, enveloped in the glow of Psychic.

"_Oh, this is going to-"_

Kadabra sent him soaring into the air, and began sending up powerful psychokinetic blasts to injure Ivysaur, and keep the Grass-type (but more importantly, _Poison-_type) juggled. Without being close to the ground, he was unable to escape or anchor himself, and after a few seconds Ash returned him; thought for a moment and replied with Kingler.

"Kadabra, keep it up! Charge Beam!"

As the bolt of electricity formed, Kingler dodged sideways behind a boulder. Since it was neither a homing attack nor being fired by an Electric type, it hit the boulder and did very little apart from blowing a few chips out of it.

Kingler clicked his pincers, and lifted the boulder a few inches in his claws.

* * *

><p><span>Kingler used Strength. Kingler can move boulders.<span>

"Pardon?"

Sorry, I thought I should point it out.

* * *

><p>One of Kingler's claws began to glow, and he advanced slowly, looking around him and keeping up his impromptu shield.<p>

"Behind!" Ash suddenly yelled.

Kingler threw the rock unceremoniously into the air and released his charged Hyper Beam, catching Kadabra as he materialized with a glancing blow. The impact sent the Psychic type skidding backwards, but only seemed to have done a little damage.

"Oh, no!" The commentator shouted. "This is going to be a blow for Kingler, as after an attack of that magnitude it could take quite some time to recharge!"

"Yeah, we know." Jaxom called back. "We're not stupid."

"This commentary is for the benefit of the viewers at home!"

"And if they can't tell what a Hyper Beam does, what are they teachin' at school?"

The commentator's reply went unheard, as the rock finally came screaming back down on Kingler.

He swung a claw upwards as it approached, and the Crab Hammer blew it into dozens of smaller rocks that went all over the place.

Kadabra had instinctively teleported as a reaction to the explosion, but – since the shrapnel went everywhere – he materialized somewhere _else_ about to be hit by a rock, took one on the forehead, and collapsed.

Kingler too staggered, the effects of the blasted rock having pummelled him with a number of small, high speed stones.

"Dang, kid, what is it with you and explosions? Tangela!"

Ash returned Kingler, sending Ivysaur back out.

The two Grass-types stared at one another for a second, then both whipped out their vines and began a complex vine war in the space between them. Ash could see that Ivysaur was at a disadvantage – he couldn't get close enough to use a Poison attack, and Tangela had more vines. Including one…

"Ivysaur! Below you!"

Ivysaur jumped straight away, but Tangela caught one of his vines and used it to "crack the whip" and send him straight back into the ground, before the vine Tangela had sent underground ensnared his body.

"Good, Tangela! Constrict!"

Ivysaur thrashed, trying to use Poisonpowder on Tangela, but the vines were too far from the main body mass. After a minute or so he went abruptly limp, and Ash retrieved him.

"Ash's Ivysaur has surrendered after being captured in an unbreakable Bind!" The announcer explained to the audience. "This means he has not passed out, but will no longer be able to compete in this battle!"

"Yeah, thanks, we get it." Jaxom shouted at the booth.

"Not everyone watching this is a Pokémon League fan!"

"Why not, then? It's not like we have any other competitive sports in Kanto."

"Not true! We have, er… um…"

Ash sent Kingler back out again. "Ice beam!"

Tangela dodged, mostly, but one of its' vines was caught by the ice and frozen, rendering it a stiff dead weight.

Undaunted, the Grass type launched up a Sunny Day and began to quickly melt the affected vine, staying away from Kingler to gain more breathing room.

Ash and Pikachu shared an evil grin.

"Should I?"

"_Be almost rude not to."_

Ash pulled out another Poké ball. "Charizard!"

Jaxom's eyes widened. "Wait, what!"

"Ember!"

Charizard rolled his eyes, and blew a tiny flicker of blue flame. This promptly set Tangela on fire.

"And I think we can call that a victory for Ash Ketchum!"

* * *

><p>"What's next, Ash?" Brock asked him that night.<p>

"Water field. Strange doing them in a different order…" he replied. "In fact, last time this was where Kingler evolved, and he swept the field. I can't count on him to do that again, though."

"No, it must have been at least partly luck." Brock agreed. "Given the field I expect your opponent will send out at least one water type, so Pikachu is indicated right from the start. Which reminds me – can he manage that water walk trick?"

"Yes, and so can I, though you likely saw that in Pallet."

"Right. Him, Ivysaur – makes sense – and decide the third at the time."

"I agree." Ash thought for a moment. "Probably I had better start with Ivysaur, as well. See if I can draw out any non-Water types."

"Okay, Ash. This is a lot more thought than you put in last time, you know – I'm proud of you." Brock flashed a quick grin. "Apart from revealing Charizard earlier. That was a mistake, though I _can_ see why you did it."

"He can't. Says it was 'beneath him'."

"He's a grouch sometimes. At least he doesn't set you on fire. As much."

* * *

><p>AN: And we're back. Sorry about the long delay, I had a Dissertation to do which took a lot of my "writing" time. That and I got bitten by several plot bunnies as soon as the dissertation was handed in.<p>

Almost everyone Ash fights in the League is going to be from either the games or the anime. In the former case, I've taken a trainer and added a more rounded set of Pokemon to make up their team - Quinn, for example, is on Route 1 in the G/S/C/HG/SS games.

Also, it has come to my attention that this story now has a Trope page. The link's on my profile.


	32. Chapter 31

Ash tossed a Poké ball into the arena. "Ivysaur!"

"And Ash leads in with his Ivysaur, which is the only Pokémon he has used in all his matches so far. How will this go?"

His opponent smirked, and threw a Poké ball straight into the water. With an eruption of slightly salty water, a Gyarados appeared.

"Dean, meanwhile, has sent out a Gyarados! We haven't seen this Pokémon before from him, probably because the Grass and Rock fields aren't especially good for Water types like this!"

Ivysaur looked up from his platform at the frankly enormous Water/Flying type. _"Ash… can I get a raincheck here?"_

"Come on, give it a go! Use something your, I don't know, Electric type ancestors knew!"

"_I don't have any Electric type ancestors! Or at least, not that I know of."_

"Rock type?"

"_And how do you expect me to hit him with an Ancientpower?"_

The Gyarados had been gradually moving deeper into the water. Now it leapt out, with a great roar, and went flying high into the air.

Ivysaur tapped the platform – it wobbled slightly. _"Oh, this is going to be embarrassing…"_

Gyarados cannoned back into the pool with a great Splash, sending water everywhere – and the floating platform out of the arena entirely, Ivysaur still on it and hence losing by ring out.

Ash raised his hand. "Point of order. What counts as ring out here?"

"Anything that lands or would have landed in the audience, basically." The referee replied, pointing to where Ivysaur was held in the psychic grip of an Alakazam.

"Okay, so going what must have been a hundred metres into the air doesn't. Good to know…" Ash sighed. "Pikachu?"

"_On it, Ash."_

Pikachu hurried into the arena, stopping at the edge of the pool itself before launching an enormous Thunderbolt at it. The Gyarados promptly rose to the surface, twitching.

"Damn, forgot you had that." Dean muttered, digging through his bag for something. "Aha. Cloyster!"

Ash blinked. "Er, what?"

"Withdraw!"

The Cloyster shut its' shell tightly. Pikachu wandered over and zapped it.

Then he frowned. _"Shouldn't something have happened by now?"_

"Dexter?" Ash asked, holding up the scanner.

Calcium Carbonate, the material forming the base of the shells of Bivalve Pokémon, is non conductive.

"Well, that's new. Okay, Pikachu. You know what to do."

"_I certainly do!"_ Pikachu cricked his clawed hand-paws, and drew one back. _"Force palm!"_

The impact sent Cloyster skidding across the arena, and its' shell opened for a moment before shutting again. Pikachu followed, palm glowing blue, and delivered another palm strike. He tried to send electricity in before the shell closed again, but failed. _"Damn! I'm no good at these reaction time games!"_

"Just electrify the water and do it in there!"

"_Oh, yeah, good plan."_ Pikachu bodily lifted the Cloyster, winced as his spine gave a sort of _creeeak_ noise, and threw it into the water before anything too permanent happened.

"_Now, as I was saying…"_

The electrified water paralyzed Cloyster for a few seconds more, and Pikachu pried the shell open between bolts of electricity.

"_Done! What's next?"_

"By the looks of this guy, another water type." Ash muttered.

"That's where you're wrong! Diglett, get him!"

"Dig." The little mole Pokémon appeared in front of Pikachu, who kicked at it.

"Lett." Without any discernable actual movement, it was behind him. As he spun, it fired a mud-slap at him.

"_Ugh. That's really annoying…" _Pikachu muttered as he cleaned his face off. _"And why isn't it actually saying anything?"_

"Dig."

A Magnitude 6 sent Pikachu stumbling. The security Alakazam's eyes glowed as it isolated the ground from the stands, and the ground shook only within the stadium.

Most of the water that had survived the Splash drained away through fissures that opened up in the ground. Pikachu eyed the instability, and decided on a course of action.

Tapping his Light Ball, he jumped into the air and hovered there.

"_What are you going to do now?"_

"Lett." It disappeared underground again, and came back out with an enormous globe of mud.

"_Oh, come on."_ Pikachu flared his electric aura, and went floating away from the Mud Bomb. _"Ash? How am I supposed to catch this mole if he keeps moving around at the speed of light?"_

"Hmm… it sounds impossible… Pikachu, get back over here! Squirtle, you handle this!"

"_My enemy moves at the speed of light. They can be anywhere… so I have to attack everywhere! Scald!"_

Squirtle pushed out a bubble of superheated water in all directions, and there was a sudden BANG from the direction of one of Diglett's holes.

Confused, Squirtle walked over to it, and found a thoroughly concussed Diglett. _"Okay, what just happened?"_

Diglett must have run into the water at the speed of light – or very fast, anyway.

"_This means I win, right? I'm not actually sure."_

"And Ash Ketchum is through to the fourth round, which will be on the Ice field for him!"

"_Suppose that means yes."_

* * *

><p>"And his opponent, Eric!"<p>

A large, beefy man strode to the opposing side of the arena. By the looks of him, he'd walked straight over the mountains to get here.

"Ice field… nice Pokémon for it." He said. "Dewgong!"

Ash thought for a second. "Pikachu!"

"_On it!"_

Pikachu had to dodge almost immediately, as an Aurora Beam swept out between two of the pillars that marked the Ice field and barely missed him.

He looked at the frost scarring on the pillars, and winced. _"This is a powerful Dewgong…"_

A fast one, as well, as it skidded over the ice like it was born to it. Which it was.

Pikachu caught sight of some juice around its' mouth, as he dived from one cover to another. _"I hate Wacan berries. They're just not fair."_

With a gesture, he created a Shockwave in planar form above the arena and brought it down, but Dewgong was fast-reacting enough to spray a fine coating of Brine above a random ice pillar, causing it to discharge there instead of maintaining planar form.

_This Dewgong thinks entirely too fast for my liking…_ Pikachu thought to himself, skidding around a corner on a cushion of electricity, before switching polarity and anchoring himself to the ground.

It began to hail. Pikachu shot an annoyed look at the sky, and charged himself to try to repel the stinging ice. It worked, to a point – at least now the points weren't painful.

_Okay, what else is an Ice/Water type weak to?_

_Idea._

Pikachu created a pair of Double Team images and sent them charging alongside him against the Dewgong. It reacted by exhaling a blast of icy cold air, eliminating the doubles and slowing Pikachu with ice build-up.

Just after being hit by the attack, Pikachu slammed his palm into the ice, breaking it up with a Force Palm, and causing the heavier Dewgong to slump slightly into the ice.

Focusing with the moment thus gained, he counteracted the buildup with an Agility, and lunged forward with his other palm holding a charged, if fluctuating, Aura Sphere.

Panicking, the Dewgong released a Sheer Cold, which froze Pikachu in place instantly. The Aura Sphere, on the other hand, kept going and hit Dewgong, sending it sliding backwards and into a pillar. Which then fell on it.

The announcer hesitated for a moment, then on the signal of the referee declared that both Pokémon had been incapacitated at the same time, and both should send out their seconds.

Ash asked for, and got, a break to retrieve and defrost Pikachu. That done, he exchanged a glance with Riolu.

"You want to do this?"

Riolu nodded gravely. _"I do. Don't worry, Ash, I won't fail you."_

"Never even crossed my mind." Ash smiled gently for a moment, before gathering himself and strengthening it to a smirk.

"Riolu!"

"Onix!" the Hiker replied, then frowned and checked a small guidebook about Sinnoh. "Wait, that's a Riolu? How'd you get one of those, kid, they're rare – not to mention from a long way off!"

Ash gave a half-shrug. "Luck, I guess."

Riolu closed his eyes, feeling his Aura flow as it left his body and began to interact with the aura of the outside world. It was quite impressive, this Ice field, actually – it was so often used for these battles that the area itself had acquired a taste of the glacial. It reminded him of another life, when he had visited the high mountains of Sinnoh.

Presumably the other three arenas had the same attribute, but this was the most incongruous.

Mind you, the enormous rock snake was interfering with the feng shui.

Riolu jumped over a thrown rock, studied a second for a moment and detonated it with a tiny pulse of Aura on its' most critical structural point, landed and set off running. As with a water battlefield, he was using his little pads of Aura to maintain traction rather than skidding out.

Fortunately, the Onix had replaced the Hail with a Sandstorm, and his airslip trick, while not up to deflecting large hailstones, could manage the sand.

So, really, this was a weather condition having no effect at all.

* * *

><p><span>Barrier. Barrier. Barrier.<span>

The wind finally subsided in Ash's box. Coughing, he tried to get the sand out of his hair. "Took you long enough…"

I established shields sufficient for the hail. I did not expect more than one weather condition in the same battle.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand. It's just a bit startling to get a face full of desert. Pleh, I think I swallowed some…"

* * *

><p>Riolu skidded around the tail swipe of the Onix, and delivered a Force Palm to one of its' larger segments. The impact made it flinch back, but it was clearly a very tough example – it didn't go down, and released an Earthquake that finished what Pikachu had started.<p>

Running up the edge of an ice floe, Riolu jumped into the air again – earning a near miss from a ballistic hunk of ice for his troubles – and finished Onix off with a second Force Palm to the forehead.

Slightly altering his Aura walking technique, he flipped once in his air time from the recoil and landed on the icy water. _"Right, next?"_

The hiker returned his Onix, and got a positively evil grin. "Haunter!"

Riolu heard the words, and as the Poké ball flew began isolating a fragment of his Aura from all his emotions. Null structure… self propagating…

"_Dark Pulse."_

The Haunter barely had time to look annoyed before the pulse hit, and it dispersed into an irritated cloud of slightly darker air.

"Huh. Didn't know they could learn that." Eric said aggreably. "You're certainly a smart one, Ash Ketchum. Or your Pokémon are, anyway."

"Hey!" Ash shouted back, with a few little signs of laughter in his voice. "That's hardly a fair thing to do! Either just praise them, or them and me, but don't give me false hope!"

* * *

><p>Brock checked the schedule. "Your next match is tomorrow evening. About five. Looks like the rest of today and most of tomorrow are free."<p>

He noticed that Ash was a little subdued. "What is it?"

"Ah, just that this is how far I got last time. Remember – Ritchie beat me."

"I do, and I know you lost for a number of reasons, few of them your fault." Brock frowned, and checked the schedule again. "Wow, it looks like if you and he both win your next matches, you'll face each other as your entry into the matches with full teams."

"You mean he's here as well?" Ash asked, then frowned. "Wonder where I can find him…"

He took out one of his Poké balls. "Hey, Pidgeot? Up for a fly?"

* * *

><p>"Hello, I'm Ritchie Getem. Nice to meet you."<p>

Ash smiled. "Ash Ketchum, the same. You're in the League too?"

"Yeah! Actually, now I think about it I do recognize you. You're that trainer they were calling the Gym Destroyer on the TV commentary, right?"

Ash blushed. "I didn't know they were calling me that." He paused. "Though I have to admit it's pretty accurate…"

Ritchie grinned, and at that point Ash noticed something… off about him.

"Ritchie, is it me or is there a Pokémon hiding behind your torso?"

The Pokémon in question made a small, frightened sound and ducked back from where it was peeping. Ritchie sighed. "Calm down, Cid, you can feel he's friendly just like I can."

Ash glanced surreptitiously at Pikachu, who shrugged. _"Beats me."_

"Oh, come on." Ritchie gently lifted the Pokémon in question, a Kirlia, onto his shoulder. "I should introduce you. Cid here joined me about a year ago, said he recognized a great deal of untapped psychic potential in me. We've been working together to draw it out, and he says that eventually we'll be able to go and sort out some problems in his homeland of Almia."

Riolu, Pikachu and Ash looked between one another. Ash eventually spoke up. "Ritchie, mind if my Pokémon and I have a chat for a second?"

"Not at all, go ahead."

* * *

><p>"Okay, what the hell, guys? That sure as Suicune wasn't what he was like last time."<p>

Riolu covered one eye and looked between the two trainers. _"And you say you were uncannily similar then as well?"_

"Yes, and I have no idea what could have changed him."

"_Dexter, can you hack Ritchie's capture records? I have a suspicion, and I want to know when he picked up a Ralts or Kirlia."_

One moment… got it. Captured on the… same day you hatched. That can't be a coincidence.

Riolu nodded, dropping his Sight. _"Thought so. You're Destiny-entangled. For some reason, the two of you live lives that correspond on as many details as possible. In the original timeline, you had no idea of your Aura potential so he didn't of his Psychic. You caught similar Pokémon. Now, you're both empowered and have, again, similar Pokémon – his Kirlia is my shadow in that sense. I would guess it'll eventually break with the increasingly bizarre things you do all the time, Ash, but I know so little about it I can't say. It's almost theoretical." _

"That is just strange. Can we break it early?"

"_Would you want to? It's an external force, but part of your lives as well. I'd say just let things take their course."_

"I suppose so." Ash said, before shrugging and heading back over. "Sorry about that. Anyway, I noticed that we're in the same block, and we'll be in the same last 8 match. I just wanted to wish you good luck."

"Does that mean you're saying you hope I win?" Ritchie asked, grinning.

"Only your next match. Better if you get finally defeated by me, because that'll mean you were only beaten by the winner!" Ash replied, with a cocky grin.

"Such a lucky situation!" Ritchie said pompously with a snigger. "That the gods would deliver me a quarter final opponent I can defeat in a truly spectacular way, showing off how arrogant he has become."

"Oh, did they change your slot?" Ash asked with fake curiosity.

The two kept it up for a few more minutes before finally agreeing to call it a no-score draw, and parted ways to prepare for their next matches.

* * *

><p>Ash's next opponent, Torren, slammed his fists together with an almighty bang.<p>

"I have seen your Pokémon fight, and they have good Ki. They are tough! I will prove that I am tougher!"

Ash frowned, then shrugged. "Whatever you say. Didn't I see you at the P1 grand prix?"

"Yes. I was defeated by the one you faced in the finals." Torren took up his first Poké ball. "But enough talk! Machoke!"

Ash threw his own. "You know, I feel kind of bad about this…"

* * *

><p>The Machoke landed in a crouch, Focusing his Energy to the optimal concentration for martial arts. Placing his hands on the floor and rising to a starter's crouch, he readied himself to launch across the stadium in a Mach Punch…<p>

Then he saw his opponent.

Butterfree floated gently about ten feet above the stadium floor on slight air currents. _"Well, that was all very impressive, but I'm up here."_

Not one to give up, Machoke punched at Butterfree so fast that the air from his attack made a bullet – a Vacuum Wave.

The butterfly took the hit, and barely flinched. _"That's it?"_ He began to circle in a set of loops in the sky, gradually accelerating. _"You're not going to make much of an impression with Fighting type moves."_

Machoke's fist caught fire.

"…_that is a substantial improvement."_ Butterfree slipped sideways in the air as the first Fire Punch came in, dancing around the fist as it overextended and exploiting the thermals to rise much higher into the air.

"Machoke, use Flamethrower!"

Butterfree's eyes bugged out, at least as much as they were able to do with being made up of ommatidia. _"Oh, that can't be normal or safe."_

Machoke rubbed the palms of his hands together, vigorously enough that after a second or so a bright glow appeared. Snapping his claws over it produced a spark, which lit it, and he blew a great tongue of flame from the kindled fire in his hands at Butterfree.

Riolu took notes._ "…ignite with spark…"_

With a backflip and dive, Butterfree evaded the subsequent shots of flame. _"Okay, enough is enough. Psybeam!"_

The coruscating beam of psychic force hit Machoke in the chest, sending him staggering backwards and breaking the stance he was using to project fire.

Butterfree flashed past, the wake from his wings sharpening and cutting small gashes in Machoke's arms and chest, before dousing the Fighting type in Sleep Powder and finishing him off with Dream Eater, recovering the energy he'd lost in dodging the fire as he did so.

"Most impressive." Torren said, retrieving his Pokémon. "Are you truly a Butterfree, or a martial artist at heart dreaming he is a Butterfree?"

"_Was that supposed to make sense?" _Butterfree asked Ash uncertainly. Ash shrugged.

"I think it's a Koan. They're supposed not to."

Torren threw a second Pokémon into the arena. "Face Zen!"

A Mr. Mime materialized. Immediately upon doing so, he sat down _seiza_ and began to glow.

Butterfree fired a Bug Buzz at his opponent experimentally, producing a beautiful flare as the energy deflected off a Light Screen – and very little else.

"_Oh, brilliant. A Barrier warrior. I don't like these."_

Mr. Mime's eye glinted for a second, and a thunderbolt speared down from the sky, clipping Butterfree's rear right wing.

"_Gah! Okay, how… right. They can learn that."_ Butterfree shattered his form into a dozen Double Teams, which began evasion manoeuvres.

_Offence… defence… weaknesses… right. A defence can't be strong everywhere. The attacker has the advantage of selecting where to attack, the defender an advantage that the same amount of energy is stronger blocking._

_There's three types of shield this could be. Point of impact, bubble, plane. Let's see which this is._

He built up a bit more height, then his doubles took up positions with him in an orbit around the Mr. Mime. In unison, they began an Air Cutter and dove. Razor wakes forming from their wings, they went shooting around the Psychic type in a circle and soared up again.

Where the wakes, both real and fake, reached a distance of two feet from the Mr. Mime they were deflected by a flare of light.

_Not plane then…_

That left point of impact and bubble. Both were defeatable, but by different means.

_Let's try POI first._

The main weakness of this shield type was that it had a "minimum cost" for each point of attack. Against a strong attack, it worked fine, since the attacker was using more energy on the attack than the defender.

"_Sunny Day!"_ Butterfree pushed out what clouds there were, and intensified the evening sunlight bathing him as he soared near the top of the arena.

"_And now… Solarbeam!"_

The Solarbeam was nowhere near as focused as the ones he normally used. In fact, it was spread over the entirety of Mr. Mime's surface and the area around him.

It was present for just a moment, then a fireworks display of shield dazzle outshone it, and Butterfree knew he'd guessed right.

The point of impact shield didn't work well against area attacks. It was far too energetically costly to defend the entire surface. In fact, when this one fell barely twenty seconds later, Mr. Mime was too tired to fight.

"I can see that you are too skilled in the art of aerial combat to defeat one who is tied to the ground. In that case, you will face my master of Kendo. Scyther!"

The two Bug types opened their fight by circling warily in the air, neither wanting to make the first move.

Butterfree felt the Sunny Day expire, and didn't bother to sustain it. Keeping it up in the evening was tiring anyway, and against a Scyther the move he used with it most often was effectively useless.

Scyther finally attacked with an Air Slash, the bigger brother of Butterfree's Air Cutter. Butterfree slipped around it with an Aerial Ace, and the two began jousting in the skies.

* * *

><p>"He's really got good at that." Ash commented absently, as the action continued to climb. Both Pokémon were enhanced by some kind of move, either the Butterfly Dance or a Swords Dance, and they were leaving trails in the darkening sky.<p>

"_I suppose he's had a lot of time to practice. I-wow!"_

Apparently something else had happened, as now every time the points of light met they produced a shower of sparks.

Set up. Analyzing… I think it's their wakes meeting. They're still getting faster, by the way.

"_I can explain."_

Ash looked around with a start, to see Butterfree on the ground next to him. "Er, hang on. Shouldn't you be, well, up there?"

"_Substitute. It's provoking him into going for an all-out charge to finish the fight. Kendo masters are suckers for that."_

"So how's that going to end without the Substitute just falling apart and him realizing the mistake?"

"_Iron defence. In the second before it evaporates, it's going to feel like hitting a brick wall."_

Torren finally spotted the butterfly and called up a warning, but Scyther was too far up to hear him. A final explosive burst of light lit up the dusk, and the Mantis Pokémon fell out of the sky in a daze.

"_And that's me three for zero. Not bad for my debut, I think."_

* * *

><p><em><em>AN: Destiny Entanglement is a concept from the Charlie Stross books, while Machoke's method of using Flamethrower is based off Dustfinger from Inkheart.

Butterfree is fun. His sweeping this match is a little bit based on Lulu from Petty's Nuzlocke, who completely steamrollered Bruno for no loss.


	33. Chapter 32

"And, finally, I'd like to remind our competitors that they can use six Pokémon each in this and any subsequent matches. Of course, neither of them needed three Pokémon in their last match, so we'll see what happens."

Ash and Ritchie locked eyes for a moment.

Then, instead of reaching for Poké balls, both pointed forwards. "Pikachu/Sparky!"

The two Pikachu jumped into the stadium, cheeks sparking, and began an intricate electrical duel.

Ash's Pikachu had the advantage in power, thanks to his Light Ball and his Raichu-mix cheeks, but Sparky was no stranger to fighting powerful Electric Pokémon and took a more defensive stance.

Every time a bolt approached too close to him, he exerted enough same polarity electric charge to make it veer off and moved away. This didn't make the attack miss completely, but it reduced the potential of it enough to let him absorb it in his Lightningrod without overloading it.

Pikachu stopped attacking after a few minutes, having thoroughly tested how much Sparky could take at once, and closed his eyes to concentrate.

Little sparks of electricity drifted away from him to the borders of the stadium, then began to lengthen into lines stretching up to form a dome.

With a snap, the dome formed completely and solidified. Sparky got an apprehensive look on his face. _"Er, what is this?"_

Pikachu grinned. _"Shock wave. Iota version."_

"_How many have you made?"_ Sparky looked around, feeling the walls in his electrical sense. They were strong enough to prevent him getting through easily.

"_Enough."_ With a grand gesture, the dome began to shrink, the side away from Sparky first. Pikachu looked back as he walked towards the edge. _"Nice fight. We should try it again some time."_ With that, he left Sparky alone, and the dome accelerated.

"_Oh, no, you don't!" _Sparky ground out. _"Light Screen."_

A "tunnel" of shields formed. Sparky ran through it where it intersected the dome, lightning sleeting through it and injuring him but not to the point that it was incapacitating.

As soon as he was out, Sparky used Rain Dance – hoping to prevent any more of those enormous electrical constructs – and turned to spot Pikachu.

Who charged him bodily with an Aura-boosted Volt Tackle.

Both Pikachu rolled to a stop at the other side of the arena from where Sparky had escaped, Pikachu clearly in much better shape. Sparky was covered in scorch marks and looked down for the count – but he did indeed slowly rise again, pushing himself up with his front legs.

"_Got a new trick for you."_ He said, as he began to walk forwards again.

"_Oh?"_

Surging into a charge, Sparky clipped Pikachu and delivered his attack. _"Endeavour."_

The blast of energy released by that attack sent both hurtling backwards, and they were caught by their trainers – though, unfortunately, the wrong trainers.

Ash shrugged. "Shall I take care of Sparky for now? We can return them after the battle."

"Sounds good to me. Cid!"

"Riolu!"

* * *

><p>The Kirlia and the Riolu began with an exchange of martial arts.<p>

Riolu noticed that Cid's style seemed to revolve around physical psychic attacks, using the direct contact to apply low powered psychic Confusion attacks directly without having to face the opponents' mental defences.

This meant he had to avoid directly blocking entirely and focus on redirecting the attacks, otherwise the effects would quickly build up.

His own attacks, on the other hand, were rebuffed by a telekinetic force field that exerted pressure on anything close enough to Cid's body.

The overall result was incredibly aggravating to fight – it meant, in fact, that it was almost like being consistently overpowered by a Pokémon with much less actual strength.

Finally he decided to fall back, jumping with a push of Aura to gain distance and throwing a quick Aura Sphere. It missed, of course, curving a little off course and detonating behind Cid.

"_You are surprisingly good."_

"_I got a mental training package from one of the Gallade in Almia."_

Cid focused, compressed air as if for a Psycho Cut, and separated it from his hand. Then he took the resultant object and whirled it as a spear.

Riolu glanced back at Ash. _"Now do you see the worth of all that Bokken training?"_

"Yeah, fine. You win."

With a sound not entirely unlike smashing glass, Riolu created a Bone Rush staff a bit longer than the length of his arm and gripped it in his right paw. Then, summoning his Shadow Claws, he honed it once. A quick check showed that it had a small amount of Ghost energy clinging to the surface.

"_That should be enough."_

The two charged one another and began to fight again, this time with weapons instead of bare paws.

* * *

><p>Ash noticed that the crowd had gone quiet. Apparently this was something outside their normal experience.<p>

_Presumably means that the Rockets haven't shown off yet…_

Closing one eye, he watched the fireworks display that Aura sight revealed. Both Pokémon were using the elemental effects of their respective weapons to probe at the other's defences, and the tempo was only increasing.

In fact, pretty soon it should…

Lavender and bright opal lights erupted into visibility around the battling Pokémon, as the energy reached the point anyone could see it.

This time there was a sound – a kind of low gasp.

* * *

><p>Riolu currently had a slight advantage, but that was starting to change – his Ghost typing of the bokken had been very much ad hoc, and it was beginning to degrade with time. Cid's strikes with his weapon were being stopped less and less firmly, indicating that they wouldn't be solid to one another much longer.<p>

With a cry, he locked blade with spear-shaft and pushed both weapons out of the way, then brought his off hand around with a rippling violet coating.

The Dark Pulse at such short range was too much for the already tired Kirlia, and he collapsed.

* * *

><p>"Nagi!"<p>

"Pidgeot!"

Ash looked at the Spearow. "Nagi?"

"Naginata. A kind of spear, as in Spearow." Ritchie replied, as the two Flying types began to gain height.

"Huh. You learn something new every day…"

* * *

><p>Pidgeot and Nagi had by this point ascended to a height of a good few hundred feet. The little Spearow displayed no fear at the size of his opponent.<p>

"_So. We shall fight?"_

Pidgeot's trajectory dipped slightly – a nod. _"It seems so."_

"_Then let us make a good show. Work Up."_

As she circled slowly, Pidgeot watched a construct of wind form around Nagi. By the time it had finished, he was enveloped in wings of air similar to the ones she used at her highest speeds, for greater manoeuvrability. So large were they that he was more like a Fearow.

"_And they weigh nothing, of course, so if you're careful it can put you up to Mach one thanks to the greater driving force."_ Pidgeot swept her wings forward, then back with a massive gust of wind. _"But I can do it without concentrating on air control."_

She shot away, about half a mile in six seconds, then swept back around and in with her wings ready to buffet. Just as she reached him, Nagi moved his own wings sharply.

There was a _crack_ as they moved, and he was no longer there. Her stiff wings hit nothing, and it took her a moment to stabilize again.

"_What was that? That's far too fast!"_

"_I have trained to move my wings as fast as possible. That was the tips breaking the sound barrier."_

She revised her estimate of his speed up, for a moment. _"But hang on. You can't do that for very long at a time, the sound barrier break would dispel the wings of air."_

"_Correct. But it makes me very manoeuvrable over short distances."_

She gritted her beak, frowned for a moment, then moved away again. She could predict his maximum speed with that ability… and then if she was careful, aim an area effect attack to catch him for certain.

* * *

><p>"I can barely see them." Ash muttered.<p>

Allow me. Set up. Light screen, concave.

Two pairs of light screens formed above Ash's box, each pair focused on and showing one of the Flying types at about the size of an outstretched hand.

"Good thing they retracted the roof all the way for this, we'd never have the angle for it otherwise."

Pidgeot turned, this time two miles distant and about a mile up, and came back in. She was building up speed _very _fast…

Ash saw the conical cloud form and break around her, and covered his ears.

Most of the audience didn't have the same warning, watching as she closed in on Nagi – and then launched her Razor Wind, which came boring in on him.

And he created a similar attack from thin air (or, rather, from nowhere) and countered it.

The crowd had barely begun to react when the sonic boom arrived.

* * *

><p>She circled him, now more than a little indignant. <em>"How?"<em>

"_Mirror move."_

Pidgeot considered cursing. That was very, very annoying. And it also meant that the same thing would happen with more or less whatever she tried except physical attacks – and physical attacks would just _miss_ thanks to that dodge move of his.

_Okay, plan. How did she do this…?_

* * *

><p>Nagi watched as she took off again, this time straight up. And faster still. By the looks of things, she was using a tailwind formed from her air control to increase her height faster.<p>

It was good to know the key point of his strategy was taking effect. Picadore, Matador. Taunt, goad, then let the opponent make a big mistake and capitalize on it.

In this case, he thought, as she reached an apex so high he could only see her by squinting, she was going to try a Brave Bird attack. The kind of speed she could manage like that would, if she knew her air control as well as it looked, actually cause her to go into dynamic equilibrium and become more unstable in flight. A useful trait for catching an evading target.

But he would be able to counter her expectations by flying _at_ her and hence through the narrowed window she had to react. With that missed, she would be startled, and either crash or injure herself as she dropped subsonic.

He watched her approach and raised his wings of air, ready for the evade. Three seconds… two… one-

Then something hit him from the side, grabbing his wing and trapping him.

The diving Pidgeot passed through him and melted like a dream. A Double Team? But then where was-? How?

"'_aint attack." _She mumbled around the Spearow wing. _"S'w it once from a P'dgey."_

Nagi surrendered. There wasn't much else he could do, not held in the beak of a Pokémon weighing so much more than him.

* * *

><p>"Butterfree!" Ash said, sending the Bug out for the second time in the League. Given how the battles so far had gone, he expected…<p>

"Happy!"

The two Butterfree faced one another.

Ash's Butterfree began by spreading his wings, forming psychic balls on them for Psybeam. _"It may not be effective, but as far as I know we're not strong enough for a Rock attack."_

Happy started flying in a form of evasion pattern that Butterfree didn't recognize. It was like the ones he used himself, but the constant-trajectory bits were longer.

Just gave him more tracking time. He fired off the first couple of Psybeams – and Happy dodged them, sidling away from the attack as if he'd planned it all along.

Something wasn't right…

Butterfree abandoned the psybeams to use Sunny Day, and then a wide area Solarbeam. As he had half-expected, it lensed crazily all over the place, revealing Happy was using his powders and manipulating them psychically to produce refractance effects.

He knew the counter for one of those. With a quick shiver he used Supersonic to echolocate a rough location for his opponent, then dove in with Aerial Ace.

One-two-three, and Happy was looking a lot worse for wear. But he flapped his slightly tattered wings, and dove in on an attack of his own.

Butterfree spread his wide. He could manage this. Just use an Aerial Ace again – he was the less injured one.

"_Venoshock."_

_Now that just wasn't fair. Though I admit that blithely flying through a cloud of powders was rather asking for it._

Butterfree passed out as he fell.

* * *

><p>"Eevee!"<p>

Ash paused for a moment. He didn't have a parallel to an Eevee, did he?

Oh, yeah. This Eevee wasn't nicknamed, so…

"Dexter!" he shouted, throwing the projector.

"Er, that's not a Poké…" the referee trailed off.

* * *

><p><span>Stand by, ready. Set up.<span>

Finally. I was wondering if you'd ever use me. 

The Porygon slid forwards as he formed, the crowd murmuring at the sight. Synthetic Pokémon were still a fairly new thing, and most had only ever seen them on the "CyberMon" show Doctor Akihabara had been releasing as a kind of reality TV show coupled with embedded reporting from a warzone.

"_Oh, hello!" _The Eevee said, curvetting around as he walked circles around Dexter. _"You're interesting."_

Thank you. Tracing… Normalize copied. How useful.

"_That sounds like the name of my ability. Is that one of your abilities too?"_

Kind of. Dexter's form shattered into a new shape, this one a simple octahedron. Analyzing.

"_Uuh… what are you doing?"_

The octahedron quivered, and formed into a hexagonal flower with three glowing outer petals. Tri Attack.

Eevee yelped and jumped away, the three-element blast hitting the arena floor and blasting a small divot out of it. _"Okay, sorry! I forgot this was a fight."_

He dug quickly into the ground, leaving a small hill.

Dexter powered down, and shifted to octahedral form again before slowly lowering to the ground. A drill emerged and plunged an inch or so into it.

Scanning. A low rumble pulsed out from the drill. Processing… inversion complete.

Quick as a flash, the drill retracted and Dexter shifted back into attack form. A Solarbeam knifed into the ground and cut a trench, into which Eevee burrowed less than a second later. And promptly fell in.

"_Hey, where'd the ground go?"_ he asked, looking around in confusion.

Ice Beam.

Eevee got hit on his flank by the beam, but shook it off, jumped out of the trench and began to run as fast as he could. Dexter kept firing but was unable to lead his target enough, the Eevee's bouncy curvetting running style throwing him off.

A message brought itself to his attention: Power usage exceeding generation. Capacitors at 20 percent.

It was the same problem as before. With regret, he ceased fire and returned to default configuration of his facets, levitating higher to avoid attack.

Eevee noticed the change and ran over to under him, before jumping up frantically. _"Er, tackle! Take Down! Bite! Shadow Ball? Baton Pass? Return?"_

Why are you doing all those strange attacks? They can't reach me up here. Dexter checked his energy storage and saw it was quickly rising back to nominal. Just a few seconds to go.

Come to that, Shadow Ball doesn't even affect me.

"_Bounce!"_

Eevee came soaring up to Dexter's height with a powerful kick of his back legs.

It wasn't a move Eevee usually learned, but Dexter supposed that all that bouncing around he did even when moving normally might have helped.

"_Uhh… I think that's all of them. Trump Card!"_

WHAM.

* * *

><p>Ash called a time out and walked over to the crater, extracting Dexter's projector from it. "This is what happens when you underestimate adorable little Eevee, Dexter. You alright?"<p>

Never better. Do make sure to restore my pride from backups, though.

* * *

><p>Both trainers counted in their heads. One draw, near the beginning – Ash spotted Pikachu running back over from the other side of the stadium in the time out, and checked Sparky was okay before sending him on his way – and two Pokémon knocked out each.<p>

They were having a gentleman's agreement of a battle, so the one who won the final clash of two Pokémon would win, and the other concede. Much nicer than having _all_ their teams beaten up.

"So, you ready?" Ash asked.

"Yes!" Ritchie replied. "We're having something of a resurgence over here, so we'll ride it to victory!"

"Whatever you might happen to think. On three. One, two…"

"Zippo!"

"Charizard!"

* * *

><p>The tiny little Charmander looked up at Ash's monster, and gulped. But he was a gutsy thing, and set his stance nevertheless.<p>

"Come on, Zippo!" Ritchie shouted. "Ancientpower!"

Zippo nodded to himself. He could do that. Dodging away from a Flamethrower, he picked up a piece of rock and focused on it. After a few flickers, it began to give off a white glow, and he batted it with a quick movement of his tail.

The projectile hit Charizard's wingtip – he was just too big to dodge easily, but he'd nearly managed it – and made him bellow in pain and rage.

"Calm down, Charizard." Ash said urgently. "You can't make mistakes, think how embarrassing it would be!"

Zippo threw another Ancientpower rock, and this one Charizard just melted with an enormous gout of flame. The rock wasn't the only thing that was glowing, though.

* * *

><p>"Wow." Ash said, as Zippo evolved to Charmeleon. "I know I've said it before, but being on the other side to normal of that is really annoying. And makes me feel sorry for all the people I beat with that kind of lucky bonus."<p>

* * *

><p>Zippo charged in, one clawed arm crackling with the electricity of a Thunder Punch. He countered a Flamethrower with a gout of Dragonbreath, and leapt at Charizard as he took off – hitting him, but more importantly grabbing onto his right leg and being carried into the sky.<p>

Charizard shook the leg frantically. _"Get off!"_

"_No chance! Have you seen how high up we are?"_

"_Of course I have, I'm the reason we're this high! I'm driving, and I say-Gaah!"_

Zippo had charged another Thunderpunch, letting it instantly ground into Charizard. He followed this by opening his other hand, and slamming the glowing Ancientpower rock contained within into Charizard's leg. The dragon attempted a wing buffet to blow his unwelcome passenger off, but the contortions involved were too much and he got tasered again for his trouble.

"_Get off get off get off!"_ Charizard roared, and bathed his own side in flame. This was seriously hurting him. In fact, it was…

He got an evil grin, moving his tail flame underneath Zippo. Normally it wouldn't do anything, but if there was one good side to being this hurt it was that it was finally enough for his Ability to activate.

His flame went blue with a dull _whump_ as Blaze triggered, startling Zippo – the experience of being inside a fire as big as he was more than enough even if it didn't do much damage, making him lose his grip.

As Zippo fell – they'd left the stadium in their wrestle – he saw Charizard having reversed to dive and catch him. Being caught would, of course, count as a loss, since his opponent had saved him from severe injury.

No. He refused to let that be the end of it. And as that dedication filled him, so did a hotter flame.

* * *

><p>Ash shook his head in disbelief. "That's new."<p>

Pikachu shrugged. _"Chain evolutions? Not bad, but not weird enough to make the top five."_

His trainer glanced over. "Wait, there's an actual list?"

Yes. Currently time travel is involved in numbers one and three, whereas an alternate dimension comes in at four.

* * *

><p>Zippo felt the fires recede, and his new wings flared out to brake his fall.<p>

Pity they'd turned up too late. With an almighty _crash_, he piled straight into the floor at thirty miles an hour next to Dexter's crater.

Ritchie raised his hand. "I concede. And I'd like to thank my opponent on being an excellent opponent, a great trainer, and on saving me quite a lot of time with Zippo."

A laugh ran around the stands.

* * *

><p>AN: This was a fun one to write. If I had to characterize it, I'd say it's a "distorted mirror" match - there's similarities and differences. I tried to construct the remainder of Ritchie's team with that in mind - so Eevee is a pure Normal type with a great deal of adaptability, like Dexter, whereas Nagi is almost as fast as Pidgeot over only very short distances, and much more agile.<p>

Dynamic Equilibrium is a real concept in aviation, and used to make very fast fighters still very manoeuvrable. It means they have "twitchy handling".

The thing with the sonic booms from the wings is taken from the story "Higher flier".

Sorry there weren't more chapters, I know this is a fairly small one for me. Next update should clear the League.


	34. Chapter 33

As the number of contestants went down, the intervals between battles became longer to give them the same kind of recovery time. The semi finals were held two days later, with the last quarter final having been at the end of the day Ash and Ritchie fought.

Ash tossed a Poké ball from one hand to the other. The question was, were the Rockets going to do an intro, or…?

"Prepare for battle!"

"_You'll soon be rattled!"_

He facepalmed, catching the Poké ball in his free hand. "Oh, no."

"To collect each badge of our vocation,

_To show off in battle across our nation._

To attain a record to be proud of,

_To become as known as the stars above._ (They looked a bit worried for a moment, but decided the rhyme had been accepted)

Jessie!

_James!_

Team Rocket, last off on the final fight,

_Surrender now, or face a dreadful plight!_

All right!" Meowth finished, jumping into the arena and dissolving into nothingness.

"Riolu!" Ash pointed forward.

"_On it."_

* * *

><p>Riolu advanced warily. Meowth was using Faint Attack, that much was obvious, but where was he?<p>

_Where would he be coming from…_

He spun, blasting out Aura at thin air. The pattern deformed slightly where it hit something, but all that melted away under the blow was a Substitute.

"I ain't seen you on da battlefield before, blue guy. It's generally da mousie I fight."

The voice offered no clue.

"_Damn ninja…"_

A coin beaned him on the back of the head. "Whatever works, Riolu. Whatever works."

"_It's going to take a while to knock me out if all you use is Pay Day."_

"Yeah, I know dat."

Riolu spun slowly in place, one eye closed. The aura patterns in the arena were unusually confused right now – probably a result of whatever Meowth was doing.

_Wait, got it._

He compressed Aura in his fist to an extremely high density, and rammed it down on the arena floor – producing an Earthquake as the power erupted downwards. The ground jumped with the impact, and several substitutes popped.

Next, he formed an Aura Sphere in each hand, rammed them together and produced a cloud of "tracer" spheres, which went everywhere on random paths. At least one Substitute was hit and destroyed when it dodged _into_ a sphere that had chosen that moment to change course.

His left arm snapped forward, catching a coin out of the air, and he replied with another Aura Sphere along the path the coin had taken. Then he kicked out to the side, and Meowth materialized having taken the hit.

"_Not a substitute this time."_ It wasn't a question.

"How'd ya do dat?"

Riolu's supposedly closed eye widened a little, allowing Meowth to see the red gleam in it. _"Foresight."_

"Aah, gotcha." Meowth crouched for a moment, and leapt forwards into an attack.

Riolu slapped aside the first of the Fury Swipes, dodged the second, and began giving ground as the tempo of the attacks increased. Meowth's speed was really very high, thanks to all that training, and he was being pressed to keep up.

A hairline swipe to the cheek got through his guard. A cuff on the arm. Meowth taunted him as he barely dodged a sweep-kick to the legs. "What's up? Not wantin' to fight?"

Riolu's expression was perfectly composed – and then Meowth noticed something.

"Eh, is it me or is it a bit cold? Ya look kinda blue – er, dat came out wrong."

"_Oh, I know what you mean."_ Then Riolu launched an uppercut with blurring speed.

The spiral of heated and cooled air clicked over to mix.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" The announcer commented knowledgeably, as a blast of spiralling air from nowhere launched Meowth upwards.<p>

Riolu blurred after him, riding the storm, and delivered a stunning trio of Force Palm strikes that rendered Meowth unable to fight on.

* * *

><p>Riolu landed, panting. That had taken a lot out of him.<p>

He had about half a second to catch his breath before a Psywave bored in, and he summoned two sets of flickering Shadow Claws to block the attack.

Abra teleported behind him as the attack reached its' target and fired a Psychic, then flashed away again as Riolu reacted.

"_Are you on caffeine?" _Riolu asked, catching sight of where Abra had gone to this time and charging a Dark Pulse.

_No. I don't need to be. I can teleport._

Abra disappeared as the pulse came in and took telekinetic hold of Riolu with a Psychic attack from behind, then blasted him with Psywave until he went limp.

_Next please._

* * *

><p>Ash frowned. "Hmm… Pikachu?"<p>

"_All right."_ Pikachu leapt into the arena with his cheeks sparking, and launched a powerful lightning bolt at Abra.

The Psychic type teleported out of the line of fire.

"_Oh, here we go. It's Saffron gym all over again."_ Pikachu raised his forepaws and tail to the sky, forming a large planar electric structure. _"Shockwave!"_

The plane of electricity slammed down on the arena.

Pikachu jumped out of the way as a Signal Beam nearly hit him from behind. Sure enough, Abra was sitting _seiza_ in the sky, having teleported through the attack.

"_Right, no more mister nice mouse."_

Pikachu snapped a series of thin thundershocks at the sky, targeting small fluffy white clouds. As each was hit they began to change shape, the electrostatic forces Pikachu was sending into them carefully calibrated to have a single precise effect.

_Huh._ Abra said mildly as the clouds began to flow together, pairs of them charged with opposing polarities and meeting just over the stadium. _Rain Dance. Didn't take you for one to know that._

"_I still need there to be seed clouds." _Pikachu replied, sending up a final pair of shocks that neutralized almost all the charge in the now-large cloud, concentrating it in a small fraction of the miniature droplets.

It took a lot of control to do, but it was worth it. Rain began to fall in the arena and the arena alone.

"_Right, now where were we? Ah, yes."_

Pikachu slashed a lightning bolt into the cloud overhead. It bounced off and headed groundwards to strike the wet floor, then shot back to the sky again, and repeated the process with increasing speed.

Every time the trail of electricity approached him Abra teleported away, but he was starting to run out of places to go – the ribbon of lightning Pikachu was sustaining was just getting longer and longer.

"_Now, as I was saying. Shock Wave."_

The ribbon paused for a moment, then played around its' anchor points like a cat's cradle. Abra was hit at least five times by the shifting bolts and fell, paralyzed and severely shocked.

* * *

><p>Cubone announced her arrival with a thrown bone, and Pikachu shattered it with a punch rather than dodge – a guess that was borne out, since the areas he could have dodged to erupted in Earth Powers a moment later.<p>

"_I am the bone of my club."_

She didn't continue the aria, instead throwing bone after bone into the air in curling paths. The first had great, long, sweeping trajectories that blurred past Pikachu in seconds and flew off into the distance. The next ones were slightly slower and on a different path, and the sequence continued without pause until the last one was thrown straight at him.

And all the rest of the Bonemerangs hurtled back into the target area at the same time.

Pikachu jumped – it was about all he could really do, with that many bones coming in – and fended off a blizzard of additional attacks in close quarters. He couldn't change his trajectory in mid air, not with her pressuring him in-close – the momentary lapse in attention that a Quick Attack would take would be an extremely bad idea at this close of a range.

The _thud_ as he hit the ground came as a shock. Wincing, he noticed that the area he'd hit was raised above the rest of the arena.

_She must have used an Earthquake… clever of her._

Cubone was pretty much his worst matchup, since she was flat immune to his electrical attacks and knew it. He couldn't even bypass it like he could with enough power for most other Ground types, since she had Lightningrod.

"_Fissure!"_

Pikachu tried to move out of the way, but she was still on top of him – and, in fact, still hitting him. The white line of the attack connected with him more or less instantly, knocking him out.

* * *

><p>Ash frowned for a moment. Who to use…<p>

"Primeape!"

* * *

><p>Cubone was knocked backwards by a Mach Punch that blurred in from nowhere, even as Pikachu was removed from the battlefield by the linesman Alakazam.<p>

She backed into the edge barricade and her eyes scanned back and forth under her helmet, looking for any tell-tale that might indicate where the ludicrously fast Pokémon was.

A wash of air… no, he'd already passed it.

A-

_WHAM_

She went flying, and skidded to a halt as he disappeared again.

"_How the hell are you doing that?" _she asked. _"I can't see you anywhere, but that attack came in from the side!"_

Another blow hit her, this time from behind. _"They're called saccades. It's when the eye moves from one place to another."_ Another, sending her up into the air, and even looking down she couldn't see her opponent."_The brain doesn't register information during a saccade. Normally it wouldn't work on a trained Pokémon because their trainer would let them know where I was, but I have studied you – you don't listen."_

It was true, she fought alone. But if that was a weakness, then…

She took a moment to breathe deeply.

"_Abra. Please inform Jessie that I will be wanting guidance."_

* * *

><p>"He's to your left!"<p>

Cubone turned her head, deliberately not letting her eyes twitch. She was staring at the end of her helmet's nose, and letting her peripheral vision pan across the stadium.

Her thick club snapped up and diverted the next attack, the wash from it sending her staggering. A follow-up blow missed as the agile Fighting type left before it could hit.

"Right! No-left again!"

This time she was quick enough, and parried. The club blow knocked both fighters backwards from the impact, and Primeape recovered with a skid along the floor.

"_You have learned the lesson. Good."_

"_So, this was a test?"_

"_Not all of it. But some."_ Primeape flickered into motion again, and the two clashed with an explosion of air pressure.

As Primeape dodged back, Cubone followed him. _"There we go. I know your bones now – no more hiding for you."_

"_Impressive trick."_

As the tempo of their blows began to increase, Cubone closed her eyes and let herself be guided entirely by that part of her that resonated with her opponents' skeleton.

It didn't make her reactions much faster, but it meant he couldn't dodge through her saccades like he had been. That trick wouldn't work again, in fact – her team would be ready for it, and would train for it. Such was the arms race between rival trainers.

_I have to admit, though, it's certainly exhilarating._

At an unseen signal, both fighters separated.

Cubone shifted her grip on her club, taking a stance, and reinforced the internal spaces as much as she could. Primeape drew back a fist and took a deep breath, focusing.

Then, still perfectly in sync, they charged one another.

* * *

><p>Ash dove behind his wall just before the shockwave.<p>

* * *

><p>"And that's a double KO." The announcer said, thankful to be of some use for once. "Not exactly the first of these from either of our participants, either. Both must now send out another Pokémon!"<p>

* * *

><p>"He's acting like these don't happen all the time." Ash said to himself, thinking. "Pidgeot!"<p>

They really don't. You're just lucky in crazy ways.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot circled, watching as Jessie released her Arbok to tunnel underground and hide.<p>

_The annoying thing is that now I can't actually attack. But neither can my enemy._

A minute or so passed, neither participant making any sort of move.

"_Okay, I can see this becoming an issue."_

Far below, Jessie pointed up at her and said something. Pidgeot strained her hearing.

_What was that? Surface to air ballistic snake attack?_ She blinked. _Did I hear that right?_

With a crash, Arbok came rocketing out of the ground and upwards at high speed.

_Oh._

She slipped sideways in the sky, shedding air from beneath her wings to avoid Arbok's trajectory. Though this meant she wasn't in the direct path, it didn't do much about the poison that he began to spit as soon as he had the altitude.

* * *

><p>The missed shots splashed off a telekinetic barrier.<p>

With a sigh, the linespokemon funnelled the Gunk Shots off to one side and disposed of them. League battles could be so messy…

* * *

><p>A particularly well aimed splash of poisonous goop hit Pidgeot's left wing, throwing her off her flight path as the gelatinous substance gummed her feathers up. The light drizzle still coming down would eventually get them unstuck, but she didn't really have enough time for that.<p>

Particularly as Arbok used her limited manoeuvre options and a form of jet-propulsion from his attacks to vector in and hit her with a Thunder Fang, knocking her into a tailspin.

* * *

><p>Ash judged his Pokémons' height, and made the decision to pull Pidgeot out rather than take the chance she could recover from a spin with only one wing usable.<p>

He tossed her Poké ball to a recovered Pikachu, trusting his friend to sort her out, and sent in Muk.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ah."<em> Arbok muttered sibilantly – somehow. _"This, I admit, is something of a tricky one."_

Muk rippled in a kind of shrug, then flowed forwards like a purple tidal wave with a Jolly nature.

* * *

><p>Ash watched as the Rockets released their penultimate Pokémon, Victreebel. "Okay, I've sent everyone else out over the course of this tournament, may as well complete the set. Tauros!"<p>

* * *

><p>Tauros (also known as "number five", since Ash had enough of them such measures were necessary) snorted and stamped the ground, staring at the plant across from him.<p>

Victreebel's spike-tail-thing lashed, held at the ready.

The bull rolled his eyes again, stamping at the ground harder – and Victreebel promptly fell down a Fissure.

* * *

><p>"That was anticlimactic." Ash muttered. "Suppose all those earthquakes were good for something."<p>

* * *

><p>Jessie and James glanced at their Poké balls. "We don't have much left, do we?" James muttered.<p>

"Gyarados?" Jessie suggested. "Ash has Tauros and Muk active, but that's it."

"We don't have much choice." James agreed. "At least Gyarados is less likely to fall down a hole."

_Speaking of which… _Abra levitated Victreebel's Poké ball out of the crevasse.

"Oh, thanks. Right, here goes."

* * *

><p>Tauros jumped to the side as soon as Gyarados formed, avoiding a blast of Hyper Beam, and began running around the sea serpent at maximum speed.<p>

"Get in closer!" Ash called. "He can't turn fast enough to track you if you're close!"

"Not a bad delaying tactic," Jessie said, "but not good enough! Thrash!"

The bull went skidding backwards from the tail blow, and smashed into the retaining wall. A blast of incandescent energy followed him, creating a huge explosion.

"Well?" James said, mockingly. "Going to send out your Muk?"

"No thanks. Wild Charge!"

With a bellow, Tauros emerged from the dust and rubble. His coat was marred, there were burns down one side and a horn looked scorched – but he was still on his hooves. And looked very, very angry.

"Ah."

"That may have been a tactical error." Jessie said. "Who knew Tauros could learn Endure?"

Meowth raised his paw, looking sheepish.

Electricity snapped off Tauros' hooves as he charged, enveloping his entire body just as he crashed into the recharging sea serpent.

Both Pokémon collapsed from the titanic impact, unconscious.

* * *

><p>The announcer cleared his throat, drawing attention over to him and away from the devastated arena. "Since Ash Ketchum still has one Pokémon able to battle, the victory goes to him. He'll face the other finalist in two days! We don't know who it is yet, but we'll find out this afternoon. And that same battle will also reveal who his opponents will be facing for the thirdfourth playoffs."

* * *

><p>Umbreon dove through a psywave, it flaring ineffectually from her coat, and charged the Hypno that had been firing psychic attacks at her into the ground.<p>

Not the best choice from Gary's opponent, but then he _had_ been down to his last Pokémon. The psychic type hadn't been able to hit her with a Miracle Eye, despite his best efforts.

* * *

><p>"Well, suppose that means I'm fighting Gary." Ash said, as the scoreboard flashed. "We both got a lot further than last time."<p>

"Comes of combining talent with experience." Brock replied seriously. "Both of you did well, last time, for first-timers." The big Pewter man stretched as they got up. "You going to use… _them_, by the way?"

Ash blinked. "Who?"

"You know. _Them_."

"No, I clearly don't."

Brock palmed his face. "Oh, for… one of them's in a premier ball, the other's the first thing you technically caught this time, and you're clearly dense if you don't work out what I mean."

"Right, gotcha. Nah, don't think so. Be showing off a bit too much, really. I'll wait until next time – that way, I won't be a first timer with something ridiculous."

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry for the delay. Degree issues.<p>

The last three League chapters have been pretty hard to write. There's not much room for character interaction, as much...


	35. Chapter 34

"Well, here we go." Ash said, looking across the field.

"Yeah." Gary replied. "Feels right, somehow. The two of us, two Pallet Town kids at the finals."

Ash shrugged. "We may as well get on with it."

"Right. Nidoqueen!"

"Squirtle!"

Squirtle started off with a simple Water Gun attack, testing his opponent. He couldn't remember fighting her offhand, so he needed some idea of what she was capable of.

Nidoqueen replied by throwing a punch crackling with electricity. Squirtle barely broke the water gun before the stream electrified, escaping a zapping by a narrow margin.

"_Not exactly a one trick Pokémon, are you?"_ he said, grinning. _"Bubblebeam!"_

"_Why do you keep calling out what your attacks are?"_ Nidoqueen asked, mystified, as she brought up a rock shield to take the impact of the Water attack.

"_It focuses my burning spirit into an almighty flame!"_

"_Oh." _She looked disapproving as she slammed an Earth Power at him, which he dodged by taking to the air. _"You're the one who got Blastoise into that ridiculous anime."_

_How dare you!" _Squirtle asked, shocked. _"It is the ultimate expression of manliness, the truest signifier of unbound spirits meeting in blazing union to defeat malicious fate and determine what will be!"_

"_If you didn't see how ironic what you just said was, there's no help for you."_ Nidoqueen sighted on the flying Squirtle, and thumped the floor with her tail to bring up a rock. A quick tail sweep sent the rock flying upwards in a Smack Down.

"_Wait, that looks-"_ There was an audible _crack_, and Squirtle hit the ground hard.

* * *

><p>"How did that even work?" Ash asked. "The rock came from below, shouldn't it have knocked him upwards?"<p>

Don't ask me.

* * *

><p>Squirtle staggered upright, shook his head to clear it, and cracked his knuckles. <em>"Right, you asked for it." <em>Water saturated in Aura began to flow from his shell. _"I could forgive opposing me in battle, but there is no other punishment appropriate for this insult to Gurren Lagann. This water is my will!"_

"_Here we go again."_ Nidoqueen muttered, slamming the ground with her tail repeatedly.

"_It flows to reach the lowest point, wearing away boundaries and obstacles that rise in its' way! Nothing can stop its' journey, for it is the essence of movement itself!"_

By now cloaked in the water, Squirtle pointed at his foe. _"Horn Drill Breaker!"_

A horizontal waterfall shot across the arena, cannoning into Nidoqueen in a blaze of red light as she returned to her Poké ball from the impact.

Squirtle skidded to a halt at the end of his track, chest heaving but still standing. _"I am not unbowed! I…" _he stopped, noticing something. _"Where'd the sandstorm come from?"_

A second later, the sirocco winds reached ground level and blew Squirtle over like a feather.

* * *

><p>"Suppose he's still only barely able to do that attack without passing out." Ash muttered, returning his Water type and pointing to the materializing Fearow. "Pikachu, you're up."<p>

* * *

><p>Pikachu squinted upwards at the circling Fearow, blue aura covering him to protect against the sand. <em>"Shouldn't you have sent out Pidgeot for this? I can barely see him."<em>

"Those two have bad history between them." Ash shrugged. "Besides, you're an Electric type aren't you?"

"_Yeah, I get your point." _Pikachu gestured, enveloping himself in electricity, and began shooting thunderbolts skywards. The sand drew off some of the power of the bolts, but not enough to render them ineffective.

Fearow abandoned his slow circling to slip-dodge sideways, trading height for speed to keep ahead of the thunderbolts. Turning towards Pikachu, he began to dive at an oblique angle to throw the Electric-type's aim off.

"_Aggressive guy, aren't you?" _Pikachu said, trying to lead his target to the right degree. _"Not that I'm exactly surprised…"_ He watched as Fearow began to spin. _"Drill peck? Not bad, but not enough."_

* * *

><p>Ash frowned. Something seemed off… he closed his eyes for a second, and gasped. "Pikachu! It's not Drill Peck, it's Drill Run! He's using a Ground type attack!"<p>

* * *

><p>Pikachu blurred into Agility and dodged away from the hurtling Flying type, the chance of damage from Fearow running into his lightning shield no longer worth the impact of such a powerful attack. <em>"Sneaky! I didn't know Fearow could learn that move."<em>

"_That's the point." _Fearow replied, slowing his spin and flaring his wings to send downy feathers everywhere – incidentally also dispelling the Sandstorm. _"It's an unusual move."_

"_I have to say, you're remarkably civil."_ Pikachu said, trying to pull off the feathers stuck to him thanks to static cling. _"Not what I expected from what I've heard about you."_

"_It's useful to keep the enemy off balance."_

"_Wait, what did you just-"_ Pikachu ducked as a long beak nearly speared him. _"Gah! Stop it!"_

Fearow kept trying to hit, stabbing rapidly in a Fury Attack. Pikachu couldn't use any electric-type attacks because of all the feathers messing with his charge, and had to resort to repeated Agility dodging.

_Right… _Pikachu thought rapidly, trying out a few plans before discarding them. _How did Riolu do this…_

His right paw blazed blue, and he slammed it into the ground. A large rock, courtesy of Stone Edge, erupted from the ground and clocked Fearow on the chin.

The flying type shook his head, recovering from the dazing impact, and looked around for Pikachu. There was a pile of feathers on the floor, but where-

"_Volt Tackle!"_

The shout came from above him, and he hit the ground hard as Pikachu slammed into him.

"_How-"_

"_Extremespeed. I blew the feathers off. Cunning trick, by the way."_ Pikachu clung on as Fearow reflexively tried to gain height, and shocked him again. _"You are surprisingly persistent."_

Fearow flipped over and slammed himself into the ground back first in an attempt to scrape Pikachu off. The impact shook the arena and made a crater.

Pikachu's hasty and improvised Protect kept him in the fight, though the impact had nearly broken it. _"What is your problem? That was a Frustration! How psychopathic are you?"_

His opponent didn't reply, instead going into a spin to throw the Electric-type off.

"_Thunder, damnit! Thunder! What is it going to take to make you give it up?"_

A glance at Fearow's eyes gave the answer. By now they were pinpricks – the Flying type was losing himself and going into a Rage.

"_Okay, forget this." _Pikachu jumped off Fearow, releasing the most powerful Electronet he could, and used Magnet Rise to float down from the height they'd reached. Fearow hit the ground before him, the electric net rendering him unable to fly.

"_Referee, I don't know if this counts as knocked out but he's certainly not able to fight… or capable of conscious thought, by the looks of him."_

The referee frowned at Pikachu. "I don't understand what you just said, if you're expecting a response. You're a Pokémon."

"_Right, right, I sometimes forget that." _Pikachu turned back to Fearow and hit him with another thunderbolt.

* * *

><p>Gary pressed a finger into his ear for a moment, then recalled Fearow. "Referee, in my opinion Fearow isn't able to fight properly anymore. I'm conceding his part in the match."<p>

"Okay." The ref replied. "Next Pokémon, then."

* * *

><p>Pikachu groaned as an Alakazam appeared opposite him. <em>"Why do I always get you guys?"<em>

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted. "Come over here a sec!"

Dodging a Psybeam and an errant Psywave, Pikachu dashed over to the armoured box.

"Pass me your Light Ball for a moment." Ash said, taking his hat off. "Here, use my hat."

"_Thanks."_ Pikachu adjusted it a couple of times, then shrugged and stuck his tail into it as well to hold it up. _"It doesn't seem to be adjusting size properly."_

"Could be that you're not human, or something. Whatever."

"_Good point."_ Jumping back into the battle, the Electric type ignored a psychic attack that broke over him without effect and launched back a trio of electrical attacks.

Alakazam caught them in a psychic grip and nullified them, but seemed a little unsure what else to do.

"Focus Blast!" Gary called.

His Pokémon shrugged, deflecting another electric attack.

"What do you mean you don't know it? I thought… gah." Gary paced back and forth as Pikachu's electric attacks began branching out to try to overwhelm the Psychic type. "Okay, you know what? Levitate."

Pikachu frowned up into the sky, the sun getting in his eyes and throwing off his aim. _"Not again."_

A wide-area Psywave slammed into the arena, sending the whole thing at least an inch downwards as it compacted the ground – except the bit Pikachu was standing on.

Finally annoyed beyond endurance, Alakazam blurred as he used Thief to steal the hat from Pikachu's head, putting it on his own.

THUD

"_Ouch…" _Pikachu winced. _"That's why you don't take the psychic-nullifying hat when you're levitating psychically."_

He retrieved the hat and ran over to Ash to return it, taking his Light Ball back in exchange.

"Well, Gary?" Ash asked, grinning. "What's next?"

"Arcanine, Flare Blitz!"

Pikachu's eyes widened. _"Flare what?"_

There was an eruption of flame, and he went flying clear out of the arena. Ash threw Pidgeot's Poké ball after his flying Pokémon without a moment's thought, and turned back to Gary now Pikachu was safe.

"That wasn't exactly fair."

"We're at the finals." Gary shrugged.

"Good point. Kingler!"

The crab Pokémon launched a Surf as soon as he came out of his Poké ball, aiming not at Arcanine but at the arena.

There was an almighty _splash_ as Kingler landed, the water already several inches deep from the sheer scale of the Surf attack. Storm clouds rumbled overhead as Pidgeot hopped back into the stadium to return Pikachu, and water began to fall.

"Nice." Gary said, appraisingly. "Simultaneous Rain Dance and Surf. But Arcanine's ready for it."

"Yeah, about that. What's he doing?" Ash asked, pointing at the blurred Arcanine running in circles on top of the water.

"Extremespeed. Means he moves fast enough to not sink. Speaking of which… Arcanine, get him!"

Kingler's shell gave a dull _thud_ as Arcanine's claws hit it, then scrabbled at the seams before the crab sank underwater. Arcanine dodged away, passed Kingler's position at great speed to blow some of the water away with the wind shock, and lunged again flamethrower first.

A crabhammer met him coming the other way, hitting home with a stunning _crack_. Arcanine flopped backwards, dazed, and into the water.

The big Fire type let out a startled yelp as he came back to awareness, shaking himself frantically and doing little besides sending water everywhere.

Kingler's eye twinkled as he lined up a shot, and fired Crabhammer underwater. The supercavitating explosion sent Arcanine twenty feet into the air in a fountain of water, finishing the process of soaking him and more or less putting him out of the fight.

* * *

><p>"It's water, is it?" Gary asked, switching his fainted Pokémon out. "Blastoise!"<p>

"_Rime crasher!"_

Supercooled water shot into the arena, freezing it solid instantly and trapping Kingler in the ice. Blastoise lumbered over and launched a pair of Flash Cannon shots, breaking the ice and knocking Kingler out.

"_That's for dampening the flames of my almighty ally, Arcanine!"_

Then he looked up, and saw his next opponent. _"Wait, this doesn't seem right…"_

"_Why not?" _Butterfree asked, flaring his wings as the rain stopped and gave way to bright sunlight.

"_It's not awesome enough! I mean, come on. A Butterfree?"_

* * *

><p>Ash winced. "That's torn it."<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Solarbeam."<em>

A laserblast of light a foot thick came down from the sky and hit Blastoise, melting the ice he was standing on. A torrent of water from his cannons shot back up the path, turning it into a sparkling column of side-scatter a hundred feet high before the Bug type left off his attack to gain height.

The crowd gave an appreciative "Ooh…" at the light show.

Butterfree's wings shimmered as he repeated his Butterfly Dance, occasionally dodging bullets of water or streams of energy from below.

"_Okay, I want to make one thing clear. Yes, I'm a Butterfree. But that means _nothing_ to how good I am."_

The Bug's form shattered into dancing Double Teams, which scattered and recoalesced somewhere else entirely before launching a Razor Wind at Blastoise. The moment it contacted his water stream, an Energy Ball flew in through the gap and exploded.

Four Solarbeams combined at a single point, and lanced down at the recumbent turtle, causing an explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Blastoise was mumbling something about Mugenn and Grapearls.

"_I think he's out of it."_

"So do I." Gary allowed. "Umbreon, you're up!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Hello." <em>Umbreon said, politely. _"It's been a while since I've seen such a well coordinated attack. But using four solarbeams at once seems a little like overkill, to me. Surely you could have stuck with finesse? Repeating an attack is hardly a demonstration of skill, just mindless persistence."_

Butterfree frowned. _"That's hardly fair."_

"_Well, it's just my opinion. And besides, you were using the effects of your status boosting moves at the time. It's a way of making the playing field unfair, isn't it?"_

"_I'm not sure I follow. He had as much opportunity as me to use them."_

Umbreon smiled, showing her teeth. _"Oh, perhaps. But there are downsides to them as well."_ Shockingly suddenly, she launched a wave of darkness upwards.

Butterfree dodged most of it, but the fringes hit like a freight train. _"Argh, what was that?"_

"_Punishment, for playing so unfairly with your Butterfly Dance. But where are my manners – here. A gift."_

Her tail curled around something, invisible in her shadow until now, and threw it up with a sound like a whip-crack. It hit Butterfree on the wingtip, and purple mist puffed out from the impact.

"_Like it? It's a Toxic Orb."_

"_Shouldn't that have, well, poisoned you as well?" _Butterfree asked, launching a Bug Buzz downwards as his wing started to burn from the poison.

"_I have poison glands in my skin. It's hardly dangerous to me."_ Umbreon sniffed. _"Unlike that attack! It's not fair, attacking a lady like that!"_

By now Butterfree was thoroughly confused. _"But… battle?"_

"_Is that any excuse for poor manners?"_ Tears trickled down her cheeks. _"I thought you were elegant from your battle style, but now I have to question that."_

"_Okay, look!"_ Butterfree said, shaking his head to clear it. _"We're in the middle of a battle!"_ He shot down in an Aerial Ace, determined to show her that he could win without just repeating the same attack type over and over-

Her jaws snapped shut barely behind his wing, with a loud snarl. _"Don't presume!" _The force of the shout sent him tumbling, and he recovered just before hitting the ground.

_Wait… oh, you're clever._ Butterfree ascended back into the sky, one wing stinging badly by now. He wasn't going to last much longer before he was unable to fly…

"_You can stop with the psychological warfare now. I get it. You nearly beat me, but I should have remembered sooner. You're a Dark type."_

A fine dusting of his scales started to come off his wings, glowing with an inner light.

She grinned, baring her teeth once more. _"Took you quite a long time to work it out. That's what Dark types do."_

"_Yeah. By the way, Silver Wind."_

The shimmering dust swirled like a tornado, and washed over Umbreon just as the Bug type finally succumbed to the Toxic Orb's poison.

* * *

><p>"Double knockout. As Ash Ketchum is the only one with any remaining Pokémon for this battle, he has won the battle and the League!"<p>

Ash's face shone with mingled triumph and embarrassment. _Finally._ After everything, including the end of the world, he'd come out first in a Home Islands Pokémon League.

At least nobody had shown up with Legendaries this time…

"Congratulations, Ash." Gary said, walking over. "You've trained a hell of a team."

"I could say the same for you." Ash replied. "Nice work, Gary. You gave us a lot of trouble. Especially Umbreon – she's taken to the Dark type philosophy well."

"Yeah. I thought it'd be better for her to have a recourse against Bug or Fighting types, so I focused on misdirection."

"Ahem." The referee said, impatiently. "While I'm glad to see there are no hard feelings, we do need to give you two your trophies for first and second. And Mr. Ketchum, please report to the League Building tomorrow night for your battle with Lorelei. They're held in seclusion to reduce the pressure."

"Okay, gotcha."

"Now, come on. Mr. Goodshow's waiting."

* * *

><p>AN: Well done Ash.<p>

Count the Dark-type attacks Umbreon used! There's a lot.

Butterfree's power has been partly based on Lulu from Petty's Nuzlocke - who completely stomped at least one Elite Four member.


	36. Chapter 35

"Now, the first thing you have to understand is that this isn't your only chance." Lorelei said, opposite Ash in an icy underground grotto. "League winners are entitled to keep scheduling challenges until we say they're not, usually if they get too obsessed or they're not showing improvement. This is your first time, of course, and since you're young for a League winner you're likely to be looked on favourably as far as that goes."

She pulled a Poké ball – a lure ball, by the looks of it – from her pocket. "Second, you know my typing of Pokémon, and I know your order of battle from the League battles. This isn't a test of type advantage. It's all about raw skill and power. Can you overcome Ice in this most pure form?" She threw the ball. "Show me."

Ash pointed forward, sending Pikachu into the battle as Lorelei's Dewgong appeared. "Stay alert, Pikachu. We don't know what she's capable of."

"_Got it."_ Pikachu opened with a Thunderbolt, which sizzled through the air towards Dewgong. A moment before it would have hit, it splashed off the air.

Closing his eyes, Ash gasped. "That's ice! Really, really cold ice!"

"Correct." Lorelei said, a note of approval in her voice. "Ice is not conductive of electricity. When it is cold enough, there is none of the water that could allow a current to flow – and so it is immune."

"_Ash, the temperature's dropping. I'm getting cold fast."_ Pikachu said worriedly, rubbing his paws together and shivering. Indeed, hailstones were beginning to fall from the roof.

"Hail." Ash mused. "That gives us a time limit. Pikachu, I think the best way to stay warm is to get physical."

"_Gotcha."_ Pikachu shivered once more, then clasped his paws one into the other and let a blue fire flow over them.

"Aura?" Lorelei said. "Impressive. I presume that is how you detected the ice wall yourself. Rare, to see a human Aura adept."

Pikachu hadn't been idle. He blurred with speed as he charged, punching into the wall of ice with the speed of an Agility and smashing it into shards that pelted the escaping Dewgong.

"_You're not getting away that easily."_ Pikachu said, slamming a fisted paw into the ground and causing an earthquake that made the grotto jump. The vertical movement knocked Dewgong out of his high speed slide and gave Pikachu a chance to close in, slamming a pair of fast Force Palms into the yielding fat of his target's side.

The Electric type's feet stood on pads of blue Aura to avoid slipping as he followed Dewgong, not letting up his bombardment. Not only was he tiring with every moment in the hailstom, but he'd spotted that this Dewgong had Ice Body – the very same hail was healing him.

"_Come on… what does it take?"_ Pikachu muttered, his muscles burning with cramp from the cold. It was frigid enough to be a hostile environment, and Lorelei was exploiting that for all she was worth with her style.

Ice grinds forwards, wearing down rock and outlasting heat. The temperature sapped energy from challengers.

Finally, Dewgong seemed to be pushed beyond endurance and passed out. Pikachu wasn't much better, however, countless small injuries from ice shards and the low temperature meaning he was heaving with exhaustion.

"Come on, Pikachu." Ash said, gesturing. "No point you staying out, especially since we can't warm you up in a Poké ball. Get in my jacket. You've done well."

"_Thanks."_ Pikachu stumbled across the ice, his feet sliding occasionally on a smooth patch.

"Okay. I've tried electricity, which didn't work… Charizard!"

The Fire-type roared. _"Bring it on!"_

"Charizard, no restrictions."

"A good decision." Lorelei allowed, throwing her second Pokémon into the mix. "But perhaps not the best… Lapras!"

"I remember my Lapras." Ash said to himself. "Not long now."

* * *

><p>Bolts of fire shot across the grotto, raising the temperature from bone-chilling cold to merely a little cool. Charizard broke off for a moment to plaster the ceiling with fire and cease the Hail effect.<p>

Water pummelled him in the chest as his inattention cost him. _"Right, you're getting on my nerves."_

Ash had said no restrictions, right?

Charizard inhaled, letting his fire build, and unleashed a Blast Burn.

* * *

><p>The wave of heat that punched out from the impact point – on the floor, rather than Lapras himself – sublimated the ice within fifteen feet of the explosion, punching it straight to boiling in one blast.<p>

Further away it became merely liquid, but the effect was more or less the same. Instantly, the whole chamber went to hot and humid, more like a rainforest than anything.

"Now there's something I haven't seen in a while." Lorelei said. "That's a very powerful move. But there's a disadvantage with it, in this situation. Lapras?"

The Ice type exhaled a wash of icy breath, which picked up the moisture in the air and flash-froze it to result in a powder-snow attack mixed with an Icy Wind.

When it hit Charizard it caused his wings, damp with the moisture filling the room, to ice up in seconds and made him crash into the ground.

Lapras followed it up with a Hydro Pump and an Ice Beam, freezing Charizard into place.

A second later, the ice exploded in a burst of fire as Charizard unleashed a Flare Blitz, cannoning into Lapras with force enough to finish off the Water type – and nearly him as well.

Shards of ice shot from Lorelei's next Pokémon to hit him as he panted, knocking him out of the fight.

* * *

><p>Riolu opened with an Aura Sphere, slamming it into the Cloyster's now closed shell and raising sparks.<p>

"_Ash, we may have a problem. This shell's even harder than Cloyster shells usually are."_

The temperature rapidly fell as Riolu spoke and it began to snow, then hail again.

"Rgh…" Ash muttered. "Okay, back here Riolu. If you can't break the shell then he can just wait you out in the hail. New plan. Dexter!"

I would suggest-

"No, I mean go Dexter!"

Oh, right.

Stand by, ready. Set up.

Dexter's solidified form drifted out into the area of battle. Well, this is most interesting. It seems the cool temperatures will be helpful for me.

His form shattered and reformed as the diamond, which deformed into a six-petaled flower. Lock on. Tri Attack.

The tri-elemental stream of power poured forth, striking Cloyster on a flat plane of the shell. Dexter's attack form gradually rotated clockwise, bringing each of the three aspects of the beam to bear in turn on any given section of the impact area.

Lorelei frowned. "I'm not sure what that's all in aid of."

The core, visible at the centre of the flower, began to glow with waste heat – but much slower than normal, and the heat increase stopped completely after a minute or so.

"_Oh, I see." _Pikachu said. _"The core's being cooled by the air, so he's not having overheating problems."_

"You better, by the way?"

"_I'll live. Probably have a sniffle for a few days, though."_

"Wait…" Loreili breathed. "Cloyster, get out of the beam!"

Cloyster tried to comply, but as he started to move his shell gave a _crack_ where the Tri Attack was hitting, and electricity flooded through the gap.

I think that's it for him.

"Nice one! What was that, by the way?" Ash asked.

Thermal expansion and contraction. The repeated fire and ice attacks in succession made the patch of shell grow and shrink, which eventually made it fracture.

"Wow, that's clever."

Thank you. Dexter reformed back to his default shape, and turned around in time to meet a Mamoswine coming towards him at enormous speed. His manifestation shattered, and his projector went an inch into the wall.

Ow. Why is it always blunt physical trauma with me?

"Who knows. Riolu, you ready to give this guy a go?"

"_Alright."_

* * *

><p>Riolu's main problem, he thought a minute into the battle, was that Mamoswine was just too big and tough to actually hurt. Slamming a force palm capable of breaking rock into a layer of fat a foot thick just meant the strike's power was absorbed and lost.<p>

_Why is it I always end up trying new things out in fights?_

He took a moment to focus, and summoned Aura into one palm. Feeding it to make it burn brighter, he began running – no longer attacking, simply evading and moving around Mamoswine.

Doing it like this it was much harder to control, but he had it in hand. Now, there was still one question…

_Where do I deliver the uppercut to trigger it? Ah, that'll do._

From above, Riolu's path would have been like a spiral picked out by the blue flame in his palm. And as he spiralled in, he slid under Mamoswine's left tusk and smashed a fist into it.

The hot and cold air formed a whirlwind, weaker than usual but still there, and sent Mamoswine flying about five feet and onto his side.

The _slam_ of impact shook the room.

"_Phew."_ Riolu staggered on suddenly wobbly legs, the effort of controlling the reverse form of the temperature spiral having taken its' toll. "_That was-"_

"Look out!" Ash shouted, pointing frantically.

He was too late. Mamoswine hit Riolu with a Superpower and knocked him into the air, and Ash snagged him before he hit the wall with his rarely-used Poké ball.

* * *

><p>"Primeape, you've got to take him down!"<p>

"_Understood."_ Primeape focused, standing in an easy fighter's stance and stretching. He discarded his gloves, bent his legs into a crouch, clenched one hand into a fist-

_BOOM_.

The Master blow sent Mamoswine into the wall of the grotto almost as fast as he'd knocked Riolu earlier.

I don't think he's going to be much more use. Dexter observed. Not that tired in a cold environment.

"Ergh. That's me down to one."

"I am at the same." Lorelei said calmly. "League members use five Pokémon in their team, to foster skill."

"Oh, okay." Ash thought through his choices. Not many of them would be much help – he was dry of Pokémon with type advantage.

"Tauros!"

"Jynx." Lorelei replied calmly. "Sheer cold."

Ash's eyes widened. "Fissure!" He flinched, raising a Protect shield as the side-scatter from the blast of cold arrived, and only opened his eyes once he was sure it was over.

Tauros was lying on the floor, frozen solid. And Lorelei's Jynx was standing, supporting herself with a stalagmite – and a focus sash falling in fragments from her waist.

"Damn." Ash heard himself say. His mind was freewheeling, two thoughts chasing themselves around his head.

_I lost._

_I just pushed Lorelei to the wire._

"Well done." Lorelei said, breaking him out of his reverie. "Extremely well done. You've trained your Pokémon well. Last time I was pushed that hard recently was by a Gym Leader, and of course they can call on the resources of their entire gym."

"…thanks." Ash managed. "So… what happens now?"

"Well, you're not going to challenge any of the other Four this time. But you can come back next year and try again – perhaps with a different team?"

Ash smiled at that, a thought coming to him. He'd _certainly_ have a different team next time!

The Legend of the Storm's End, for one.

"But for now, I suggest you go and continue your journey."

"I think I will." Ash nodded. "Thanks again."

* * *

><p>"Well done both of you." Oak said to the two Pallet finalists. "I'd have been impressed if one of you made it to the last sixteen," he winked, "Let alone the two of you in the final! You've certainly made me more popular, let me tell you…"<p>

Ash and Gary shared smirks.

"Now, where are the two of you going? I seem to remember you're off to the Orange Islands, Ash?"

"Yeah." Ash shrugged. "I've got business there, and besides it'd be nice to have a cruise. I've been doing too much walking."

"Opposite for me." Gary said. "I'm going to do some fieldwork in the Safari Zone. Living rough for a couple of months."

"Actually…" Ash said, thinking. "There's a family doing research on a herd of Kangaskhan, if it's the Kanto safari zone you mean. Nice people. They could probably show you around."

"Thanks." Gary nodded.

A letter appeared in a flash in front of Ash, interrupting the conversation. After a moment he picked it up, frowning. "Wonder who this is from."

"Well, go on." Misty said, peering over his shoulder. "Open it."

"Alright, alright." Ash slit the envelope's tab and pulled out the paper inside. "It's from Jessie and James. 'Congratulations on your first place. We're headed off to Valencia Island in two days, and there's space on the blimp – apparently transporting League placers is good publicity. It's certainly how we got on board.' That's nice of them."

"Jessie and James?" Gary checked. "Weren't they the two Rockets who followed you around? I thought I saw them in the third-fourth playoff. Were they the ones with the Cubone?"

"Yes, that's them. They've improved a lot recently…" Ash shrugged. "But they weren't terrible before hand."

"Ah, Valencia." Brock said, in the background. "Maybe this time things will work out better with Felina."

"We never did get a straight answer from you about what happened there." Misty muttered.

"And I'm not about to give one."

"Hey, look!" Ash said, calling his friends over to where his mother had taken him aside. As they turned, he held up a small lapel pin.

"That's nice. What…" Misty tailed off, looking closer. "It's a flower."

"Yep!" Ash said. "Mum got it for me. It's an indigo flower. She says it's for winning the Indigo League."

"And you'd better be able to add an orange to it!" Mrs Ketchum said with a smile. "Seriously, Ash, well done. You're making me regret my decision to let you keep going a little less. I'm proud of you, never forget that."

"Thanks, mum." Ash said, hugging her. "That means a lot to me."

* * *

><p>AN: And that's it for the first series' worth of events. Next time will start the Orange Islands arc.<p> 


	37. Orange Islands Chapter 1

"That's the most uneventful trip we've ever had." Ash said, stretching, as they walked down the ramp of their airship to Valencia Island.

"It's better than your suggestion last time, that's for sure." Brock said. "Didn't you want to walk? To an island?"

Ash shrugged. "We can walk from Kanto to Shikoku or Hokkaido."

"An island chain in the Pacific is a little harder." Brock trailed off, musing. "But then, if we used an Ice type to create sheet ice on the surface…"

"_I_ wouldn't mind an Ice type." Misty muttered. "I forgot how hot it was here."

"Not long now." Ash said, remembering Lapras. "Well, we'd better get going. Anyone remember the way to Professor Ivy's lab?"

"I do." Brock volunteered, before visibly steeling himself. "Alright, here we go."

* * *

><p>After the pleasantries were out of the way, Professor Ivy revealed (for the second time, for Ash) the GS ball.<p>

"It can't be transported by the Akihabara sysyem, and we've tried everything to open it." The researcher said, sighing. "Even a laser."

"How powerful?" Brock asked. "I mean, I've seen people using laser pointers on blackboards."

"Rather more powerful than that, I assure you." Felina smiled. "About fifty kilowatts." She shook her head. "But nothing makes any sort of impression on it."

"Strange." Ash said. "Well, we'll see if Professor Oak can do anything with it." He couldn't, of course – at least, not last time. He'd eventually sent it on to Kurt for further analysis.

Struck with sudden curiosity, Ash closed an eye to have a look. The GS ball was suffused with aura, surprisingly - an even spread that he couldn't distinguish any detail in.

So much for that idea.

"That sounds good." Ivy said. "Are you heading straight back?"

"Er, no, actually." Misty answered. "We thought we'd have a look around the Orange Islands first, especially since there's a local minor League."

"Don't let them hear you call it that." Faith said, waving her finger.

Ash shrugged. "I'm the one who's going to compete, and I don't particularly mind."

"Hope you'll have luck without me, then." Brock said. "I'll watch you on the TV."

"Sorry?" Ivy asked. "Where are _you_ going, then?"

"Well," Brock looked embarrassed. "I was hoping to stay here for a while. I mean, I've noticed the mess in your kitchen, and I can cook, and-"

"SOLD!" all four scientists chorused.

"Alright, then." Ash said. "I suppose we'll manage."

"I'm sure you will, Ash." Brock said. "Keep in touch."

* * *

><p>"It's never nice leaving someone behind." Ash said, as he and Misty left the laboratory area.<p>

"Yeah, I can imagine." Misty replied. "Ah well, if things go to schedule he'll be back for Johto. Now, where next?"

"Lapras, I think." Ash said. "Dexter?"

Correct. You must head to the next island to the northeast, Tangelo Island.

Ash and Misty exchanged glances. "Pidgeot and Charizard?"

"Seems the best choice."

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Ash shouted, running into the clearing where several trainers were abusing Lapras. "Why are you beating him like that? Stop it!<p>

The man near the battered Lapras's head rested the bamboo stick on his shoe and turned towards Ash. "He won't learn Earthquake, the wretch, that's why. And I did feed him enough beet."

"Earthquake? What the… since when is Lapras an earth type?" Ash asked, thrown.

"Since always, dumbass - see that shell? It's solid rock!"

"How does that even…"

"Besides, the book says so, and tough break winning in a league match without earthquake."

"What book?" Ash said, shaking his head to try and recover. "I just… I've never heard so much stupid in one place."

Tell me about it. Many Pokémon learn Earthquake, but Lapras has never been one of them.

Another one of the trainers stopped shouting at Lapras and turned. "Shove off, newbie, we're trying to train this slacker to take on the Orange Crew."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Do none of you watch television?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Another one of them said, loudly. "Come on, guys. Let's teach these morons not to mess with us!"

Ash gestured Pikachu forward, and the two of them moved to defend Lapras. One by one, a Hitmonchan, Spearow and Beedrill emerged to fight them.

_"Well?"_

"Discharge." Ash said, winking.

Two loud seconds later, all three opposing Pokémon were knocked out.

"That's kind of satisfying." Ash grinned. "Yeah, just… go. And next time actually pay attention when League finals are on TV."

Turning his back on the hurriedly retreating trio, Ash reached out to caress Lapras' neck. "Hello again, old friend."

Lapras twitched, then bent his neck to rub against Ash. _"It's nice to see you. Now, what just happened? Why am I young again?"_

"Time travel. Speaking of which…" Ash turned. "Hello, Tracey Sketchit!"

After a pause, the other teen emerged from the brush. "How did you know I was there?"

"I have my ways." Ash said, trying to be mysterious.

"No, come on."

"Alright, alright. I saw you while those idiots were posturing." Technically true. "Nice to meet you."

He extended a hand, and after a moment the still bewildered Tracey shook it.

"What the- oh. Hang on, what just happened?"

"Time travel." Misty answered, nonchalantly. "We came back about a year ago, Ash reminds people of their old memories, you're back when you first met him. He didn't win the Indigo league last time around, in case you're having trouble remembering."

"I did this time!" Ash said, rounding on Misty.

"And it only took three years' head start on everyone else." The water trainer waved a hand dismissively.

"I happen to think that an effective mid teenager winning a League tournament is still fairly impressive, thank you very much!"

Tracey watched their back and forth for a few minutes, then bent down to Pikachu. "Not much has changed, right?"

Pikachu shrugged. _"He's new."_

The artist blinked, noticing Riolu. "Where'd you come from?"

The little fighting type waved a paw. _"That's… complicated."_

"Actually, how can I understand you? I'm used to using the Professor's translators, but they aren't invented yet, right? Unless Ash brought those back too."

He did something similar. But this, I believe, is an Aura trick. Pikachu's diversified since you last met him.

Tracey sat down hard. "I'm starting to be overwhelmed. Who was that?"

Me. Dexter materialized. Now, you may as well check on your Pokémon – the memory transfer should have included them as well.

* * *

><p>"So, where do we go now?" Misty asked. "I barely remember."<p>

"Mikan island." Tracey volunteered. "That's the nearest Gym, at any rate, and as I recall Ash got a bit… obsessed… at times."

"I resemble that!" Ash said.

_"Isn't it resent?"_

_"Not with Ash."_ Pikachu said firmly. _"For that particular remark, it is definitely 'resemble'."_

"Anyway," Ash said loudly. "Let's go! Tracey, Misty, either of you can borrow one of my Flying types if you want – I feel like getting to know Lapras again."

Pidgeot's Poké ball erupted in light. _"Actually, I feel like getting to know him for the first time. If anyone wants to ride on me, they're free to do so, but I'm not exactly going very high."_

"Oh, is that the Pidgeot that left near Pallet?" Tracey asked. "Er, I mean, last time."

"Yes, she is." Ash said. "But this time the Fearow that caused all the problems got caught by Gary, and more power to him."

"I think I might join you on Lapras, Ash." The artist said, already getting out his sketchbook. "I don't think I ever had a chance to get a good look at her."

_"You won't be disappointed."_ Pidgeot preened, then flared her wings.

"Hang on a minute, Pidgeot." Misty said. "I'd rather fly this time, I think."

_"Climb on."_

* * *

><p>"She really is a marvellous specimen." Tracey said, pencil flying across the paper. "Very good converts on the inside of the wing."<p>

_"Glad you think so."_ Pidgeot caught a small gust of wind from a wave, and rode it to about ten feet directly above Lapras. _"I do try to stay in shape."_

"Now that I think about it, I do remember your performance in the League. Very impressive."

Ash rubbed Lapras' neck. "So, how is it, being not in charge any more?"

_"A bit relaxing, to be honest. I didn't mind leading the herd… school? What's the correct term?"_

Don't ask me.

_"Well, anyway. I didn't mind, because I could help other Lapras, but it did get a little stressful."_

"Think you're ready for the Orange league?"

_"Yeah. A lot of them are more sports challenges, right?"_

"Yes, that's right."

_"Should be fun."_

* * *

><p>"Right!" Cissy said, releasing her Seadra. "The first challenge is-"<p>

"Oh, you have a Seadra?" Misty asked. "Any tips on how to encourage a Horsea to evolve?"

The Gym Leader frowned, thrown. "We're having a Gym challenge here."

"I don't mind." Ash waved off, examining three Poké balls. "Hm. Lapras, Squirtle or Kingler?"

Pikachu shrugged. _"Lapras is fairly solid, Kingler prefers physical attacks, and if Squirtle missed the target would move itself to where he'd aimed."_

"Okay, look. Horsea tend to evolve to Seadra when they have a lot of open water to work with. If you're in the Orange Islands for a while, just let him – or her?"

"Him." Misty supplied.

"Okay. Let him spend a lot of time in the open ocean. That should help."

"Thanks." Misty sat back down.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted," Cissy stressed, "The first challenge is accuracy. You have to use Water Gun to hit various targets."

"Er…" Ash raised a hand. "Isn't this a bit cruel for those who don't have Water types?"

"Not my problem. It's this sort of thing that's why the Orange League hasn't got full certification, though."

"Ah, that explains a lot. Right, Squirtle!"

_"This mouth of mine is dripping wet! Its' loud slosh tells me to-"_

"Yeah, just go ahead and release the targets." Ash said, sighing. "He's going to keep this up for hours."

"What's he saying?" Cissy asked.

"Mainly blather about anime."

"Ouch." Cissy shuddered. "It must sound like my little brother. Anyway, let's go!"

Water bubbled around Squirtle, but he didn't fire any shots. First one, then four, then a dozen targets fell to Cissy's Seadra.

"Hurry up!" Ash shouted.

_"Oh ye of little faith. Attenboro-style water gun!"_

Fifteen lances of water shot out at the exact same moment, knocking over the remaining half of the targets in a fraction of a second.

"Show off." Ash muttered.

"Oh. I was sort of expecting to win there." Cissy said, frowning. "That was fast."

_"Thanks!"_

"Well, it looks like we'll have to use the race as a tie-breaker. One person and one Pokémon, first around the flag and back to the beach wins."

"Sounds good." Ash began sorting through Poké balls. "Any other restrictions?"

"Yeah, you have to ride on your Pokémon's back. That's about it."

Ash paused, and grinned.

* * *

><p>"Where's your Pokémon, Ash?" Cissy asked.<p>

"I'll release her once the race starts." Ash waved off.

"Oh, daring. I like it. Right, count us in, Senta!"

The boy waved a flag. "Three, two, one, go!"

Ash released Pidgeot, leapt on her back, and a thunderous explosion heralded her going transsonic as they completed the entire race in twelve seconds flat.

Senta gaped. "That's got to be cheating!"

"Didn't say it had to be a Water type in the rules." Ash grinned.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, yeah, alright. Here's the Coral Eye badge, and I'll make sure to restrict people to non-Flying types in future."<p>

"It's discrimination…" Tracey joked.

* * *

><p>"Ah, this place." Ash said, frowning. "I seem to remember things going a bit strangely here…"<p>

"I can't remember either." Misty said. "Mandarin Island… hm… it's unusually built up for the Orange Islands."

Tracey suddenly snapped his fingers. "That was it! The two Rockets with the Drowzee!"

Without breaking stride, Ash returned Riolu and passed his hat to Pikachu. "Right. Now, let's go stop 'em."

* * *

><p>Butch and Cassidy whirled as the door to their base exploded. "What-"<p>

"Thunder wave." Ash said, pointing.

The two Rockets dove for cover. "Drowzee, Hypnosis!"

_I'm trying! That surprisingly dapper Pikachu feels like a Dark type!_

"Oh, and blast the amplifier machine." Ash continued.

"How do you even know about that?" Butch shouted, before ducking back again as another blast of electricity raked the wall.

"Er, hello?" Ash asked. "Pokémon all over the town are showing up mind controlled and your Psychic type is wearing a helmet connected to a machine bigger than a car."

Cassidy hummed. "He has got a point."

Further conversation was cut off as the machine finally exploded.

* * *

><p>"Afternoon, officer." Ash said, stepping aside as Ivysaur and Charizard carried the two Rockets and their thoroughly unconscious Pokémon into the station. "These two were behind the crazy Pokémon incidents. Might be a good idea to have a Houndour or two on the force in future, though – Dark types <em>are<em> immune to Psychic attacks."

Jenny nodded absently, directing her Gastly forward. "Fair point. I've taken a bit of flak from the rest of the clan for not having a good canine Fire type."

"I feel like we wasted our time here." Cassidy said, sighing. "What's the food like here?"

"We do a nice oyster casserole." Jenny replied, brightly.

Butch turned green. "Why would you ruin good seafood like that?"

"This _is_ the lockup you're talking about. Comfort runs second."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Sunburst Island. I wonder if we should have let Brock know…" Tracey said, stepping off Lapras onto the beach.<p>

"Why?"

"He's a Rock type trainer, right?" Tracey checked. "And this is where that bizarre Onix was – the one that could swim and was transparent."

"Honestly, I don't know if that was even a proper Rock type." Ash replied. "I'll have to check, but it seemed a lot like an Ice type to me. Maybe it's sort of like Steelix, but Ice instead of Steel."

That sounds possible. Dexter's projector flickered, producing an image of the strange Pokémon. Certainly I am unaware of another Onix capable of swimming.

"Well, let's go find out."

* * *

><p>"You'll really help me?" Mateo asked, smiling. "I'm so glad! Everyone else I speak to about this kind of thing thinks I'm mad for believing in it!"<p>

Ash rolled his eyes. "Compared to some of what we've seen, this is small stuff."

"Really?"

"I got possessed once. That should be enough of an example to be going on with."

"Wow…" Mateo breathed. "Is that what it's like on the mainland?"

"No, mostly it's just what it's like around Ash." Misty shrugged. "We've seen _so many_ Legendary Pokémon, I've lost count."

"Were you at the Indigo league this year?" the glass-blower said, suddenly frowning. "Because you seem familiar, and I remember they said a Moltres turned up there suddenly."

"More than that!" Misty said, grabbing Ash's lapel and revealing his Indigo pin. "He won it!"

"Misty, at least let me do my own bragging." Ash grumbled.

"Well, that's certainly impressive." Mateo's smile was a little awkward. "I'm starting to think that accepting your help was a bad idea…"

"Everyone feels like that for a while." Tracey said, shrugging. "The feeling usually goes away around the time Ash saves the day."

"Good… I think…"

* * *

><p>"Why are your Pokémon walking around with blindfolds on?" Mateo finally asked, after spending several minutes staring.<p>

_"Aura sight."_ Riolu said tersely, sweeping the area. _"Hmmm… you say it can swim?"_

"Aura sight." Ash translated. "It's basically the ability to see life force. With it, Pikachu and Riolu can see through solid rock."

"That's kind of neat. So they have to wear the blindfolds?"

"It stops normal light from distracting them." Ash answered. "It's not exactly necessary, but it's certainly useful."

_"There."_ Riolu pointed, walking towards the spot of light in his Aura Sight.

"Watch out-" Mateo shouted, noticing where Riolu was. Too late, as the little Fighting type stepped off the edge of the path into the water.

And, of course, walked across it.

"Yeah, he does that too." Ash said casually. "Aura users are pretty neat."

Tracey and Misty shared a knowing glance. "Well, he did say he wanted to do his own bragging…" the water trainer muttered.

* * *

><p>"That doesn't make sense." Tracey said, consulting his notes. "If it's a new Pokémon, it evolved from Onix… but it's <em>resistant<em> to Water type attacks, and _vulnerable_ to Fire. That makes it sound like it has neither of Onix' types."

"Could it have evolved from Steelix?" Ash asked. "So it replaces the Ground type when it evolves for the second time?"

"It's possible… but I can't seem to manage both the Fire weakness and the Water resistance! It seems almost like a Grass-type!"

Or an Ice/Ground with Water Absorb. Dexter suggested, humming. I should have Traced its' ability to find out.

"Well, too late now." Ash shrugged. "At least Mateo got his inspiration."

* * *

><p>"Should we even bother with Pinkan island?" Misty asked.<p>

"Nah." Ash shrugged. "Nothing much actually happened there, except Togepi messing around with Metronome – and we already know she can do that."

"Along with a lot else." Misty smiled.

"So that's a skip?" Tracey said. "I'm certainly not objecting."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the island." A palaeontologist said, addressing all three of the friends. "Do watch out, some of the areas around here are unsafe. Stay with us and you should be fine."<p>

"Sure." Ash said. "Hey, did you hear about Grampa Canyon? I was there when they found the fossil Pokémon."

"You were? That was an interesting discovery they made there, certainly, though if I recall correctly the paper was co written by a rather young researcher… Gary Oak?"

"Yeah." Ash shrugged. "He's always been a bit mature for his age… of course, that only means he acts like a teenager."

"You know him, then?"

"Grew up with him." Ash said, before frowning. "Though that makes it sound like he grew up as well…"

"You mean it makes you sound like you grew up as well." Misty said. "That's why it sounds off."

"Misty, that's not fair…"

The palaeontologist leant towards Tracey, who was flipping to a new section of his sketchbook. "Is this normal?"

"For them, yes."

* * *

><p>The ground shook slightly. Ash and the others wobbled, too used to earthquakes to fall over completely.<p>

"That was strange…" someone said. "This island is poorly consolidated, yes, but it shouldn't be having earthquakes."

"Could it be a big one, far away?" Misty asked, worried. "I mean, if there's a tsunami…"

No chance of that. Dexter reported. There are no other seismic signals of similar or greater magnitude showing up within hundreds of miles. It was here.

"Hey, is that a… computer?"

"Pokédex." Ash filled in. "But he's become kind of a multifunction computer, yes."

"Neat. Good to know that it's not a big earthquake, but this is still worrying."

* * *

><p>"How are things going?" One of the assistants walking with Ash said, as they got to the current main dig site.<p>

"Very well, actually!" A man with a hard hat jumped up. "We've got more Kabuto than we've ever seen before in this part of the world, which will be very helpful for dating, and there's even some Craidilly! Excellently developed Palaeozoic fauna!"

The ground shook, much more violently this time, and the geologist fell onto his discarded jacket.

Ash… this could be a problem.

"What?"

The island is becoming unstable. More to the point, though, that Kabuto over there is starting to reanimate. And this island is limestone.

"Limestone?" Misty asked. "Brock's the rock expert, not any of us."

"Limestone – well, this island is heavily fossiliferous limestone – is made up of fossils, in this case." The nearest assistant said.

Yep, this is bad. The island is about to turn into… calculating… a few million Kabuto and Craidilly.

Ash reached for three Poké balls. "Charizard can take two people at least, Pidgeot one, and Lapras three. Anyone else with water-capable Pokémon, be ready to release them. We'll have to run for the coast, unless the island sinks before falling apart."

Misty went for her own. "I can ride on Starmie in a pinch, and Gyarados can take a few. The geologists have boats, though, right?"

"We have _a_ boat. Joy took the other one to meet the press on the next island over, because we wanted to demonstrate the importance of this discovery."

"Right. Well, feel free to catch a ride." The ground shook again, and listed. "Time to go!"

* * *

><p>"That escalated quickly." Ash said, from Pidgeot. "There are a <em>lot<em> of Kabuto there."

_"Yes. I wonder how often reawakenings like that happen."_

"Can't be too often."

Pikachu pointed. _"Hey, look."_

Ash followed where Pikachu was pointing. There was a Starmie, and Misty swimming alongside…

"That's a Seadra." Ash said. "He finally evolved?"

_"Looks like. And she's holding up a Net Ball. Wonder what she caught?"_

Pidgeot banked lower, and Misty's shouts became audible.

"Yes! Nice work, Seadra! Hey, Ash! I caught a Kabuto!"

"Huh." Ash said. "Nice to see she's diversifying a bit."

_"It's still a Water type."_

* * *

><p>"Ah, Navel Island." Tracey said. "That's the second gym, right?"<p>

"Yeah." Ash nodded. "This is probably the strangest one. It's basically a series of fitness challenges."

_"Like what?"_

"They're to test how well you cooperate with your Pokémon." Ash said, before frowning. "Not that Charizard actually _did_ last time…"

Stepping up to the gate, he pushed it open and read the sign. "Ah, there we are. The qualification test is to climb the mountain without aid of any Pokémon. Hey, Misty, Tracey? Mind taking Pikachu and Riolu up?"

"Sure." Misty said. "But why?"

Ash tightened his boots. "Well, the rules specifically disqualify Pokémon and only Pokémon. They don't say anything about Sir Aaron's Boots. I'm basically going to jump up. I don't want the others getting cold."

"Okay." Tracey said. "Wasn't the leader down here last time, actually?"

"He was." Ash nodded. "But it looks like he's waiting up at the top today. Either that or he's not there at all."

"It doesn't make much sense, actually…" Misty said. "What does being able to climb a mountain have to do with being a skilled Pokémon trainer?"

Ash shrugged. "Beats me. At least this time I'm doing it with advantages to counterbalance how I'm, you know, not even a teenager yet."

"True."

Ash pushed Aura into his boots, lightened his effective weight to about ten pounds, and shot off in a series of leaps that sent him soaring up the mountain.

"We'd better hurry." Tracey said, opening the door to the gondola. "Or we'll be late."

* * *

><p>"Whew." Ash muttered, jumping through the chilly air. "Cold up here." It was. In fact, there was snow – something unusual on a subtropical island. "Must be Articuno's part of the local ocean currents…"<p>

One final leap sent him over the lip of the mountain and up onto the flat. Ash renormalized his weight, and panted for a moment. "Not sure what that had to do with Pokémon, but it was nice exercise."

"Hello!" Darren shouted. "I saw someone was coming up the gondola. Are you the challenger?"

"Yes!" Ash called back. "You're the Gym Leader, right? What _does_ that climb have to do with Pokémon?"

"Nothing, really." Darren shrugged. "I just like extreme sports. Right, three challenges, the first challenge is to freeze a geyser. One Pokémon each, fastest wins."

Ash pulled out two Poké balls, and released Squirtle and Lapras. "Which of you two is better at Ice attacks?"

Squirtle shrugged. _"I prefer burning heat to icy cold."_

_"I'm better than before. I'll do it."_ Lapras said, and skated forward on the snow.

"Right. I'm ready!" Ash said, and Darren nodded.

"Three, two, one, go!"

Lapras built up a Blizzard, and fired with a wide focus to cool the entire geyser at once.

"Why aren't you freezing it from the top down or the bottom up?" Ash asked.

_"If I did, it'd be shot out by the water pressure."_

Ash glanced sideways, to where Darren's Nidoqueen was, in fact, freezing the geyser from the bottom up. "Are you sure?"

_"Well… I was. She must have frozen the hole."_

"Ah well." Ash shrugged.

_"And… there!"_

The geyser froze, all at once, as the temperature finally went to zero. Darren's one had been finished at the same moment.

"What does that count as?"

"I don't actually know, I didn't think it could happen." Darren answered. "Draw?"

"What does that mean?"

"It's basically like if I won, but it means that if you get a win and another draw it goes to you – I win ties, but nothing more."

Ash shrugged. "Fair enough."

"It does mean you can't afford a loss, though."

"That's fine. Now, what's the second challenge?"

"You have to make the frozen geyser into a sledge with the aid of your Pokémon. I'm using my Scyther and Machoke to join Nidoqueen."

"Right." Ash frowned. "Hmm… Now, where are Misty and Tracey?"

"Over here!"

Misty hurried up with Pikachu, and looked accusingly at the two trainers. "You started without us!"

"I beat the cable car up here, I think I'm allowed!"

"That's just like you, Ash!"

Riolu padded over, not feeling the cold thanks to another application of his Airslip trick. _"They'll be at this for a while."_

Agreed. Set up. Dexter formed, and fired laser scans at the pillar. I see. Analysis indicates we may be able to do this one without Ash's direction. Riolu, I will mark points for you to strike.

"You're going to have a go without your trainer?" Darren said. "Alright. Three, two, one, go!"

Dexter marked two points. Force Palm.

Charging Aura into his hands, Riolu struck them in quick succession. Large splinters of ice went flying.

Recalculating… here. Mach Punch.

The faster, more focused blow shivered more ice off, and the basic shape began to form.

Fire Punch. Force Palm. Aura Sphere. Mach Punch.

Dexter broke off for a moment, and used a Charge Beam to sculpt the sides and underneath of the sledge.

Right. Now, bring a Fire Punch along this line and that should finish it.

Riolu did so, completing the melting out of the inside for seating. _"And done!"_

Ash broke off his argument with Misty, which for some reason was about pies by now anyway. "You are?"

_"Yes. Didn't even take three Pokémon."_

"Well done." Darren said. "I can see you trained your Pokémon very well. Once my sled is finished, the third and final challenge is a race down the mountain. Steering must be done by the Pokémon."

"Right." Ash said. "Dexter? What's the best approach?"

Analyzing. The primary cause of drag will be wind resistance, and is the main limiting factor on speed here. I suggest Charizard – his wings will be excellent air scoops for steering, and he is the largest you have as of now. Good weight for the ice contact area helps.

"Besides, jet propulsion would be cool." Ash said. "What about having Squirtle make a path of water in front of the sled?"

That would reduce the effects of friction – good idea.

"And I'll have Pikachu come along as well to blast any obstacles. That's all three."

* * *

><p>"Count us in, miss." Darren asked Misty. His own sled was much less crowded than Ash's – heavy and good for manoeuvring Charizard may have been, but he was also very large.<p>

"Right. Three, two, one, go!"

Tracey ran for the gondola and Riolu kicked off an ice-board he'd made in the intervening time. Misty, courtesy of Pidgeot, was flying alongside the racers.

Ash pointed ahead, with some difficulty. "Pikachu, Squirtle, you know what to do. Charizard… left!"

Charizard thought for a split second, and partially opened his right wing. This stuck out the left side of the sled, slowing them marginally, and tilting the trajectory of the vehicle away from the first icy spire.

"Now, flamethrower!"

Furling the wing again, Charizard blasted a powerful fire attack out the back of the sled.

"You're going a bit over the top, aren't you…" Darren asked. "I mean, we're in very similar sleds."

"Right! Okay, now left!"

_"It's kind of hard to do steering very precisely, Ash!" _Charizard roared. _"I'm facing backwards and trying not to fall out!"_

_"Then we'll just make steering not matter!"_ Squirtle launched a larger than normal blob of water ahead, making a kind of icy hill, and then created a ramp leading up it. _"Jump ahead!"_

_"What do you mea-whoaaaa!"_

Charizard had the rare experience of taking off… backwards.

Thanks to the irregularity of the ramp, the sled went spinning through the air, rolling and pitching wildly.

* * *

><p>Riolu completed a left roll on his snowboard, then looked over at the sledge.<p>

_"There's no way I'll be able to beat that… that's a triple twisted lime already…"_

* * *

><p>"Charizard! Stabilize us!" Ash yelled, gripping the sled with his feet and his two smaller Pokémon with his hands.<p>

_"I'm trying!"_ Charizard flapped his wings frantically, trying to cancel the pitch first. _"I'm spinning backwards through the air attached to a heavy weight! That's number one in the Charizard flight training manual!"_

"What, really?"

_"Yes! It's got a caption – 'Don't!'"_

Squirtle launched a Water Gun, using his attack to help Charizard gain control of the pitch. Once that was done and they were only rolling through the air, he pointed dramatically forward. _"Maximum speed, men! We shall cross the finish line as fast as possible!"_

Ash gulped. "I don't like the sound of this…"

Pikachu used Levitate, just to make sure any potential crash was at least somewhat blunted.

* * *

><p>"Pidgeot…" Misty said, curious. "Is that normal?"<p>

_"I didn't know it was possible, Misty."_

The two of them watched, fascinated, as a water-tipped rocket with fire shooting out the back span crazily near to the side of the mountain, bounced without actually hitting the ground, and shot along the surface at a distance of less than a foot.

About a hundred metres past the finish line (and over the bay), the ice sled finally melted completely. Ash and his three Pokémon went flying in wildly separate directions.

Ash managed to return Charizard before the fire-type hit the water, at least.

* * *

><p>"That went well." Ash said, as they left the island. "Where next?"<p>

"You call that going well?" Misty asked.

Ash shrugged. "I got the badge, didn't I?"

Tracey sighed. "Doesn't surprise me that that's his main measure of success."

"Right. Let's see…" Ash frowned. "Snorlax next, right? I think I can just go and get him straight off with Pidgeot."

Correct. After that is another thing we can probably skip – ghosts _again._ Then Tracey gets his Scyther.

"Good. I've missed him." The trainer said.

"Right. To the grapefruit islands!"

As Lapras set off, Ash sighed. "Who names entire archipelagos after fruit?"

"It's not actually all that bad, as names go… I mean, there are the South Sandwich Islands…"

* * *

><p>Pidgeot stooped over one of the islands. As she flared her wings and stopped just above ground level, Ash jumped to the ground. He hit Snorlax with one blue-glowing palm, and caught him before the Pokémon had properly woken up.<p>

"There we go. Though I don't know why people don't just catch a Snorlax when it's sleeping somewhere inconvenient."

_"Beats me." _Pikachu replied. _"At least Snorlax is back. He was a good guy, if a bit lazy."_

"You mean he defined the term… at least the people who run the plantations here won't have any more trouble with him."

* * *

><p>Tracey's Scyther went nowhere nearly as smoothly. While he was indeed restored just as fast as Snorlax had been, he'd forgotten about the fairly severe injuries from which he was suffering when they'd first met him.<p>

Accordingly, he tried to fly off to settle accounts with the swarm… and promptly fell over.

"You know, this would go a lot easier if we carried around Full Restores." Ash mused. "Might be a good idea."

"Given what we get into, yeah." Misty agreed. "In the meantime, we'll get going again in a few days once Scyther is properly better."

_"I'd rather settle that score first."_ Scyther muttered.

"Any of them know Air Slash?" Ash asked. "Pidgeot does."

_"No, none of them do. Would he teach me?"_

"She!" Ash said, to forestall Pidgeot getting angry. "I know you never met her, but my Pidgeot is female."

_"My apologies."_

After a moment, Ash, Pikachu and Riolu exhaled. _"It seems like you apologized in time."_

_"Is she especially touchy over this?"_

"It's only come up once, but she Sky Attacked a crater lined with fused glass into the ground."

_"I… see. Then I shall endeavour to avoid annoying her, for reasons of self preservation as well as simple courtesy."_

_"That's probably safest."_ Riolu said.

* * *

><p>"Looks like he's almost better." Tracey said. "He's just old, is the main problem. Age creeping up on him."<p>

"Right." Ash said, determinedly. "Dexter, call Brock."

Not even a please? Alright.

The projector flashed to life, creating a screen on which a startled Brock could be seen.

Ash squinted. "Brock, are you holding a crowbar?"

"No." Brock said, unconvincingly. "Look, what is it?"

"Where could I find a metal coat? Like the one your Onix used to evolve?"

"Actually, the lab has one." Brock disappeared out of shot for a moment, and came back holding the metallic item. "You can borrow it, if you're quick."

"Five minutes, no more." Ash promised, and took it as it materialized. "Right!"

"Wait, are you-" Tracey called, as Ash ran towards the Pokémon centre.

* * *

><p>Ash skidded to a halt in the convalescence room. "Want to become a Steel type?"<p>

_"How?"_ Scyther asked.

"Your species can evolve into Scizor with a metal coat. It should help counteract your advanced age."

_"Very well, then."_ Scyther struggled out of bed, and Ash passed the item to him.

There was a flash of silver light, and when it cleared the Bug type was now a Scizor.

"Congratulations!" Ash said, then dove out the window.

_"Er… thank you?"_

* * *

><p>"I'm back!"<p>

Four minutes, twelve seconds.

"You actually kept track?" Somehow, the screen glared at him. "Right, AI, silly question. Anyway, here's the metal coat."

Transferring.

"Did you just evolve my Scyther to Scizor in five minutes flat?" Tracey asked, a little amazed.

"Yeah?" Ash shrugged. "Fairly normal for me. Remind me to tell you about the time a Pokémon evolved while I was riding her."

* * *

><p>"Only a few weeks more…" Lawrence III mused. "The ship is ready, the weapons primed. We have only to wait until the prophesied date and the beast of the sea shall be mine."<p>

"Brother, I don't understand why you believe in all those prophecies." His sister said, walking into the command room. "They're nonsense. The scribblings of primitives desperately trying to understand Pokémon. We _do_ understand, and we _have_ the power to control them."

"Those ancient writings were what led me to the site of Pokeatlantis, sister. From an ancient depiction of Mew, all this resulted – and your own ship's reliance on new technology proved its' downfall, did it not?"

"I didn't expect the Porygon." Hunter J said. "But you aren't well prepared either. You had _no_ supporting vessels and _no_ additional crew. You could easily be attacked the same way as mine was, by a boarding party."

"But that is a problem no longer." Lawrence said, serenely. "You have been delivered unto me. And while your new ship is to be completed soon, you shall be onboard to witness as I come into my destiny as the chosen one and tame the beast of the sea. Lugia!"

* * *

><p>"What."<p>

Sir Aaron stared at the ridiculous creation in front of him.

"This is the great and powerful head of Xavi!" Sorin Otome said, standing atop an eight foot high wooden head with cannons for eyes. "I built it from a very powerful cannon, so fear it!"

"Arceus?" Aaron addressed the air. "This guy is nuts. More nuts than usual, I mean."

_Sorry. I was trying to make a comment about the Portugese mission, and I think I missed._

"Badly." Aaron muttered. "This is just ridiculous."

Sorin gestured, and two more identical heads creaked into the square. "Let's go Xavi!"

To the south, Dialga examined a person-shaped crater in the ground. _I think he's been defeated._

Ieyasu bowed to the crater, and to the samurai within. "Your bond with your lord is strong. But the bonds which will be forged this day are stronger still!"

"My wife said there'd be days like this..." Muneshige Tachibana muttered.

Something exploded as Palkia fired Spatial Rend into one of the Xavi-tanks.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Sorry it's been so long. I have other fics too.

Yes, J's brother is Lawrence III, the "collector" from the second movie. He has a woeful lack of backstory in the film, so I'm making him an archaeologist with access to a number of sites which have the same ludicrously high technology as Pokemonopolis and Pokeatlantis et cetera have.

I'll try to update more frequently - I do know single chapters are a bit unusual for me.


	38. Orange Islands chapter 2

"Oh, hey." Tracey said, checking the news. "That's not changed. Prima's going to give a lecture on the island."

"Who?" Ash blinked. "Is that the person who does all those strategy guides?"

"Yeah." The artist shrugged. "It's been known for years that Prima is a pen name used by Lorelei, but that's only really among the people who follow the scientific literature. She prefers to keep her scientific life separate from her life as an Elite Four member."

"That sounds nice." Misty said. "Is it soon enough we can spare the time?"

"Let's see… yep. This afternoon."

"Short notice…" Ash muttered.

"Well, she's a busy woman. And this is the largest of the Orange Islands, so there should be enough of a local audience."

Analyzing… interesting. 'Prima' has given lectures here at a minimum of six times a year for the last decade.

"That can't be right." Tracey said, surprised. "That's a lot of lectures…"

This might explain it. Dexter's projector lit. She was born here. There are newspaper articles from a few decades ago about her.

"So this is her home island? Wonder how she avoids being recognized."

Misty shrugged. "She might not bother. It's not as if it'd be a disaster for her."

"True. Well, it'd be interesting to attend."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Ash Ketchum. Can I have a word?"<p>

Ash turned, seeing 'Prima' standing in the corner of the Pokémon centre. "Oh! Of course."

"Thank you. Now, I am in need of someone to help me demonstrate. Since you're in the area, I was wondering if you'd be available."

"Sure!" Ash said enthusiastically. "What kind of help?"

"I normally lecture on a specific topic, complete with examples. The topic I'm going to look at this time is the topic of Type Advantage. Would you be able to bring a highly varied team, please."

"That's my normal team, actually…" Ash said.

_"Should be fun."_ Pikachu contributed. _"At least this won't be quite as high powered as the battle we had with her last time."_

"Why not?"

_"There's a living audience."_ The Electric type deadpanned.

"Excellent." Prima nodded. "Backstage in two hours or so, please."

* * *

><p>"Now," the Elite Four member said. "I am a user of Ice types. This is often considered to be the best offensive element, and the worst defensive element. If you would send out a type weak to Ice?"<p>

Ash nodded. "Pidgeot!"

"Now," she continued. "If the enemy Pokémon has a weakness to one of the types that your Pokémon has, then you should exploit it." Palming a Poké ball, she threw it. "Swinub, Ice Beam!"

Pidgeot shot upwards, not waiting for a command, and the beam of ice splashed over the stage backing instead.

"An important point, here. Type advantage means _nothing_ if an attack doesn't even connect," Prima pointed out. "This is especially important for facing down more mobile opponents. Which is why one move that Ice types know is so useful. Hail!"

Ash looked up into the sudden snowstorm, which was an astonishing sight on a subtropical island like this. Pidgeot seemed fine, though…

A vacuum wave shot out of the cloud, but accumulated snow on the way and landed as a slushball.

"A Fighting type move," Prima noted. "One thing to remember is to _never_ assume your opponent _can not_ have a move of _any_ type. Even if the Pokémon does not normally learn a move of the appropriate type, there is always the technique known as Hidden Power. Swinub, use Smack Down!"

Pidgeot pulled up into a highly unusual move, almost turning upside down while still moving forward. The Smack Down missed, and she regained speed by diving before the second shot could connect.

"Your Pidgeot is a truly remarkable specimen." Prima nodded to Ash. "I did not know that was possible."

"Neither did I…" Ash muttered.

The manoeuvre is called a cobra. Dexter put in quietly. Often used in fighter aircraft which are supermanoeuverable.

* * *

><p>Though it took several minutes, during which Swinub regularly used Dig to keep out of Pidgeot's firing arc, eventually the cold slowed her enough that Swinub connected with an Aurora Beam.<p>

"A marvellous demonstration," Prima announced. "The advantages and disadvantages from fighting with an offensive type disparity were well shown. Now, if you would be so kind as to send out a Pokémon who has a _move_ advantageous against Ice?"

Ash nodded. "Let's see…"

It was actually a fairly tricky question. A _lot_ of his Pokémon were either weak to Ice, or their effective-against-Ice move was the same type as they were…

Oh, who was he kidding. "Pikachu!"

_"I was starting to think you'd forgotten all about me…"_ Pikachu grumbled good-naturedly, jumping forwards.

Prima frowned. "Let's see… Glalie, I think."

Another Poké ball flashed, and produced a floating-head thing.

Ash felt a stab of nostalgia, remembering his own Glalie. It was still a while before they could meet up…

Pikachu's feet skidded on the floor, then steadied as he produced a pair of aura pads on his feet. Spikes on the underside let them dig into the surface of the stage and keep him on his feet.

"Interesting…" Prima muttered, watching intently.

Pikachu's paw glowed blue, and he launched himself straight at Glalie in a prodigious leap.

Light Screens formed, and promptly shattered as Pikachu rammed the shield-breaker Aura move through them. The other paw flashed with electric light, which blazed into the ground before leaving a clear, shining blue light.

Then he slammed a Force Palm straight into Glalie.

Prima looked disappointed as her Pokémon flew over the retaining wall and out of sight. "Well, so much for dynamic examples… okay. When fighting a Pokémon with a neutral _type_, then the main issue is going to depend on the type of your own Pokémon. Obviously, a move which has the advantage against the opponent will be preferable in most cases, but with a Glalie – for example – his Ice type moves may well be preferable, since an Ice type's Ice moves are more potent than what little Ground type moves he has. Were it not for that Pikachu apparently being a Riolu in disguise-"

_"Hey!"_ Pikachu said, paws on hips. Riolu stuck his tongue out, and Ash facepalmed.

"-then I would expect him to follow the same approach. This is more true for a Pikachu than for other Pokémon, since they can use a Light ball – which makes electrical moves _far_ more potent."

_"She's right,"_ Pikachu nodded along. _"I like my Light ball."_

"Super Effective moves are better, of course. And when a Pokémon has a double weakness, such as a Weavile to Fighting, they are always the superior option."

She paused. "Now, though it fills me with no little trepidation…" the audience laughed at that, and she went on, "Please send out a Pokémon with a _type_ advantage against Ice."

Ash already knew who to use. "Charizard!"

_"Hell yeah!"_ Charizard roared. _"Time to rock! Only, more like… time to fire._"

Prima sent out a Dewgong.

_"No fair!" _Charizard yelped, taking to the air just ahead of a blast of water.

"If your enemy is strong against your type, try to have a counter to the conter," Lorelei said calmly. "In the case of Ice, their commonly paired type Water is useful for this purpose – as are the Water moves many Ice types can learn."

Charizard ascended as Aqua Jets crisscrossed the stadium, then enveloped himself in a Fire Spin as hail began once more.

"Ah – this is interesting." Prima adjusted her glasses. "This is a form of shield technique, which is often useful in reducing or negating the effects of an attack. It can – depending on the situation – be a useful way to mitigate a type disadvantage. Though, of course, a water shield would have to be fairly unusual to negate an Electric attack – for example."

"When using double-typed Pokémon to cover for a weakness, a major factor must be that _no_ double-typing will be perfect. While there are some which are better than others, in almost all cases an attack strong against one type will still do normal damage."

As she spoke, a Fire Blast speared out of the sky, and she withdrew Dewgong just ahead of the explosion.

"My thanks, young trainer, on an excellent set of demonstrations."

There was a smattering of applause.

* * *

><p>"Okay," Ash said, pointing to Meowth. "What are you up to?"<p>

Meowth waved a pad of paper. "I wanna get an autograph, 'cuz Prima's work saved me a whole load'a trouble. What's it ta you?"

"Fair enough." Ash shrugged. "Sorry to bother you."

* * *

><p>"Oh, this…" Ash put his head in his hands. "Two Pokémon trainers who hate each other, with Pokémon who are in love. How did we sort this one out again? I forgot."<p>

Misty flashed a grin. "Just leave it to me!"

"Actually, that sounds like a bad plan." Tracey flinched as Misty rounded on him. "No, really! Remember what happened last time?"

"No, actually." Misty admitted. "But how hard can it be?"

"Don't say that!" Ash said quickly. "Things always go wrong when someone says it!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'll bite." Tracey shook his head. "How?"<p>

"Easy." Misty pointed at the two Nido's. "I taught them both Helping Hand, and pointed out how popular Double Battles are getting to their trainers."

"You are far too lucky."

Misty shrugged. "Well, all's well that ends well."

Ash dove for cover.

Nothing happened.

When nothing continued to happen, he poked his head back up warily.

Tracey and Misty shrugged and walked off. After a moment, Ash followed, still looking around for the random Legendary or airship crash or _something_.

* * *

><p>"Well…" Jenny pulled out a municipal map. "There's hundreds of miles of sewer underneath this city."<p>

At the incredulous expressions of the trio, she gave an awkward gesture. "What can I say. The city planners _loved_ sewers. And this _is_ the largest settlement on the island."

"Which gives it a population of not-enough-to-need this," Misty said, then sighed. "Ah well. I _always_ wanted to spend ages in a sewer."

Please wait.

Dexter formed, settled to the ground, and emitted a faint rumble. Inverting. Ah, there it is. Follow me.

_"We _so_ should have had you last time,"_ Pikachu said.

* * *

><p>A tentacle lashed out of the water, aiming for the group.<p>

Ash grimaced, double-checked that he was wearing rubber gloves, and grabbed one tentacle as it went past. His boots flared, anchoring him to the floor, and he _pulled_.

In a splash of foul-smelling water, a huge Bulbasaur came flying into the air and landed with a _splat_ on the walkway.

_"…huh,"_ Riolu said, frowning. _"Didn't know they got that big…"_

"Usually they don't," Tracey said authoritatively. "This is a Giant one, which is an unusual kind of Pokémon condition. The jury's out on if it's genetic, environmental, or a mix."

Ash sent out Ivysaur. "Hey, can you speak to 'im?"

_"Well, yeah. The issue is an answer."_ Ivysaur walked forward, closing up his fronds to keep them from getting splashed.

* * *

><p>"So!" Jenny scowled. "He was going to make us do his dirty work for him, and cover up a serious crime on his part. Well, so much for <em>that<em> mayor. Abandoning a Pokémon is a serious crime…"

"Out of curiosity…" Ash raised a hand. "If he'd sent in a SWAT team like he was threatening, what would they have used?"

"Sandslash, Wartortle, Alakazam and Tangela." Jenny rolled her eyes. "It used to stand for something else, but someone got confused somewhere."

"Huh. Okay, I always wondered what that stood for…" Ash said, nodding to himself.

* * *

><p>"Finally!" Ash said, and spread his arms. "Trovita Gym!"<p>

"Which one was this?" Tracey asked.

Misty scowled. "I remember _this_ jerk."

"Jerk?" Ash paused. "I actually _don't_ remember…"

"He was too busy getting an eyeful of me to pay attention to his job." Misty shook her head. "I don't like that."

"Fair enough."

* * *

><p>"So, you have to hit all the floating targets if you want to challenge me!" Rudy said, not <em>quite<em> focusing on Ash.

For some reason, his gaze kept wandering a little towards where Misty was.

"Right…" Ash said, reaching for a Poké ball, then paused. "Can I check something?"

"Sure."

"You just need all the targets to be hit, right? Doesn't matter how?" Ash shrugged. "I mean, there was this other gym leader who made it have to be a Water type…"

"No type chauvinism here." Rudy flashed a smile. "In fact, that's half the point of the main battle section. Anyway, if your Pokémon doesn't have the range to hit them from the shore, you can just ask and I'll take you out in my speedboat."

"Cool." Ash raised a Poké ball. "Snorlax, body slam!"

"Wait, what?" Rudy blinked.

Then he, and everyone else on the waterfront, got wet.

* * *

><p>"I think that went well!" Ash said brightly, as Charizard blew hot air to dry them all off.<p>

Rudy just grumbled something about tidal waves.

"So, the main battle?"

"Right." The Gym Leader pushed himself up. "Okay, I actually do have a normal Pokémon battle section."

"For this archipelago, that's kind of daring…" Tracey commented.

"I know. I've got letters asking why it isn't a skydiving contest or something." Rudy tapped his foot. "Anyway. Pick three of your Pokémon, and I'll match their type. Best two of three same-type matches wins."

"That's interesting." Misty grinned. "I certainly got Ash the same way back in Cerulean."

"You mean you sent out a Chinchou and absorbed basically everything Pikachu had." Ash shook his head. "Still, at least honour was restored."

Misty blanked for a moment, then tried to strangle Ash. He dodged her lunge and fled with a laugh.

Rudy pointed after them. "Does this…?"

"All the time." Tracey shrugged. "You get used to it. I'd say it'll be twenty-three minutes before you can start your battle."

* * *

><p>Twenty-two minutes and fifty-three seconds later…<p>

"Round one!" Rudy said into a microphone, and the crowd roared.

Well, more like purred. There weren't _that_ many of them.

Ash threw his first Poké ball of the match. "Pidgeot!"

"Oh." Rudy said, releasing his own Pokémon. "When you said Flying type…"

"Huh." Ash looked skywards, at the two almost-identical Pidgeot. "You too, huh?"

Rudy shrugged. "They're very good Pokémon."

"I know." Ash cupped his hands around his mouth. "Get 'em, girl!"

_"You know it!"_ Pidgeot replied with a coo, and then shot skywards with mighty beats of her air-augmented wings.

The other Pidgeot looked up, apparently at a loss.

"…I knew I should have focused on training him for dogfighting…" Rudy rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a tape recorder. "Let's see…"

Putting it up next to the microphone, he pressed play.

* * *

><p>"What's that music?" Misty asked, looking up as she tried to remember. "It's familiar, but…"<p>

Identifying… identification complete.

"Wait." Tracey pointed at Dexter. "You can do that?"

Yes. What? I'm a Pokémon and an AI, not a dishwasher.

Tracey shrugged helplessly. "Okay, what _is_ it then?"

The Dambuster's March.

* * *

><p>Ash's Pidgeot slashed out of the sky, moving at her attack speed of nearly mach three, and cloaked in dynamically unstable air to aid her terminal attack.<p>

The other Pidgeot did an aileron roll and slid away from her, so she converted the speed of the attack into a lightning-fast partial roll of her own and circled to get behind him.

Air cutters rolled off her Tailwind and stuttered forwards, spraying a cone in front of her which was where she could aim best, but he evaded her with a dodge of his own and tried for an Aerial Ace.

* * *

><p><em>"Not gonna lie, this is pretty cool," <em>Pikachu said, watching the contrails cross and spar across the sky.

"Yeah…" Ash agreed, squinting up. "Problem is, I've completely lost track of which is which."

_"Aura sight?"_

"…oh, right." Ash closed one eye. "Yeah, that's better. Whoa!"

_"What?"_ Pikachu extended his electrical sense. _"I missed it."_

"She just pulled a Kulbit. He nearly hit her and she shed a lot of speed, but it means she's behind him again. But he just Cobra'd, and… I can't talk fast enough!"

Then the sky erupted with light as a Sky Attack hit… something.

Ash's hand snapped out. "Charizard, catch them!"

* * *

><p>Charizard beat his wings strongly, heading out over the water towards the twin specks plummeting out of the sky.<p>

He was sure he could catch one. _Two_, on the other hand, might be a little more tricky.

Then one of the two Pokémon pulled out of its dive. The resultant flight path was wobbly, but serviceable.

_Well, that simplifies things…_

The Fire type matched speed with the falling bird, and caught it gently in both arms.

* * *

><p>"So…" Ash said, looking the Pidgeot up and down. "Which one are you?"<p>

It promptly stole his hat.

"Okay, I was joking!" The hat fell to the floor, and Ash retrieved it hastily. Then he slapped her on the wing-base. "Good work, girl. Get some rest."

* * *

><p>"Your second type?" Rudy asked.<p>

"Let's go with… Bug! Butterfree!"

"Venomoth," Rudy countered.

The moth didn't waste any time, firing a Supersonic and a Disable. Butterfree tried to resist them, but wasn't strong enough to handle both and was temporarily immobilized.

He shook it off in only a couple of seconds, but by then Venomoth had delivered a dusting of shed scales with a Toxic wrapped up in them.

_"Damnit!"_ Butterfree shook his wings, trying to dislodge the spores, but could already feel the effects starting to bite.

_"Well, if I'm going down, I'm not going alone. Confusion!"_

Venomoth flinched back as the Psychic attack washed over him.

_"Aerial Ace!"_

Butterfree slashed in, the tempo of his attacks increasing. The poison was weakening him by now, accelerating as the reactive poison of the Toxic adapted to his defences…

But he was _good_.

A final, risky wingover slammed into Venomoth, and the other Bug type finally fainted.

Butterfree floated above the arena, holding his wings steady despite the burning poison, until his opponent finally hit the arena floor.

Then, and only then, did he let himself go down.

* * *

><p>"All right!" Ash said, grinning, as he gathered up the falling Butterfree and sprayed some Antidote on. "So, what now?"<p>

Rudy rummaged in his pocket and passed something over. "Now you get the Spike Shell badge."

Ash blinked. "Pardon?"

"Two wins. I can't make that good, so you win."

"Hold on a second!" Ash's face fell. "You mean you _don't_ do a third match in this situation?"

"Well, _I_ don't…" Rudy shrugged. "Sorry."

_"Awww…_" Riolu muttered.

* * *

><p>"Well, that went well!" Misty said brightly.<p>

"Speak for yourself…" Ash replied, sulking.

"Come on, Ash!" Tracey said. "So you only had two battles. Isn't that still okay?"

"I can't believe you would even ask that question." Ash turned away from Tracey with a _hmf_.

* * *

><p>"What's that place?" Ash said, pointing over the port bow. "It looks kind of…"<p>

That is Fairchild Island. Known for lush and verdant forests, the remnants of a volcanic plug, and giant Pidgeot and Rhydon.

_"Oh, that place."_ Pikachu looked around. _"Hope I don't get tied to Meowth.. again…"_

One of Ash's Poké balls erupted in light.

_"I fancy having a look over there, actually,"_ Pidgeot said casually. _"I want to see if they have anything to teach me."_

"Oh! Well, sure," Ash said. "Just, come back soon, okay?"

_"Sure thing, Ash."_ With a wash of air, Pidgeot took flight.

* * *

><p>"Hmmm…" Tracey consulted a nautical chart. "According to this, there's a strong current in the area. I wonder what that could mean for the local Pokémon…"<p>

_"It's making it very hard going!"_ Lapras interjected. _"I don't mind all that much, but…"_

"Not much else we can do…" Ash said. "Though, if Charizard and Pidgeot don't mind, we could use their help for a bit."

_"No, I'm fine."_ Lapras shrugged his head. _"Don't mind me."_

"If you say so," Ash said, shrugging.

Then there was an explosion to the southwest.

"Whoa!" Ash shouted, looking off in that direction. "What happened?"

Specks of colour danced against the blue sky, and flashes of heat lightning or momentary clouds flashed for almost a full minute. Accompanying it, at a delay of about ten seconds, was a series of rumbling _boom_s.

Eventually, it died away. A few seconds later, a familiar shape came skipping over the sea.

Pidgeot flared her wings, beat them once to cancel most of her momentum, and settled into a low orbit around Lapras. _"Ruffians!"_

"I… take it that it didn't go well?"

_"I don't want to talk about it."_

* * *

><p>"Land ahoy!" Tracey said, looking through his binoculars.<p>

"Where?" Ash asked, shading his eyes.

"East, mostly." Tracey pointed. "At least… I think that's east. Pikachu?"

Pikachu hummed, focusing on the magnetic field of the earth. _"…yes, you're right. That's east. Are we off course?"_

"Must have been the current…" Misty said,

We are indeed off course, Dexter supplied, rising into the air. That is not the deserted Berna Island. In fact…that is Shamouti.

"…oh, great," all three humans chorused.

"Well, this should be… 'fun'," Ash added with a sigh.

* * *

><p>Lapras coasted into Shamouti bay, which was fairly empty of boats on that particular day. Only a few ferries were docked, and most of those were riding high on the moorings.<p>

"Looks quite empty, actually…" Misty said, looking around. "Wasn't it really busy last time?"

We are one day earlier than we were last time, Dexter said helpfully. The festival begins tomorrow evening. I suggest getting a good rest.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," Ash said, hopping off Lapras as they reached the beach. "Thanks, Lapras. I think we might be able to give you a rest for the next leg."

_"Okay. Just be careful, okay?"_ Lapras craned his neck back to check everyone else was off, then nodded to Ash who returned him.

* * *

><p>"Ohhh, that was good…" Tracey said, lying back on his bed in the hotel. "This place has <em>such<em> nice food…"

"It is a tourist centre," Ash replied. "I've never seen so many elaborate and vaguely silly bird costumes."

_"Hey, don't knock it," _Riolu warned from the window. _"I love this kind of thing."_

Ash nodded. "Me too, actually. Doesn't stop me making fun of it." He rummaged in his pouch, and pulled out Sir Aaron's complete wardrobe. "These tomorrow, I think."

_"Good idea."_ Pikachu rubbed his paws together, then brought out his Light Ball to check before reabsorbing it. _"We'll need all the help we can get."_

Riolu turned from the window and sat on the dresser, crossing his legs and settling into a meditative posture. _"I agree."_

* * *

><p>At ten minutes past midnight, four silvery shapes dropped through a cloud layer and sped south and west. Something flashed pale blue behind them, and orbs of light dropped through the cloud layer in a steady stream.<p>

Shapes and orbs alike were headed on an arrow-straight path to Fire Island, most south-easterly of the three sacred islands.

* * *

><p>"I still don't see why we couldn't do this yesterday," Hunter J said with a scowl. "As it is, we're taking far too long."<p>

"The Beast of the Sea must be tamed on the day of the festival," Lawrence said calmly. "The festival begins today; so must the taming begin. And why so anxious, sister?"

J strode over to one of the display screens. Tapping on the controls with quick, sure strokes, she brought up a recon image of Shamouti Island. "This is going to be densely populated on the day of the festival – it draws people from all over the Orange Islands to see it. We might be found out."

"Dear me, sister," Lawrence said with mock surprise, "is this you I hear worried about being found out? Aren't you the one who dares the police to do what they can?"

"That was when I had a battleship," she admitted, though she'd never breathe it to someone who wasn't family. "And you know as well as I that the new one is still months from completion."

"That's as may be," Lawrence shrugged. "But we _do_ have a battleship. A great citadel of the skies!"

An attention signal chimed.

"Ah, the Titan of Fire has emerged from the volcano." He spun his chair to the controls, and began entering commands. The ice cannon shifted, targeting the blazing streak of fire in the night, and opening up.

"Using ice weapons is foolish," J muttered. "Moltres is Fire type, and Fire is strong against Ice."

"As Flying is weak," Lawrence countered. "Besides, to capture a Pokémon one must weaken it before using the Poké ball."

More ice shots slammed into the Legendary, and after a further moment laser fire danced out from the four pinnaces. Moltres snarled, turning to face them, and took a bolt square on the back.

"Now, I think." Lawrence stabbed a key.

Four metallic circles dropped free, homing on the Legendary Pokémon. It took a few blasts and even hit one with a Fire Blast which blew it to smithereens, but eventually the attacks overcame it and it was captured in a forcefield by two of the circles.

"You should paralyze it. Maybe even lock it into stasis."

"No." Lawrence spun to face his sister. "The Titans must be brought together, but their powers must be combined to _tame_ Lugia. I cannot do that if they are unable to _use_ those powers."

Hunter J stared at him, then nodded grudgingly. "Fine. If any of this is going to work the way you want it to, then we have to follow the instructions…"

"My thoughts exactly." Lawrence brought up a map. "Now, perturbing the balance of the Titans by removing the Titan of Fire should lead to a reaction from one of the others. Let us see which it is…"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Yes, I _know_ it's been a while. I've been busy, okay?

And please don't nag me over things. I know that for the person sending it, it's only one message, but I _get_ all of them. I've already addressed this on my page - I don't know what I'll write until I do.

Anyway.

Wow, there's been a lot more, er, Pokémon World revealed since last time I wrote on this fic.

Suffice to say, I'm going to invoke cosmic retcon for Fairy types. And I have an entirely different plan for the other new thing, Mega-Evolutions.


	39. Power of One chapter one

"This place is so crowded!" Misty said, looking around with a grin.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "There must be thousands of people here!"

"And from all over the Orange Islands!" Tracey contributed. "Boats have been arriving all day. Wonder if any of them are from Kanto or Hoenn?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Misty said. "This festival is amazing!"

She paused. "Though, actually, I'd never heard of it until we came here..."

"_It is a long way," _Pikachu mused. _"Perhaps that's why."_

Tracey shrugged. "I had. I think it's just something that tends to be interesting to people who are, maybe, a bit older than we are..."

"What, dressing up in costumes?" Ash looked decidedly skeptical.

"_Actually, I can see that._"

The others looked at Riolu, and he shrugged. _"From what I remember of my, er... other life? Most of the young Pokémon who came to events in the village were brought along by their parents. If the same is true for humans-"_

"Probably more true," Tracey said with a nod.

"_Right. Then anyone who gets brought along by their parents would be younger than you guys, while any trainers who came would tend to be older, because they wouldn't have the head start you guys have."_ Riolu shrugged. _"Or something."_

Ash blinked. "Wait, did you just make all that up on the fly?"

"_I'm guessing._" Riolu raised his paws. _"Made sense, though, didn't it?"_

"I have to admit, it kind of did..."

"Excuse me?"

The group turned, seeing a man wearing a jacket and shorts, and with a big bundle of cloth in his hands. "I was wondering... you're all Pokémon trainers, right?"

"Yep!" Ash grinned. "What gave it away?"

"That would be the Pokémon," Tracey deadpanned.

"Sounds about right." Ash shrugged. "Yeah, we're Pokémon trainers. Why?"

"Well..." The man rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "You wouldn't believe how rare it is for Pokémon trainers to come here. Especially of the right age... anyway. We're looking for a visitor to play the part of the Chosen One."

An electric thrill danced down Ash's spine. "Sure!"

"Really?" The man blinked. "That was quick."

"Be an awesome hero-type character?" Ash spread his arms. "Sign me up!"

"_Yeah, that's Ash alright..."_ Pikachu chuckled.

"Hey, can I provide my own costume?" Ash rummaged in his bag. "I've got a great one right here-"

"No, sorry." The man shook his head, hiding a smile. "Part of the point is to show how anyone can be a hero, so your normal clothes are actually preferred."

Ash actually felt a bit put out by that. "Oh... can I at least put on a cape?"

"Just put it on once the ceremony's over, Ash!" Misty said, shaking her head.

"Uh... sure." Ash nodded. "Works for me. Maybe then I can put on the hat as well."

He glanced down at his boots – which were, as usual, Sir Aaron's boots, to go with the gloves he also wore all the time now.

"Right." The man shrugged. "Your choice what you wear during the trial. Come with me, I'll let the organizers know – then I'll have to go change."

"Oh, you're performing?" Tracey looked interested. "What as?"

"Moltres." With a frown, the man looked into the sky. "Though I can't say it's great weather for it..."

There was an ominous rumble.

"Come on, we'd better hurry. Don't suppose you have a Pokémon with Sunny Day?"

"I have at least two," Ash contributed.

Ivysaur was duly released. He took a look around, raised his petals, glowed briefly, and shot an orb of yellow light into the sky.

It reached the cloud layer, and vanished from view. Then the clouds began to churn faster.

"Well?" Ash asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"_This is much, much harder than normal."_ Ivysaur grunted. _"Maybe it's just Shamouti... this is kind of an important place."_

"I'm not so sure..." Ash mused. "Okay, if you can't you can't. Thanks for trying."

He looked up at the man and shrugged. "Sorry. No luck."

"Hmmm..." A frown. "Now I'm worried."

"Well, it's probably just a bad storm, right?" Misty said, smiling brightly. "Where do we need to go? We may as well try to get indoors."

* * *

><p>The ceremony itself felt... <em>really<em> strange.

Sure, the free meal was nice, but...

Ash couldn't help but have a feeling of... well, it was hard to pin down. Like he was watching a film, but for the second time. And this time, they'd replaced the main character with _him_.

It felt almost wrong that everything went almost without incident. Apart from the ominous rumblings of a summer thunderstorm outside, that is. But, apart from that occasional interruption, it was just a slightly cheesy town festival.

After the first ritual had been done – the bit which told Ash that he had to find the three treasures of the titans – someone approached him as everyone else went back to their meal.

"Good afternoon, Chosen One."

Ash looked up at the woman who'd brought them here. "Hi, Maren."

Maren looked very confused. "Have we met?"

...last time. She'd brought them to the island _last_ time.

Ash blushed, and winced. "Sorry! I overheard your name somewhere..."

"Must have been my friend Carol – or her _sister_..." Maren's lips pursed for a moment. "She's the festival maiden – Melody."

Ash nodded. "Right. Yeah, that's probably it."

Maren smiled quickly, then blinked. "Sorry, we got a bit off topic. I was going to offer to you that I take you to the islands – Fire island, Ice island and Lightning island. You need to pick up the treasures, as part of the ritual – normally it'd be fine for you to pick them up tomorrow, but I don't think we've got all that long before the weather closes in."

"Okay, sure." Ash stood. "Shall we get going now?"

The woman was quick to agree. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back. I've got supplies on my boat, though, just in case we _do_ end up stranded on one of the islands."

Ash chuckled as they headed out of the temple-turned-dining-area. "I've got a Pidgeot, so we'd probably be fine."

"_Also, you can walk on water,"_ Riolu pointed out, holding out a paw. Pikachu did likewise, and Ash swept them up onto both shoulders.

"Well, yeah, that too."

* * *

><p>Ash clung to the rail as Maren's boat rocked in the swell. "Is it usually this bad?"<p>

"Not usually, no!" Maren called back. "I think we might be more glad of those supplies than I thought!"

"Pidgeot can fly in worse weather than this," Ash told her loyally – then went a bit green. "Urp... I though I had my sea legs by now..."

The sky rumbled again, flashes visible through the black clouds covering the sky.

Pikachu hopped up onto the mast. _"I wonder if we're the tallest thing around..."_

"We better not be," Ash mumbled. "I don't fancy being struck by lightning in a boat."

"_Walk it off,_" Riolu quipped. _"You know. Because you can walk on water."_

"Yes, I got the joke..."

* * *

><p>Ash jogged up the mountain stairway, pacing himself. Riolu ran at his side, and Pikachu was two paces ahead – keeping his electro-sensitivity at maximum to try and pre-empt any incoming bolts of lightning.<p>

"_This is kind of strange..." _Riolu said. _"I mean, I'm the only one who hasn't done this before, out of the three of us."_

"Yeah, true," Ash said as they rounded another shallow bend. "It was several years ago for me, though, so I'm not all that sure I remember how everything went."

Checking a half-step, he winced. "Case in point – I forgot until now that Zapdos is about to show up."

"_Is that why there's all this storm, do you think?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Now I think of it, it probably is." Ash shrugged, getting back into the rhythm. "Well, I'm fairly sure we can take him."

Pikachu and Riolu gave him looks.

"Okay, with help," he allowed. "Look, guys, I did alright against Mewtwo, right?"

"_That would be some new definition of alright, where you die."_ Pikachu's tone was deeply skeptical. _"Don't put me through that again, Ash."_

Ash nodded, touched. "Sorry, Pikachu. But I was being serious. I really do think we – you two, me, and a couple of the others – could at least fend off Zapdos."

"_If we have to,"_ Riolu clarified.

"Yeah, if we have to. And I hope we don't."

* * *

><p>It took them a couple more minutes to reach the summit of Fire Island's mountain, and look down into the bowl.<p>

"There's the shrine," Ash said, unnecessarily.

"_Huh,_" Riolu said, looking down at it. _"Interesting."_

Okay, maybe not quite so unnecessarily.

"_Where was the orb again?"_ Pikachu asked.

"About..." Ash frowned. "Not sure, actually, I remember it was obvious, though."

He closed his eyes, and took a quick look around. "No nearby Legendaries... and I'm a bit disappointed. The orb doesn't show up."

"_Maybe it needs to be filled with Aura before it does,"_ Riolu suggested.

"That sounds likely." Ash opened his eyes again, and checked cloak and gloves were on securely. Then, just in case, he pulled Sir Aaron's staff out of the pouch and slung it across his back ready to hand. "Right, let's go."

* * *

><p>Warily, they stepped down into the centre of what seemed to be an extinct volcano.<p>

(Of course it was an extinct volcano. It was an ocean island in the middle of the Pacific.)

"Hmmm..." Ash said, walking around the shrine. "No sign of it on this side... or..."

"_Uh oh..."_ Pikachu voiced, for all of them.

"Where the heck is it?" Ash asked. "It was right – wait."

Looking closer, he saw a set of four tiny squarish blocks in a square pattern, set into a small recess. "I think this must be where it was."

"_So..." _Riolu began. _"If it's not here, then who took it?"_

"And what do we do now?" Ash added.

"_Wait a sec."_

They looked around at Pikachu.

"_If it's not here-here, maybe you _could_ see it with Aura Sight._" Pikachu wiggled an ear. _"So that might be a quicker way to look."_

"Good idea." Ash rummaged around, and got out a Poké ball. "Well, by now the idea of doing the ceremony the usual way is completely impossible... Pidgeot!"

The Flying-type materialized. _"I heard. I assume you'd like a lift?"_

"Please." Ash nodded. "Head down to the beach first, I should let Maren know we won't need her any more."

Pidgeot chirped assent, turning and crouching down a little. _"Climb on. And Pikachu – make sure I don't get struck by lightning, please!"_

* * *

><p>Maren hummed to herself, boiling some water for a cup of coffee.<p>

No matter the weather, a good drink always helped her feel better.

As she filled the percolator, there was a whoosh of wings outside.

"Maren!" came the voice of the boy – Ash. "We got up there, and the treasure was missing!"

"Missing?" Maren hurried out onto the deck, coffee forgotten. "Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know," Ash told her, face set in determination. "But I'll make sure they don't get far."

Despite herself, Maren believed him. The young boy who sat there, astride a Pidgeot and with some kind of staff-head poking out above his shoulder, sounded... confident.

"Okay," she said, nodding. "Good luck. I'll head back to Shamouti, since you clearly don't need me..."

"Actually, could you let my friends know?" Ash asked. "They might be worried."

"Of course."

With that, Ash reached up to his bandana, pulled it over one eye (for no reason Maren could discern), and his Pidgeot began to climb precipitously before circling the island.

Maren watched him go for a minute, until his Flying-type was just a moving speck and she lost sight of it.

Then she went back into the wheelhouse to start up the engine – and, of course, have that coffee. She needed it.

* * *

><p>"This is concerning..." Professor Oak commented, looking from screen to screen. "Do we have this from a satellite?"<p>

Yes, we do. Damos threw up an image on the big screen. Himawari-2 has already turned every sensor it has on the area.

"Curious." Oak rubbed his chin. "Last time, when this happened, the disturbances were larger at this point."

Larger?

"The weather was affected as far as here by now, last time. And it was... different." Oak searched for the words. "It was... yes, I think about now was the time it switched from being a cold thunderstorm to pure blizzard."

That is indeed anomalous. Damos brought up weather reports. The temperature dropped somewhat over the course of the day, but is now returning to mean in the area – and the thunderstorm is intensifying.

Oak nodded, tapping his foot. "Well, I don't think there's much we can do to help from here. About the best we _can_ do is to monitor the situation – I doubt flying over in a helicopter would help much."

Right. Damos paused for a moment. Professor, I believe I have noticed something interesting.

Up came the satellite image again. This time, it dropped into false-colour, and rotated to be a flat plane representing the horizontal. Green lines traced themselves onto the plot.

"Really?" Oak asked, surprised. "An ellipse?"

Yes, though a tenuous one. Focus one is over Shamouti itself. Focus two is here – the former site of Kabuto Island.

"Most unusual." Oak shrugged. "Please continue to monitor the situation, Damos."

Of course.

Oak looked off into the distance, towards the Orange archipelago. "I do hope you know what you're doing, Ash..."

* * *

><p>"No way!" Misty declared. "I know, I <em>want<em> to help Ash – but there's no way we can go out in that storm!"

"_But I want to help!"_ Togekiss insisted, and Scizor and Psyduck nodded.

"It's not a matter of wanting," Tracey agreed, with a grimace. "I do too. But most of our Pokémon can't fly, and that's a full-fledged lightning storm out there." A jagged blue arc hit one of the mountains ringing the ancient caldera, and he winced. "And of those who can... well..."

Misty sighed. "We don't want to risk you. There are legendaries out there, and a machine that fights them and wins."

"_Ash is out there, though!"_ Togekiss pressed.

"He's an exception," Misty replied promptly. "Seriously, Ash's Pokémon are crazy strong and so is he."

Togekiss subsided, looking mutinous.

Another bolt arced through the heavens, blowing a chunk of rock off the side of a cliff face.

"I hate not knowing what's going on," Misty commented.

Then she blinked. "Wait – where's a phone?"

"Huh?" Tracey asked.

"I just realized – we do know some people who can help!" Misty looked between Tracey and their Pokémon, rummaging in her pocket.

After a few seconds, she held up a slip of paper. "Aha! Now, who's got Gary's phone number?"

Seeing Tracey's further confusion, she flourished the paper. "Who do we know who's got some unreasonably powerful Pokémon?"

"Ah, gotcha." Tracey nodded. "Still getting used to being _friends_ with them..."

* * *

><p>"No sign of it on my end!" Ash called into the slipstream. "You guys?"<p>

"_No luck,"_ Riolu agreed. _"Not a speck of Aura on the whole island."_

Pikachu shook his head.

"Hope that doesn't mean we were wrong about being able to spot it," Ash fretted. Then: "Whoa!"

The largest lightning bolt yet speared down out of the sky, and blew shrapnel out of the cone of Fire Island. A screech ripped through the air.

"That was Zapdos!" Ash observed.

"_Yeah, I noticed,_" Pikachu snarked. _"What now?"_

Pidgeot answered for them, weaving a tailwind out of the air and riding it forwards.

They closed up to Zapdos, following about half a mile behind, and watched the fireworks.

Bolt after bolt scored the crater rim. Zapdos cawed out challenge, daring the Fire type legendary to come out and fight him.

Ash listened closely. It was harder than usual to understand what the Titan of Lightning was saying, but there was some vague meaning there...

"Did I hear that right?" he asked, glancing back at Pikachu. "He asked if Moltres was a coward – like _Articuno._"

"_That's what I heard, too,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"If that means he's already done this at Ice Island..."_

"_Then Articuno must be missing too,"_ Riolu completed the thought.

"We should go check it out," Ash declared, and tapped Pidgeot on the side. "Okay, girl, we've seen enough. Ice island, on the double!"

"_Double the speed of sound? That I can do,_" Pidgeot boasted. The tailwind halted for a moment, letting them drop behind Zapdos, and Pidgeot flared her wings up into a climb which shed all her momentum.

Below her, the wind she'd left behind coiled in on itself.

She rolled, so her back was where her belly had been. She pitched forward in a half flip, facing downwards where she'd been facing up.

Then she dove back into the tailwind, which had reversed direction entirely, and shot off west towards Ice island.

A muffled _boom_ went almost unheard in the cacophony of the thunderstorm.

* * *

><p>"You want me to <em>what?<em>" Gary asked, blinking.

"Yep!" Misty said brightly. "The sooner the better."

"Misty, I'm..." Gary glanced up for a moment. "Probably more than six thousand miles away. I can't possibly get there in time to help, nothing I have knows Teleport."

"Don't you have an Alakazam?"

"Yes," Gary confirmed. "And he doesn't know Teleport."

"Well... that sucks," Misty said eventually. "How quick could you be here if you set off right now?"

"Days," Gary replied. "If I got an airliner and flew the great circle route, then I'd take eleven hours – if there was an airliner going that way right now. Fearow would take longer, even without the need to eat on the way."

Misty nodded. "Yeah, okay. By the sound of things, you couldn't get here in time to help."

Gary shrugged. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine, you weren't to know."

The line closed with a click.

I told you coming to Lumiose City was a bad idea, Dee said.

"I didn't expect the apocalypse, okay?" Gary replied. "And I say that _way_ too often."

He glanced up at Prism Tower through the hotel window. "Well, I'm not getting back to sleep after that. We may as well go for a walk."

* * *

><p>The sides of Ice Island's central cone bore the same long, jagged lightning-scars as Fire Island had.<p>

"No way Articuno was still here when that happened," Ash said. "They're all pretty territorial."

"_What does that mean, then?"_ Pikachu asked. _"Is that flying machine still here?"_

"Must be," Ash agreed, but frowned. "But I... I don't know. Why would... he, right? Why would he attack in a different order?"

The butterfly effect, perhaps? Dexter suggested. The idea is that small changes balloon out into large ones, and that you can't tell which small ones will become which large ones.

"What does Butterfree have to do with it?" Ash asked.

No, Butter_fly_. Any Bug type Pokémon which has large wings and a diurnal lifestyle after emerging from a coccoon. Like Beautifly.

"Butterfree-Beautifly effect. Right," Ash said, nodding.

I give up.

"_Wait,"_ Riolu said, pointing off further west. _"Look."_

The others turned, one hand/paw each on Pidgeot's feathered back to keep their balance.

"I forgot how big that thing was," Ash breathed. "It's the size of a city."

"_And it's heading for Fire Island,_" Pikachu noted. _"Probably going after Zapdos."_

"That must mean it's already got the other two legendaries," Ash agreed, as Pidgeot banked around to follow. "Wonder if he's the one who took the treasures?"

"_We'll have to assume he did."_ Riolu took a deep breath. _"Okay. Where's the best way to get on board that thing?"_

"Don't know..." Ash admitted. "Pidgeot? Any ideas?"

He glanced back at his backpack. "Dexter?"

Scanning.

Several seconds ticked by.

I believe I have something. Dexter's projector glowed, and an image appeared in front of Ash's eyes for a moment. Here.

"Did you get that, Pidgeot?" he asked, squinting at the moving fortress.

"_I didn't, no-"_ Pidgeot began, then interrupted herself. _"Oh, now I do. Thanks."_

Her wings flashed, and she sped onwards towards one of the outer engine pods.

* * *

><p>"Three treasures, three birds," Lawrence said softly. "Bring together all three, and tame the beast of the sea."<p>

"If you say so," J said, looking dubiously at the trio of orbs in their special holder. "They just look like clear Poké balls to me."

"Often artefacts of great power seem minor to the uninitiated," Lawrence assured her. "After all, our first discovery seemed nothing but a simple rectangle of thin metal, but look what it made possible!"

His grand gesture took in the whole stateroom of the vast flying machine, and also the storm outside.

The computer spoke up. _Zapdos approaching._

"Destiny calls," Lawrence said lightly, sitting on his chair. "Do you want a lift?"

J shook her head. With a nod, her brother pressed a button on his control panel and his chair rose with a smooth hum into the ceiling.

Mildly interested in what was about to happen, J stepped over to the east side of the stateroom to watch.

The floor vibrated slightly as the cannons deployed, and began to fire.

* * *

><p>"Thanks, girl," Ash said, giving Pidgeot a rub. "Okay, have a rest for now."<p>

He held out her Poké ball, and she returned with a red flash.

"_Found it,"_ Riolu announced, lifting a grate. _"This must be the service hatch."_

Ash nodded, clambering over the superstructure of the nacelle. "Can I fit?"

"_Looks like,"_ Riolu judged, and Pikachu hopped down before nodding a confirmation.

"Okay, here we go." Ash crouched down, and began to crawl through the accessway.

* * *

><p>In her office on Mandarin Island, an air traffic control officer looked over at her radar screen.<p>

"Good afternoon, Tango Whiskey four two three. Be advised, your current flight plan intersects an area in which there is a severe weather warning, stand by for a rerouting. Over."

Next to her, her Spearow gave an approving chirp.

"No thank you, ATC," the pilot of TW423 replied. "We are aware of the severe weather warning, and do not require a re-route. Over."

The officer shared a look with her Flying type. "Say again, Tango Whiskey four two three? You do _not_, repeat _not_ require a redirect? Over."

"Affirmative, ATC," the voice confirmed. "No redirect. Please wait, I am switching my transponder to mode two for clarification. Over."

"Mode _two?"_ the officer repeated. "What's-"

The data codes duly changed.

"...okay, wow," the officer said after a moment, and shared another look with her Spearow. This one was more astonished than dubious. "Uh, affirmative, Tango Whiskey four two three. I suppose I should say good luck. Over."

"Much appreciated, ATC. You may lose contact, we're going to mode five now. Out."

And with that, the code on her radar vanished completely.

"...huh. Wasn't expecting that," she said faintly.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Yes, I'm as surprised as you are. This is, of course, the second (and arguably best) of the Pokémon movies, The Power Of One.

(Sorry about the sometimes-missing underlines.)


	40. Power of One chapter two

"It's locked. Of _course_ it's locked."

"_Did you expect it to be open?"_

"Well..."

"_Of course he did."_

"Hey!"

"_Right, I'll handle this. Give me a sec-"_

A maintenance hatch dished out with a _crunch_ from a powerful impact, and then fell to the floor.

"Because that's not obvious in the slightest," Ash said, nodding down at the crumpled hatch as he scrambled out of the accessway.

"_What did you want?"_ Riolu asked, following. _"We didn't have a key."_

"Yeah, but now it's obvious someone's on board." Ash shrugged. "Oh well... where's he keeping the birds?"

Pikachu hopped out of the hole, lightning crackling around his claws. _"A room near the middle of the ship, I think."_

"Good thought." Ash retrieved his staff, making sure it was ready to hand, and then pulled out Dexter's projector with his free hand. "Okay, Dexter. Anything you can tell me?"

This place has no wi-fi. None whatsoever.

"I'm sure you'll cope," Ash assured him.

No, I mean I can't link into the ship's systems. There's no way in to link with. Dexter made a slight electronic _blaat_ noise. Sorry.

"Fine." Ash shook his head. "No electronic help. Okay, I can live with that... Pikachu, you said you had an idea?"

"_Well, just – we're on the outer edge, so we need to find a door leading inwards."_ Pikachu hopped off down the corridor, and the others moved to keep up with him. _"This is as good a way as any."_

* * *

><p>In the storm outside, crackling orbs of energy shot out of the main gun of the <em>Hikokyu<em>. Most of them missed, flicking past the target Zapdos at high speed, but the occasional one connected with a screech of pain.

Zapdos snarled, spitting Thunder back at the orbs as they came in.

He was the master of the skies now!

The power of the storm flowed through and around him, snapping out in bolts towards the towering ship overhead. Some of them hit home, causing scorch marks, but no major damage.

Another orb hit home, and then two more in quick succession as the _Hikokyu's_ targeting computer found the range.

Zapdos staggered in the air, then recovered – wings beating less surely.

The cannon stopped firing and rotating. Instead, a half-dozen square frames of metal dropped out next to the gun. They fell through the air for about fifty feet, stopped in mid-air, then started to spin.

Moving with purpose, they spread out to surround Zapdos.

The Legendary bird blasted the first one with a bolt of lightning sufficient to bring down the power lines of a large city. It wobbled in the air, losing the sure movement that had been controlling it up to that point, then recovered and bored back in.

Zapdos gained height with sweeps of his powerful wings, climbing out of the box.

The loops rose with him, and two – faster than the others – passed either side of him.

An incredibly powerful Thunder Wave attack fired off from them, overwhelming his innate electrical resistance and hammering straight into him.

Zapdos screamed in pain, then shook the effect off – not without difficulty – and blasted both objects as hard as he could.

Two more approached, and lightning played between them as they bracketed him. Some of the power went into him, the rest went through him, and the rings slowed to match his speed.

A final burst of Thunder – the most powerful he could manage – knocked one away, but another took its place, and from there on all his struggles were useless.

Protesting loudly, he was ferried up into the open hold of _Hikokyu._

* * *

><p>"Impressive," J admitted. "I mean, obviously I've done better, but that's with a crew."<p>

"My glorious _Hikokyu_ needs no aid," Lawrence agreed, stepping from the control platform as Zapdos was levitated into the central room – thrashing about like the others.

"Now..." Lawrence turned to consult the tablet. "Bring together all three. Their treasures combined will tame the beast of the sea."

J glanced over at the treasures. "How?"

"All will be revealed in time, I am sure... dear sister," J assured her with a smile. He picked up the red orb and the blue one. "These I caught first. Perhaps they must be combined into one orb, that would be as the greater treasures said to command Groudon and Kyogre."

After considering that, J nodded agreement – she'd seen stranger things.

"How to make it happen, though..." Lawrence mused, touching the orbs together and confirming they were as solid as ever.

"Maybe the rest of the prophecy holds a key?" J suggested.

"No, it's some nonsense about three titans destroying the world," Lawrence replied absently. "Hmm... _Hikokyu_, contract Moltres' cage and make sure there's a part of it outside the force field."

On his sister's confused look, he elaborated. "Touching the orb to the defeated legendary bird may awaken some power within it – a true test of strength."

* * *

><p>"Oh, come on..." Ash whispered, crouched by the door. "Hunter J is here as well?"<p>

Riolu gave the woman a hard look. _"We need to stop her somehow."_

"No argument here," Ash agreed. "But the first thing is to get those orbs."

"_I have an idea,"_ Pikachu voluteered, speaking as quietly as the rest of them. _"We let the birds free, and hopefully the chaos will distract them."_

"Sounds good to me," Ash agreed, after a moment's thought. "What do we have that's powerful enough?"

"_Charizard's Blast Burn. My Volt Crash..."_ Pikachu thought. _"And Squirtle's whatever-the-heck he comes up with."_

"Works for me," Ash agreed, and walked back a half-dozen paces before bringing the two out.

"You heard?"

Charizard nodded.

Squirtle took in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly at a glare from his trainer. _"Yes,"_ he said simply.

"Okay... Pikachu, start charging," Ash said, still quietly. "Signal me when you're ready to fire."

With a faint hum, Pikachu rose into the air on a cushion of static charge. One by one, three rings of electrical potential formed around his waist and began to spin. Slowly at first, then faster and faster.

"Charizard," Ash went on. "Blast Burn Moltres' cage as soon as Pikachu fires. Squirtle, you know what to do."

The little Water-type raised an arm, which began to coat itself with water. _"Meet you on the surface of the ocean, Ash – I don't think I'm going to be able to stop this side of the wall."_

Pikachu's tail waved back and forth.

"Okay," Ash said, and took a deep breath. "Now!"

* * *

><p>J watched her brother trying to make the red sphere contact Moltres' tail without being singed.<p>

Perhaps he _was_ on to something. The spheres certainly had to be more than just pretty baubles...

He gave it up, and walked back over to the tray to select the bluest of the three objects.

As he did, J blinked as something prickled her well-honed danger sense.

Her reaction was automatic.

"Down!" she snapped, diving forward and knocking her brother's legs out from under him.

A bolt of lightning almost as powerful as the ones Zapdos had been throwing around passed to her left, making her hair stand on end and giving the air a strong smell of ozone. It struck the cage holding Zapdos and exploded, throwing smoke everywhere.

Barely had she registered that when a blaze of fire, so hot and concentrated that it was mainly visible as a blue aftershock in the air, went past over where Lawrence had been standing barely seconds before. It roiled the smoke-cloud, hit the shield holding Moltres, and detonated.

There must have been something focusing the blast, because otherwise it probably would have killed her.

And then, most of a second after that, some kind of drill went over to her right, shedding water in all directions. It disappeared into the smoke, there was a loud clang, then a smashing of glass.

J coughed in the foul smoke, scrabbling at her waist for a Poké ball.

* * *

><p>"<em>Did it work?"<em> Pikachu panted, ears drooping. _"That's about as powerful a blast as I can manage."_

Ash closed one eye, looking through the smoke. "Looks like – yep – whoa!"

He stepped to one side, back behind cover, as Articuno screeched with triumph at his escape.

Zapdos countered that, wings crackling with electricity again, and Moltres took issue with both of their opinions by blazing up with fire.

"Oh, you're kidding..." Ash sighed.

Articuno took flight first, diving through the hole Squirtle had left in the plate-glass window. His wings spread, and flared, and he sped off towards the nearby Ice Island on wings of glittering blue silver.

That was met by a scream of rage from Zapdos. _"No! I claimed the islands! I rule here!"_

He blew a hole in the floor and plunged out after Articuno.

Moltres disdained both already-existing holes, instead melting a way through a bulkhead into the open air. _"These islands are mine, Zapdos!"_

"Wow," Ash commented absently.

"_Yeah,"_ Riolu agreed. _"What a bunch of morons."_

"_Aren't you supposed to revere legendaries?"_ Pikachu asked, shaking his head as he recovered.

"_I find myself becoming more inclined to be a mixture of impressed and scared,"_ Riolu replied, watching through the floor. _"And there goes an ice beam... and a flamethrower..."_

Pikachu pointed. _"Ash. The orbs!"_

"Right!" Ash replied, advancing into the room. He coughed in the cloud of thick, choking smoke, and zeroed in on the orbs. "Here we go – Fire island, Ice island-"

Something very big hit Ash from the side, knocking the orbs from his hands and bowling him over. He let out a truncated cry, broken off with a _thud_ and a roar.

"_Ash!"_ Riolu called, advancing into the smoke with glowing paws. Pikachu followed without a moment's hesitation.

* * *

><p>"Guys-" Ash began, then air wooshed out of his lungs as a powerful weight pressed down on his chest.<p>

He summoned aura to his palms, trying to aim and fire an aura sphere up at his opponent.

"Turn him over, stop him fighting back," J's voice said.

A clawed foot pushed roughly at Ash's side, and he went down onto his face despite his best efforts.

"Now, kill him."

As the master criminal's Salamence inhaled, a bolt of lightning hit him on the cheek with stunning force. He snarled, distracted, and an Aura Sphere hit him in the neck.

"Now!" J commanded. "Kill him now!"

Charizard disagreed. With a body slam.

The fire/flying dragon hit his dragon/flying opponent like a freight train, sending him flying entirely off Ash and out one of the few remaining unbroken windows on the observation deck.

Charizard followed through, diving out the hole after Salamence. His wings opened with an audible _crack_, and he roared defiance after the Dragon-type.

Salamence roared back, and started the battle proper with a Dragonbreath. Charizard retaliated with a Flamethrower, and from there they went out of sight behind flying machine superstructure.

"You," J hissed as Ash got back to his feet, "are too persistent for my liking."

"I almost die a lot," Ash informed her, taking his staff in a sure two-handed grip. "I'm kind of good at not going all the way."

"I've had enough of you," J said matter-of-factly, and slipped her hand into a pocket. Out came her goggles, which went onto her head and started to glow red.

Then came a gun.

"What?" Ash asked, blinking at it as she levelled it at him. "An actual gun?"

J fired. Ash brought his staff up in a blurring arc to impose it, thanking his lucky stars he'd thought to run Detect, and the bullet pinged off and thudded into some of the rich upholstery around the room.

"You owe me a ship," J added, making little moves with the muzzle of her gun towards Pikachu and Riolu as they tried to circle her. "I'll take it out of your hide, though."

A humming noise distracted Ash. He glanced over, and saw that Lawrence III had regained his footing, picked up the activated Fire Island orb, and activated his elevating control deck.

The distraction nearly cost him his life. A second bullet cracked out, and it took a hasty Protect to deflect it from a direct hit to a miss so close it cut his hair.

"_We should get out of here, Ash," _Pikachu recommended, eyes on J. _"The treasures are what's important."_

"Yeah, but how do I-" Ash began, then stopped talking. His eyes widened.

J scoffed. "That's such an old trick-" she said, then frowned.

"What's that noise?"

What began as a low rumble escalated into a roar. A sound that drowned out the sound of the engines, then the sound of speech, and made a good attempt at drowning out thought.

And, over the top of it, some familiar voices.

"Prepare for trouble!" boomed a PA system.

The PA system was a bit of a botch job, made of a couple of hi-fi stereos bolted to the nose cone of the Rockets' vehicle.

The vehicle itself, on the other hand, was anything but a botch job – a sleek arrow of metal, with two engines blazing away to keep it 'standing on end' in the sky.

"And make it double!" added a different voice.

"What the..." J said, keeping one eye on Ash. "What _is_ this?"

"Yeah, by now we're kind of used to it," Ash shrugged. "Cool plane, guys!"

"Why, thank you!" James' voice said, then he and Jessie audibly cleared their throats.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie said, which was actually true.

"To unite all peoples within our nation," James continued, which was less so.

"To make sure everyone else is deaf," continued the female Rocket admin, in what was probably an understatement.

"And to fly around in a Flanker-F!" James said, waving from the pilot's seat.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"J, give up now, or prepare to fight!"

The targeting lasers on the nose lit up.

"Good night!" Meowth added from Jessie's lap. "Okay, now where's da cannon controls..."

The nose cannon fired two rounds. One of them smashed the last remaining glass window, the other went inches to J's left and blew a hole in the wall – also starting a fire.

"Run!" Ash shouted, as J turned to return fire at the aircraft.

* * *

><p>The minute that there was a solid wall between Ash and J, the young trainer relaxed.<p>

"Seriously, what the hell?" he asked Riolu. "A gun?"

"_She _is_ a criminal, Ash,"_ Riolu pointed out. _"Besides, we just got saved by a military aircraft."_

"Yeah, but a gun..." Ash glanced around as they jogged along the corridor. "Wait. Where's Pikachu?"

The yellow rodent hurried up from behind, body blurred slightly with Agility and a blue sphere in his paws. _"Sorry about that – I went to see if the other orbs were still there."_

"Good thought!" Ash complimented him, picking up the Ice orb from Pikachu and pocketing it. "What about the other one – Lightning?"

"_Wasn't there."_ Pikachu shook his head. _"Sorry. I think it fell out of one of the holes."_

"Oh, great..." Ash said with a sigh. "Well, guess we're going to have to find it later."

They came to a staircase, with opulent purple carpeting down the middle of what was otherwise quite simple marble steps, and art and paintings lining both walls.

"How much stuff does this guy _have?_" Ash asked, powering up the stairs with his two Pokémon flanking him.

"_A lot?"_ Riolu tried.

The corridor they ended up in at the top of the long steps was about on the level of the middle impeller bank. Large blades crossed in front of the windows every few seconds, and thunder and fire flashed outside.

"Hope Charizard is okay out there," Ash said, searching for a sign of his burly Fire-type as they continued.

* * *

><p>Charizard flew hard, wings beating with the steady rhythm that carried him at combat speeds, and curved up and around a protrusion of the flying ship.<p>

Dragonfire curled after him, going wide, and then he was inside the shadow of the ship and harder to target. He didn't stop, instead making a sharp turn to make it harder for Salamence to track him.

Glancing back, he verified that the other dragon hadn't got him back in view yet, and folded his wings to drop out of contact.

Metal flashed past, then one of the lower engine pods, and after that he was into clear air beneath the _Hikokyu_.

He had to make a small correction to avoid hitting a fighter aircraft (which caused him no small puzzlement) and then went up under another engine pod and latched on with all four sets of claws.

Charizard curled his tail up inside his wings, and waited.

Twenty or so tense seconds passed, and then Salamence appeared again. He hadn't seen Charizard yet, and instead bore in on the fighter jet.

He was barely seconds away when the jet noticed. It cut engines, gimballed them and reignited them – resulting in a weird, counterintuitive swing-by-the-nose that left it upside down as Salamence passed.

Cannon rounds stabbed out, hitting one wing of the blue Pokémon.

Charizard saw his chance, and took it. His claws clenched, getting a better grip – the engine sputtered and coughed as he finally hit something vital – and then he pushed off, accelerating to Aerial Ace speeds and coming down onto the stalling Salamence in a gushing roar of Dragonbreath.

The attack hit its unsuspecting target hard, and he roared out with pain, then rolled and caught Charizard's Dragon Claw attack with his own Slash, and started trying to both bite and claw at once.

Snarling and snapping, the two dragons gradually lost height.

* * *

><p>"That ain't good for the engines," Meowth commented, as they rolled back upright again. "But it's a good thing we got that levitation unit in dis thing, or we'd be worse off."<p>

"And being bitten in half by a dragon would be worse still," Jessie agreed. "Did we get J?"

"No," James reported mournfully. "The cockpit's got a couple of cracks in it, too..."

"What else can we do to help?" Jessie asked.

"I got somethin'!" Meowth said with gusto, tapping away at the controls. "Dat thing ain't gonna have guns any more!"

"Wait," Jessie said, blinking. "Are you going to-"

The Suicune-37 juddered as four missiles dropped off the racks, two at a time. They shot across the intervening space to the _Hikokyu_'s weapons module, and blew huge chunks of metal and machinery out of it.

Secondary explosions followed, and then the whole assembly detonated.

* * *

><p>Ash stumbled as the gigantic flying castle shook like a ship in a storm.<p>

"What did we just hit?" he asked, regaining his footing.

"_I think something hit us, actually,_" Riolu corrected.

"Oh, sure, it's obvious now..." Ash couldn't quite suppress a chuckle. "Okay, we must be nearly around the ship by now. Where's the next stairs?"

Pikachu's voice cut in on his question. _"Look out!"_

Ash turned to look at Pikachu, then followed his gaze out the window.

Lightning stabbed through the stormy sky. Then ice, closer. Fire, closer still...

The three legendary birds, the Titans of legend, approached shockingly fast. Their battle scored the side of the _Hikokyu_ with near misses and shots that only partially connected, then Zapdos collided with one of the impellers as he used Drill Peck on an evading target, and Moltres' fire cut off a half-dozen engine pods.

_This_ explosion was both very big, and very, very close. Ash fell over entirely as an impeller almost under their feet blew up, tearing a hole in the side of the ship and making the corridor floor give way entirely.

_Hikokyu_ shuddered, taking on a definite list, as the lost engine pods canted the ship away from the missing lift capacity.

Then the fighting continued off into the distance.

"Oww..." Ash complained, standing upright again with difficulty. "That was close..."

"_I'll say,"_ Riolu agreed, looking with a shiver at the rent metal where they'd almost been standing.

"_We're going to have to jump over this._" Pikachu gave the gap a look, then used Agility. A quick Quick attack, and he was over.

Ash went next. He took a deep breath, channelling his aura, then took a run up... pushed aura into his boots, cancelling out most of his weight... and leapt.

Landing with an _oof_ on the far side, he turned. "Riolu?"

"_Got it."_ The Emanation Pokémon stepped back, and got ready to follow-

"Toxic!"

Ash's gaze snapped up.

Hunter J was standing in the curve of the corridor, almost out of view. Her clothes were torn and smouldering, and there was an unsettling triumph in her eyes.

Then her Drapion fired a massive Toxic attack.

* * *

><p>Riolu was already in the air when he reacted. He heard the move, and knew that it was intended to kill Ash.<p>

There wasn't even a decision to be made, not really.

Ash had sworn to protect him. Had saved his life. Had trained him further than even his original harsh regimen had taken him.

Had become the best friend he'd ever had.

So he twisted in the air, focusing all the Aura he could into a powerful Force Palm, and moved himself into the way of the attack.

Ash was a human – he wasn't tough enough.

He, on the other hand, would probably survive.

* * *

><p>Ash saw what Riolu had to be doing. Time seemed to have slowed, as his body tried to do something – anything – to change what was about to happen.<p>

But he was too slow.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to see-

And a loud _clang_ reverberated through the floor.

"_...whoa,"_ Pikachu said softly.

Ash looked up. At the blue-and-black body standing in front of him, now almost the same height.

"_As you kept faith with me, so I with you," _Lucario said. _"Go. I'll handle J."_

* * *

><p>"Nearly there," Sir Aaron said, with relief. "We've beaten friendship into people the length and breadth of Japan, showed off, showed one another up, and showed up late for at least one battle."<p>

He looked between the young Palkia and the young Dialga.

"Now, time for the final battle."

"Dis gonna be good!" Palkia said.

"Stop it, please," Sir Aaron pleaded. "Your accent is terrible."

"_Sorry,"_ the Spatial Pokémon said, insincerely, and pink blades of energy started to form around his gauntlets. _"Let's get on with it!"_

"_Wait up a bit,"_ Dialga asked. _"Who's the final boss, dad?"_

_I'm touched,_ Arceus said out of thin air. _I miss you calling me that._

"_Dad?"_ Dialga pressed.

_Oh, right. Well, I originally planned to make it an undead human. But then I had this idea..._

Sir Aaron sighed. "No, wait. Don't tell me. I think I can guess."

Ominous music started playing.

"Seriously?"

Ieyasu stepped up beside Sir Aaron. "At last... an enemy who deserves to know the true nature of bonds!"

He cracked his knuckles, making the gloves he wore flash with golden light.

"Did you write _all_ the dialogue?" Sir Aaron pressed, facing vaguely skywards.

_Almost all of it. Almost._

"_BEHOLD!"_ a deep, rich voice announced. Like the voices of some Legendary Pokémon, it imposed itself directly on the mind without bothering to involve itself with speech. _"The demon king of the reverse world returns to the world of mortals!"_

"Hiyah, bro!" Palkia said, killing the mood completely. "Are you ready, guys?"

"So." Sir Aaron addressed the creator of all once more. "You made a Giratina, as well."

_Of course I did. How could I not? Giratina is as much a part of creation as Dialga and Palkia._

"Right. And the reason he's not turned up in any of our previous games is?"

_...because I created him since this game started. I forgot, okay? I'm omnipotent, not omnimnemonic._

"That's not a word." Sir Aaron faced Giratina directly, watching as the Dragon/Ghost type went from Origin forme to Altered forme. "Nice to meet you."

"_Oh, come on."_ Giratina seemed to sag. _"Are none of you going to stay in character?"_

Dialga shrugged. His fins extended slightly, and the gem on his chest started to glow.

"Excellent!" Ieyasu said, noticing. "May our bonds shine forever, throughout all time!"

Giratina's crest flashed, and he teleported a hundred feet to the left just before Roar of Time connected with him.

Sir Aaron threw one of his Sacred Swords, then Palkia got in on the act with a Spatial Rend, and combat became general.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

I have had Riolu's evolution into Lucario planned to be here since shortly after I introduced him at all. The chaos of the ship's current situation, on the other hand, draws a bit from Avengers Assemble and the progressively damaged heli-carrier.

Also – who else would be Nobunaga Oda?


	41. Power of One chapter three

Lawrence III drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair, as he watched the plots and cameras.

It was hard to maintain his composure. Very hard.

J was having trouble, that annoying trainer was _still_ at large, and all three of the legendary birds had escaped.

And now they were ignoring him! Him, the chosen one!

The fact of the matter, though, was that he didn't have much to use to change that. Hopefully Lugia would come to him anyway, since he had – if briefly – brought the trio together, and if the great legendary didn't come quietly... that was why he had four capture rings in reserve. The most powerful four, at that.

Another shiver ran through the body of the _Hikokyu_. Lawrence ignored it, choosing instead to focus on the red treasure of fire on its tray.

What did it mean? Why had this orb suddenly flashed into fiery life?

Something about that boy. The aura adept...

Perhaps that was it. The orbs required aura to fully activate, just as part of what made legendaries so powerful was their aura.

With all three together, he could surely control Lugia.

In fact...

He raised the orb of fire, and concentrated on it. "Moltres," he whispered.

Seconds ticked away, silently were it not for the constant rumble of Pokémon battle outside.

Once nearly a minute had passed with no reaction, Lawrence sighed.

So, they only had power when combined.

It had been worth a try.

The computer cut in. _Unauthorized entrant approaching bridge._

Sighing, Lawrence steepled his fingers and spun his chair to face the bridge doorway.

* * *

><p>Lucario stood with quiet dignity, facing J and her two remaining Pokémon.<p>

"_I suggest you give up,"_ he said, addressing her Drapion. _"It would save a great deal of trouble if you did so now."_

Ariados and Drapion bristled, raising fangs which dripped with green-purple poison.

J frowned. "Lucario... Fighting and Steel type..."

She sighed. "Bug moves are nearly useless. Poison is completely useless. Normal type moves are at a disadvantage... Drapion! Earthquake!"

The scorpion-Pokémon raised his pincers into the air, then slammed them on the floor.

Lucario took a step forward, then leapt back over the hole in the ship as the Earthquake took effect. The whole vessel shuddered, superstructure flexing and groaning, and the list increased.

Landing on light feet despite his weight, Lucario cocked his head to one side – just slightly.

He closed one eye, monitoring the Aura in the two Poison types.

Ariados he could, essentially, safely ignore. Drapion was the dangerous one, because it knew at least one attack that could hurt him. (Badly, now – more badly than five minutes ago, at least, since his new Steel type wasn't _entirely_ good news.)

A glow built around his paws.

J pointed at him with one hand. "Earthquake again! Kill him!"

Lucario jumped again. His left wrist-spike glowed, becoming a pair of metal claws, and he used them to dig into the ceiling of the corridor. The other hand pulsed with light, and launched off a powerful Flash Cannon.

Drapion screeched as the blow hit.

_Poison and Dark types..._ Lucario mused. _Not much that's especially effective on them..._

Ariados launched a String Shot at him, and he dropped free of the roof to land on blue-glowing feet. His Metal Claw sheared through what little of the string was still aimed to hit him, and he began to craft a staff out of Aura.

There was a little click noise from J's direction. Lucario looked up just as she fired.

J's expression of triumph turned to one of bafflement.

Lucario lowered his free paw from in front of his face, then opened it.

A small metal slug rested on the palm.

"_Steel type,"_ he said, though not expecting her to understand him.

It wasn't the whole story, either – it had taken aura to catch it without it drawing blood, and he was probably going to bruise – but it was certainly impressive.

J's fist clenched. "Drapion! Bring the ship down if you have to, but _kill him!_"

Both Pokémon clicked their pincers together in reply, then Drapion raised its tail. Ariados fired a Sticky Web over Lucario's head, aiming to catch him if he jumped, and Drapion brought his tail down for the most powerful Earthquake yet.

Lucario adjusted his grip on his staff, and dove – sideways. He hit the window with a _crash_, the spikes on his wrists shattering through it, and disappeared down past the lip of the window just as the whole ship shuddered.

Several lifting pods crackled and shut down as cumulative damage broke their internal machinery, and the list actually corrected a bit.

J stumbled, and cursed. "We're losing altitude," she said, correctly interpreting the slight shift in sensation. "Looks like you did bring the ship down."

Drapion grovelled.

"Stop it," she said, curtly. "Now, we need to make sure he's dead."

The two insectoid Pokémon nodded, and scuttled over to the side of the ship.

A blue paw grabbed onto Drapion's front foot, and hurled him entirely out of the ship in one convulsive heave.

"What-!" J gaped for a moment, then realized what had happened and stepped back from the edge. "Stop him!"

A blue-glowing bone staff clocked Ariados on the head, and he staggered for a moment before collapsing.

Lucario hauled himself back up onto the floor, the claws on the back of his wrists reforming back into spikes once again.

Then he gave J a cool, collected look. _"Well?"_

J tapped her goggles, which flashed to on.

Lucario sighed, and decided to exert a little extra effort in order to make his next words understandable. _"If you won't let yourself be taken alive, then you're probably going to be killed at some point here. I'm not going to let you go."_

He paused. _"I would regret your death, but... not very much."_

* * *

><p>Fire type and Dragon type crashed into the waters of the Orange Sea.<p>

Charizard immediately pumped out as much heat as he could, intensifying his tail flame to resist the effects of the sea and abandoning the fight, instead focusing on trying to get out of the water.

Salamence, who had been coming off generally the worse of the fight, siezed this opportunity with all four claws. He lunged for Charizard's tail with his jaw and yanked him back into the water, pulling him down with underwater wingbeats that strained tired flight muscles.

Ash's Pokémon roared, twisting his tail to keep the flame as safe as possible, and blasted down with a potent Overheat. The water in the immediate area turned to steam, buying him a moments' respite as water rushed in to fill the sudden gap.

That was a trick he couldn't repeat, though. Every moment going up and down on high storm waves was highly dangerous to him, eroding away the advantage he'd won over the minutes of combat so far.

"_Hands off my big orange friend punch!"_

Salamence had just enough time to turn his head and see the incoming turtle before it hit him between the eyes. The impact stunned him, making his jaw go limp, and Charizard climbed gratefully above wave height.

"_Thanks!"_ he called down, panting.

"_Don't mention it!"_ Squirtle replied, standing on the water in defiance of normal logic. "_Actually, though, do mention it! To everyone!"_

Now recovered, Salamence snarled.

"_Seriously, what in the name of Groudon is your problem!?"_ Charizard asked, exasperated. _"J is a complete bitch!"_

Salamence did not deign to answer. He roared, his teeth crackling with electrical energy, and snapped for Squirtle.

The unconventional water-type grinned, and dove into the water.

Salamence simply drove his head into it after Squirtle, letting the electricity short across the surface.

Then a colossal column of water blasted from underneath him, launching him entirely into the air.

"_Mere electricity does nothing to me!"_ Squirtle announced, then coughed. _"Well, not that pathetic display of voltage, anyway."_

"_What was that for?"_ Charizard asked, as the Water Spout attack's force slowly dissipated now that Squirtle had stopped feeding it. _"You know Ice type attacks."_

"_That's right, I do,_" Squirtle agreed, and pointed.

The Water Spout had carried Salamence a good couple of thousand feet into the air. Now, he was finally free of the rushing force of the water-

And promptly got hit by a stray Aurora Beam from the continuing three-way Legendary spat.

"_But Articuno is much better at them,"_ he finished smugly.

Wings iced up, Salamence plummeted back towards the ocean.

"_You know, we should probably make sure he doesn't drown or something," _Charizard mused.

"_Yeah, probably." _Squirtle then brightened. "_Hey! Defeat Means Friendship, so maybe he'll be nicer to us now!"_

"_Pidgeot pile-drove him into a hill last time, and that didn't help much."_ Charizard flared his wings, and dropped to only a few feet above the peaks of the waves. _"Grab on, I'll give you a lift."_

* * *

><p>"Ya know, right now I ain't sure whether it's us what done more damage to their ship, or dem..." Meowth commented, watching the <em>Hikokyu<em> shudder again and begin to slowly drift downwards.

"It's quite a close call, isn't it..." Jessie agreed.

Something went CLUNK.

"What was dat?" Meowth asked.

James gulped. "Speaking of close calls..."

He flicked a switch and wrenched the yoke around, and the fighter aircraft went from hovering in the air to a shallow dive. A couple of seconds later there was another, louder, cough from the engine, followed by a small explosion.

"Oh, great..." Meowth muttered. "We still good, James?"

"Depends what you mean by good," James informed them. "We're not about to crash, but the engine isn't going to be working again today."

The fighter started to gain speed as it lost height.

"What happened?" Jessie asked. "We didn't get hit..."

"Yeah!" Meowth weighed in.

"Well, a giant flying machine just started shedding bits overhead." James shrugged. "I think the intakes sucked in bits of metal."

"Ain't dat just great," Meowth said, chuckling weakly. "The fighter got indigestion..."

"What can we do to help?" Jessie asked.

James started flicking switches. "We've got the ram air turbine, so we've got cockpit power. Meowth!"

"Yep?"

"Use Missile!"

Meowth blinked. "But I don't know no attack called-"

"He means use all the missiles we've got left," Jessie interrupted. "We need to shed weight."

"Right, got it!" Meowth flipped controls on his own panel, disarming the remaining eight missiles, and dumped them in pairs. By the time all eight were gone, the glide path was noticeably smoother.

"Where now?" James added. "We need somewhere to land..."

"Can this do a beach landin'?" Meowth suggested. "Otherwise, we're gonna have to splash. Either way, head for the nearest bit of Shamouti."

"Got it." James banked the aircraft carefully, trying not to shed too much speed, and headed off towards the main island in the group.

* * *

><p>The door swung open.<p>

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?" Lawrence asked, watching the boy as he, his Pikachu, and an Ivysaur came through.

"...pardon?" Ash asked, blinking. "You imprisoned three Legendary Pokémon and nearly caused the end of the world!"

"Merest speculation." Lawrence stood, and with a gesture brought up an image of the tablet. "When the treasures are combined, they will tame the beast of the sea."

"Did you even _read_ the rest of the tablet?" Ash began, then stopped. "Okay, what? Don't you think the Beast of the Sea is Lugia?"

"What else could it be?" Lawrence asked, rhetorically. "When Lugia is tamed, this storm will end."

"It's more like the opposite." Ash shook his head. "Okay... you know Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres are the titans, right?"

"Of course," Lawrence agreed, neglecting to mention that he'd decided that merely minutes ago. "Once they are in harmony – that is, all mine – then the destruction they are causing upon the world will end."

Ash gaped. "How does that even..."

He gathered himself. "Right... and the water's great guardian?"

Lawrence frowned. "That, I am not sure of. I am sure it will all become clear in time-"

"It's Lugia, you idiot!" Ash exploded.

"How could the same thing be both Great Guardian and Beast of the Sea?" Lawrence asked. "Perhaps Manaphy is the Great Guardian. I admit I'm curious to see the palace of the sea."

Whatever Ash was going to say about _that_ was cut off by a juddering _crash_, which threw everyone across the room.

Lawrence steadied himself first, and glanced over at the treasure on its plinth.

It wasn't there.

Looking to the direction he'd been thrown, he saw nothing either. Then he looked back at the boy, who was already back on his feet.

The Ivysaur next to him was grinning, and had the treasure of Fire in its vines.

"Give that back!" Lawrence snapped, his irritation showing in his voice for the first time. "It is my destiny to-"

Another impact, this one even worse and continuous. A long grinding, tearing sound heralded the base of _Hikokyu_ beating itself to ruin on the slope of Ice Island's main peaks.

Ash managed to stay on his feet at first, but the shaking sent him stumbling, then across the room and out the smashed window.

"_Ash!"_ Pikachu called out, running to the edge of the window. _"Are you okay?"_

Ivysaur followed, rattling off a Grass Whistle to make sure Lawrence didn't interfere, and readied his free vine to try and rescue Ash.

* * *

><p>Ash tumbled through the air. He barely avoided hitting the blades of the nearest impeller, one of the many which had shut down due to shock damage.<p>

As he approached the rocky slope he scrabbled at his belt, trying to reach a Poké ball. "Um... gah... Pidgeot!"

The Poké ball still at his waist erupted, forming into his oldest Flying-type. She took in the situation at a glance, snagged his cape with her claws, and swung him onto her back. _"Don't worry, Ash, I've got you."_

"Thanks, Pidgeot," Ash said, as she pulled up and just avoided kissing the ground. Loose dirt and leaves went flying in her windrush. "Let's go back up and pick up Pikachu and Ivysaur. Up there!"

"_Got it."_ Pidgeot flapped hard, rising back past the stopped impellers, and hovered by the hole. _"All aboard!"_

Pikachu took the Fire treasure from Ivysaur, who let himself be returned, and hopped onto Pidgeot's back. He scrambled up Ash's backpack and slipped the treasure into it, then clung on as Pidgeot moved away again.

"_Do we need to pick up Riolu?"_ Pidgeot asked.

"What – oh, you didn't see." Ash grinned. "He's Lucario, now."

"_Really?"_ Pidgeot cooed, interested. _"Good to know. Do we?"_

"Don't think so," Ash said, after a moment's thought. "He should be fine."

Below, the _Hikokyu_ finally came to a stop, canted a little over on one side. Smoke plumed up from the destroyed bits, and there was a long trail of destroyed and abraded parts stretching into the distance of the crash scar.

"Probably," Ash amended. He closed his eyes, switching to Aura sight. "Yep, there he is. Looks fine to me."

"_Right."_ Pidgeot circled once, then headed back along the route the flying machine had been taking. _"We're looking for something, right?"_

"That's right, the lightning treasure. No idea where it went."

* * *

><p>Misty looked around from watching the chaos overhead at an enormous splash.<p>

For a moment she couldn't see what had happened, as the wave hid her view. Then, as it subsided, she saw a large aircraft settling into the shallow water just off the beach.

The cockpit exploded off, and three familiar shapes climbed out of it.

"Well, dat lasted a _lot_ longer than the usual stuff does..." Meowth commented, helping Jessie up. "I tink I'll miss it."

"Hi, guys," Misty called, waving. "Need help?"

"We're good, thanks," James said, splashing into the water and wading ashore.

"What happened up there?" Tracey asked, as the other two followed him. "We couldn't see."

"We helped!" Meowth said with a grin.

James elaborated. "Ash got on board, then things started exploding. We didn't see exactly what was going on, but it didn't look good for that guy. Or for J."

Misty blinked. "J? _Hunter J_ is there?"

"Now you mention it, that _was_ the most surprising bit," Jessie admitted. "Except when she tried to shoot Ash."

"What's _she_ doing here?" Misty muttered. "Oh, great..."

She frowned. "Wait. Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," Meowth agreed. "Kind of a-"

Tracey pointed. "Look!"

Water bulged up underneath the battling legendary birds, then erupted into a gigantic tornado of water.

To the accompaniment of high-pitched, wordless song, the waterspout rose as high as the birds, coming up between them and separating them simply by being there.

Then it exploded, revealing Lugia.

"Now _that's_ an entrance," James said admiringly.

"Could have done with a motto, though," Jessie added.

* * *

><p><em>I have no idea why you three <em>keep_ doing this,_ Lugia said, hovering in mid-air with far fewer wingbeats than it should have taken. _What was it this time?_

"_Articuno and Moltres abandoned their islands!"_ Zapdos told Lugia quickly. _"Therefore, I'm the-"_

"_Shut up!"_ Moltres cut across him. _"I am-"_

Articuno curved around Lugia's position, and fired on both his fellow birds.

_You three are impossible!_ Lugia declared, sweeping a wing around. _Stop this at once, before you cause enough chaos to wreck the climate._

The trio considered that for several seconds. Then gave their answer to the Trio Master.

Lugia barely got his Light Screen up in time.

_Alright, that's it._ The Diving Pokémon flared his shield, and pumped his wings. _You're not going to listen to reason, so I'll _make_ you stop._

A Flamethrower went past his shoulder, barely feet away. He rolled slightly towards it as soon as it stopped, and a Thunderbolt shot past where he'd just been.

Articuno accelerated, flying ahead and above Lugia. He countered by diving, trading height for speed, and the Aurora Beam that speared down from above failed to hit him.

Lugia focused his powers into an Agility, building on his speed advantage. The other Legendaries took a few seconds to match him, and he was some way ahead by the time the range stopped opening.

The weather overhead roiled, as the three Birds each tried to manipulate the weather to their own advantage. The Hail, Sunny Day and Rain Dance attacks added to the general meteorological chaos, and Lugia winced slightly.

It would take _such_ a long time to sort all this out...

At least one good thing had come of it, if you wanted to see it that way. They weren't arguing any more.

The feathers on his spine prickled, and Lugia slid sideways away from a Thunder attack. The Blizzard which followed it went wide, though it hit the surface of the water ahead of him – and, thanks largely to the sheer power that Articuno had pumped into it, created a chaos of icebergs and floe fragments. They almost immediately began to crash into one another, the stormy waves beating them together with stunning force.

Lugia smirked slightly. He built up another psychic charge, caught the Fire Blast attack that Moltres launched at him, and crushed it to smother the flames.

He needed that ice intact.

His wing-fins folded in, and a Reflect formed around him – barely above skintight.

Then he folded his wings, reducing his cross section.

A gap between two icebergs loomed up, shards of ice falling into it as one of the icebergs disintegrated. He dove through with barely a foot of clearance on either side, then jinked in the chill air and passed through a narrow 'tunnel' formed by earlier damage to one of the floes.

Back up into clear air for a second, and then he went in again. This time, the chosen route was a long and twisting tunnel with multiple bends barely within his ability to turn into.

Roll left. Yaw. Slide right. Wings flaring, brake just enough to avoid hitting the walls with bone-jarring force and drop through a hole. Wings back in. Roll again.

The path ended in a hole leading to the open sea. Lugia dove into it without hesitating, and burst back out under the stormy sky four seconds later.

He glanced back over his shoulder to see the results of his handiwork.

Nothing happened for two seconds. Three. Then a great orange globe of fire erupted through the final iceberg, and Moltres – looking considerably worse for wear – emerged through the dripping hole it left.

Articuno came next by battering through the ice with glowing wings of steel, looking better off than his Fire-typed compatriot but just as annoyed.

Finally, Zapdos emerged from somewhere around the middle of the chaos. By the looks of things, he'd finally remembered that they didn't have to follow Lugia _through_ the icy labyrinth.

Pity it took so long.

More attacks lanced out at Lugia, who turned inside them and began heading back towards Shamouti – the better to fight on familiar ground.

* * *

><p>"<em>Now <em>that_ is a fight,"_ Charizard said, shading his eyes with a clawed hand. _"It's amazing to watch Legendaries going all-out against one another like this."_

"_Yeah!"_ Squirtle agreed, arms folded. _"It's as badass as I imagined it would be! There's a bit less Drill than I was hoping for, though..."_

Charizard half-heartedly aimed a kick at him. _"How obsessed _are_ you?"_

"_Enough to be awesome!"_ Squirtle replied, matter-of-factly.

The ice-encrusted Salamence groaned something incomprehensible.

"_Shut up,"_ Charizard added, looking at their prisoner. _"You're lucky we fished you out of the sea."_

* * *

><p>Lugia did a quick weave in mid-air, decoying his pursuers and wrong-winging them, then flared his wings up and around in a quick wingover.<p>

Screeching in rage, Zapdos and Moltres piled after him, Articuno a few lengths behind.

Suspecting something was up, Lugia slowed to a halt in mid-air and turned to face them.

"_Got you!"_ Zapdos crowed. Lightning sparked off his jagged feathers. _"Now!"_

With that, the lightning crested and speared out towards Lugia, accompanied by similarly large blasts of ice and fire.

All three attacks cannoned into Lugia's Light Screen, eroding through it in seconds and reaching his slick feathers.

Which flashed silver.

The Mirror Coat bounced back all three attacks, considerately moving them around. Articuno got hit by the Heat Wave attack, Zapdos by the Ice Beam, and Moltres found himself on the receiving end of a Discharge.

Adding to their problems, Lugia stooped down on them with a translucent Reflect ball crackling around him and knocked them physically away before resuming his flight.

Recovering, the trio of Birds plunged after him.

* * *

><p>"No sign of it," Ash said, blindfold over one eye. "Where <em>is<em> it?"

"_The waves are pretty nasty," _Pidgeot volunteered. _"It could have gone almost anywhere – if it floated. If it didn't..."_

"_They're hollow, right?"_ Pikachu checked. He hefted the fire sphere. _"Feels pretty light... I'm fairly sure this would float."_

"That's one good thing." Ash leaned further over, then sputtered as spray caught him. "Okay, maybe we're a bit _too_ low. Climb a bit, girl."

"_Got it."_ Pidgeot duly trimmed her tail a bit, regaining height.

"Thanks, I-" Ash paused, looking up. "Hey, look! There's Lugia!"

"_About time,"_ Pikachu grumbled, bracing himself on Ash's shoulder. _"Where was he when the giant flying fortress was around?"_

"Actually," Ash said, then broke off. "Pidgeot, if we haven't found it by now we're looking in the wrong place. Take us up to Lugia, maybe he can help."

That done, he turned back to Pikachu as the Flying-type gained height. "You've got to admit, if he turned up _every_ time there was a giant flying fortress he'd never get any rest."

"_Our life isn't typical, Ash,"_ Pikachu countered. His cheeks sparked. _"Okay, Pidgeot, don't panic... this should help out."_

Yellow-blue electricity danced out from his ears, cheeks and tail, forming a static charge across Pidgeot's feathers.

"_If I've got this right, you now basically have my Lightningrod ability,"_ Pikachu informed her.

"_Thanks!"_ Pidgeot replied with a chirp.

Ash pointed. "Wait, I remember this bit..." He fumbled at his waist for one of the currently-empty Poké balls that had held his team.

A red beam lanced out from it towards Ice Island.

The three birds were around Lugia, now, and a long way apart. They inhaled, then spat long streams of their elements.

The attacks crossed in front of Lugia, and he was forced to stop to avoid running into them. A Mirror Coat formed across his feathers, but the three birds – cannier now – held their fire for a moment.

Inevitably, the Mirror Coat had to drop.

A Light Screen went up to replace it, backed by a Protect, but the attacks came closely sequenced enough that the Protect collapsed. Then it was only the Light Screen-

Ash threw the Poké ball as hard as he could. "Now!"

Charizard emerged into the air, roared, and launched off a Fire Blast directly at Articuno. The Freeze Pokémon had to stop attacking and dodge wildly, with Charizard following him with fire seething in his maw.

Pikachu released a potent Thunder attack straight at Moltres, leaning on his Light Ball to keep the shield protecting Pidgeot up. The Flame Pokémon was hit by the attack, raising a screech of pain, and his attack went wide.

Pidgeot called a war-cry and charged. Zapdos broke off the attack, leaving Lugia singed but broadly safe, and switched targets with a potent Zap Cannon attack.

The blue-white sphere of electrical energy dissipated as it reached the thunder-armour, and Pikachu gasped as a flood of energy hit his Lightningrod. Cheeks crackling, he buffered it enough to start absorbing it, and then both he and Ash went flying as Pidgeot hit her target with Brave Bird.

Neither boy nor Pokémon fell more than a few feet.

_My thanks,_ Lugia said, eyes glowing as he levitated the two. _I am sorry, I could not catch your hat._

"That's okay," Ash said, wincing. "Should have guessed."

An explosion below heralded Charizard wrapping himself in Fire Spin. He directed it up at Zapdos, forcing him to clear away from Pidgeot, and Ash's two Flying types started working together – flying split-S to scratch one another's tails.

Ash watched for a moment, concerned, then looked up at Lugia. His eyes closed for a moment, then opened full of determination. "Can I ask something?"

_You may, though make it quick._ Lugia gave a concerned look to the trio. _I am not sure how long your Pokémon can hold out against three legends._

Ash nodded. "I know. And – I need to touch you."

Lugia blinked. _An unusual request, but I suppose... well, if we are to save your Pokémon, you must ride me anyway. Chosen one._

"You know?" Ash asked, then shook his head. "Sorry, silly question."

_Ho-Oh has spoken of you,_ Lugia informed him, levitating Ash and Pikachu onto his back. _I must say, I-_

Ash made contact.

_-believe him completely,_ Lugia finished in a rather different tone. _You're better prepared than last time._

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Sorry, I lost track of the Lightning treasure. We don't know where it is."

_I'm sure we will find it_, Lugia reassured him. _Hold on tight!_

* * *

><p>Charizard rolled in the air, turning back in on himself with a flap of his wings, and exhaled a roaring gout of flame. His target, Moltres, broke off an attack on Pidgeot and easily evaded the reaching fireball.<p>

Now Articuno was on _his_ tail. He rolled back the other way, right wing pointing nearly straight down between flaps, and hauled himself around – trailing Articuno, who was forced to give up an attack run to avoid a Sky Attack.

He wasn't in best shape for this.

The fight with Salamence had been close – closer than he liked to admit – and now he was thrown into a battle with three legendaries.

Worse, he was slowing Pidgeot down. She was holding out well so far, but... she did best when able to use her massive speed, and she wasn't able to while she was working with him instead.

Decision crystallized.

"_Pidgeot, get out of here!"_ he shouted, wrapping himself in a Fire Spin and body-slamming Articuno. The blue Legendary screeched in pain, and replied with a pulse of intense cold which snuffed most of the Fire attack in a second.

Charizard dropped a hundred feet before righting himself, and blinked. That had been _close_ – the Sheer Cold attack had nearly had him...

A Razor Wind hit Moltres as he tried to line up an attack on the dragon, and knocked him wide. The attack had been hastily put together, though, and disintegrated in short order.

"_I'm not leaving you to face three legendaries alone!"_ Pidgeot countered, rolling around an Ice Beam from Articuno and spinning air control layers around herself. _"You're already tired, you need help!"_

"_Not if-"_ Charizard snarled as a Flamethrower clipped his wing. _"Gah!"_

Even a Fire-type wasn't immune to the heat of Moltres' flames.

"_Charizard, you stubborn idiot!"_ Pidgeot called. She did a complex wiggling move, and two Double Team split off from her. The three Flying types diverged quickly, one of them flying up high for greater distance while the other two stayed close in.

"_I just need to hold out a bit longer,"_ Charizard replied. _"And..."_

There was a muted _whump_. Charizard's tail flame brightened, and tinged with blue.

"_There we go!"_ he said, pleased. _"Blaze, right on time!"_

Another Fire Spin formed, this time held as a Counter Shield. Articuno aborted an attack run and began to circle, eyes on Charizard, while Moltres began trying to hit the Pidgeots.

"_Wait,"_ Charizard said suddenly. _"Where's Zapdos?"_

* * *

><p>"This is so much fun!" Ash called, clinging onto Lugia's back with blue-glowing hands and knees.<p>

"_It's a bit fast for me,"_ Pikachu commented. _"Can you-"_

Lugia's eyes glowed, and the windrush died down to a light breeze. _Sorry, I'm not used to riders. Is that better?_

"_Much!"_ Pikachu patted Lugia's back. _"Thanks!"_

"I was enjoying it..." Ash said, with exaggerated unhappiness. He swallowed, and his ears popped with the climb.

_I'm sure there'll be time for fun later, chosen one._ Lugia swept his wings back and climbed further. _Thanks to your gift of knowledge, I now know we must solve this quickly._

The great guardian's feathers began to glow. _Pikachu – do you think you can launch a powerful electrical attack at Articuno?_

He frowned, and the glow vanished. _Aim to knock him out in one blow, if you can. It seems we must use the great song, which means that I can – for once – give them a well deserved thrashing._

"_That, I can do."_ Pikachu began to concentrate, lightning sparking from his cheeks and growing into an aura around him as he Charged repeatedly. _"Give me about ten seconds' warning."_

Ash looked down, squinting at the tiny figures of the Legendaries below. "What about me?"

_Zapdos has broken off from the others. I believe we must follow him, but first your Pokémon should be made safe._

Lugia turned to look Ash in the eye, and gave him a solemn nod._ Keep an eye on Zapdos for me, Ash. Pikachu and I are going to be rather distracted._

Ash nodded back, determined, and his eyes sought the tiny yellow-black dot that was Zapdos.

Another glow suffused Lugia's feathers, and then faded.

_Get ready,_ he warned, and banked slightly. Then the right wing went vertically up, the left wing went vertically down, and he turned over into a screaming dive straight down towards the flash and fury of the battle below.

* * *

><p>Ice traced a line along Charizard's middle alar phalange, stinging with freezer burn. He snatched the threatened wing away, breathing fire on it to slow the chills, and grimaced as it remained a little stiff even after his prompt action.<p>

That was going to be a problem.

Charizard had to face it – he was losing. Slowly but surely, the Legendary Pokémon were outlasting him, and Pidgeot was looking worse for wear as well.

His Blaze boost wasn't going to keep him in the fight forever, that was one thing that was certain. Already the blue tinge to his flame was fading, signalling that fatigue was overwhelming it.

A roar, and he bathed Moltres in Dragonbreath. The mystic fire burned like normal fire would not have, and caused a screech of pain and rage.

Mostly rage.

Charizard turned inside Articuno, managing to exploit the Ice-type's blind spot, and cuffed him with wings cloaked in fire-spin. He lunged forwards after that contact, trying to get a grip on his opponents' wings, but Articuno dropped and evaded his attempt at a Flaming Seismic Toss.

Flame lanced at his side, scorching some of his scales.

Snarling, Charizard lashed out with a tail cloaked in steel, and clipped Moltres' wing. Then he started to charge a Dragon Rage.

If he was going down, he was _damn_ sure he wasn't going quietly.

-and a ball of opalescent energy materialized off his right shoulder, shot into motion from a standing start, and hit Moltres in the face.

He blinked, staggering in the air as he lost concentration, and a second ball – one which he thought looked a lot like Future Sight - appeared over his left shoulder to smash into Articuno.

_Aeroblast._

There was a sound like a piece of paper the size of the Hall of Origin being torn in half. A red beam of light lanced down from overhead, starting to the rear of Moltres and then sweeping across him. The impact was only glancing, but it sent Moltres flying like a rag doll in a storm, tumbling out of control.

"_Volt crash!"_

This was more familiar. Articuno had had a little more time to recover, as well, and managed to dodge a little, but the attack still caught him on one wing and dealt a serious blow.

Charizard saw his chance and took it. A full Fire Blast roared forwards, hitting the lamed Legendary in the breast, and exploded into a cloud of smoke.

The panting dragon waited just long enough to see Articuno drop limply from the base of the cloud before succumbing to exhaustion.

Pidgeot took his shoulders in her talons, dissolving her double Double Team team. _"Come on. Let's get you somewhere safe."_

She looked after Lugia, who had shot past around the time Charizard fired his final attack. _"Good luck, Ash."_

In the back of her mind, she wondered if she'd get a chance to speak to Lugia after the battle. That had been the most amazing Flying-type attack she'd ever seen.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Legendary Pokémon are _powerful._ And Ash's are some of the best in the business.

(I looked at Lugia's strategy in the film, and it's... not great. I tweaked it a bit here.)


	42. Power of One chapter four

Ash pointed. "There!"

_Thank you._ Lugia panted briefly, then turned towards the distant Electric-type flying steadily for Lightning Island.

Ash and Pikachu clung on as he accelerated downwards, the wind whipping at them through the air-shield.

_This is going to be tricky,_ Lugia informed his passengers, as Zapdos grew from a dot to a tiny cross-shape. _Zapdos is probably the one who can harm me the easiest, especially under stormy skies._

As if to accentuate the point, spots of rain began to fall.

"Why did he head off?" Ash asked, voice raised a little from excitement.

_I do not know. We should ask him._

Lugia flapped his wings, once. _Let me see, now... Pikachu, you have Lightningrod?_

Pikachu nodded confirmation. _"I do."_

_Excellent. _Lugia judged times and distances. _I don't think we're going to get him before he reaches Lightning Island, so my first idea won't work._

"_So he's headed all the way back to Lightning Island?"_ Pikachu asked, frowning. _"Now, why would he do that, I wonder."_

Ash squinted, looking with both Aura sight and regular sight, as their target crossed over the cliff face on one side of Lightning Island onto the level ground itself.

Then he did a double-take, and glanced back at his backpack. "So _that's_ where it went! Zapdos must have found the Lightning treasure!"

_Ah, that explains that._ Lugia wobbled his wings slightly, shedding speed. _He may think he just has to carry it back to the island to 'win' or something._

"Now that's silly," Ash agreed.

"_Don't we just have to carry the treasures back to Shamouti to win, here?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Uh..." Ash began, frowning.

_That's different. We know it'll work,_ Lugia replied. He backwinged slightly, and raised his mental voice as he cleared the crater rim. _Zapdos!_

The Electric Pokémon turned, wings snapping with electricity, and the Lightning treasure back in place at its shrine. _"Lugia, I've won! I'm the one in charge of the other two now!"_

_That is not how it works,_ Lugia thought, with a frown.

"_But I'm stronger! I retrieved my treasure, and the other two didn't!"_

"Actually, that's mostly because the Lightning treasure fell out of the flying battleship," Ash said, speaking up.

Zapdos blinked, flying a little higher. _"You have a human on your back?"_

_Yes,_ Lugia replied simply.

"_Have you gone insane?"_ Zapdos pressed. _"Humans just captured all three of us! They planned to capture _you_!"_

_They-_

"Hey!" Ash called, pointing at Zapdos. "Charizard, Squirtle, Pikachu and I are the ones who _freed_ you three!"

Pikachu hopped up onto Lugia's head. _"That's gratitude for you."_

_That is correct,_ Lugia said, over the top of Pikachu's somewhat undiplomatic comment. _This human is most certainly our friend. He is one of the Chosen, if it matters._

"_Seriously?"_ Zapdos asked. _"He's, what, ten?"_

"Twelve!" Ash replied hotly. "Just..."

Lugia settled to the ground. _Ash, perhaps you should go get the Lightning Treasure._

"_No!" _Zapdos called out, wings spread threateningly.

_He has already activated the other two Treasures, and is the one at the heart of the festival to boot._ Lugia moved forwards, wings ready to defend Ash. _He has every right._

Zapdos screeched, and aimed a warning bolt of lightning in front of Ash. It arced towards his feet, then curved away, and discharged into Pikachu.

The legendary turned incredulous eyes on the little electric mouse.

"_What?"_ Pikachu asked, nonchalantly.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Finally enraged beyond endurance, Zapdos launched himself into the air and started calling down bolts of lightning from the growing storm.

_Ash, go!_ Lugia said, taking flight himself. _Pikachu, keep him safe. I'll pick you up in a few minutes._

* * *

><p>"Okay, good," Misty said, looking between the trio of Floatzel. "You understand?"<p>

They nodded. _"Yes!" _one said, with a grin. _"Find the Legendaries, lead Wailord to them."_

"And you?"

The colossal Wailord floating offshore boomed her understanding.

"Right. You'd better hurry," Misty said, and they set off – the three otters shooting off into the stormy sea cloaked in Aqua Jet, followed by the slower Wailord.

"Good work," Tracey said, sitting down with a sigh.

"Thanks," Misty replied. "It's tricky to understand most Pokémon, if I don't know them, but Water-types are easier. And I just realized – you know, last time they hit the ice, but this time there isn't any."

"Right." Tracey nodded. "Like I said, good thought. Is there a reason you didn't have Togekiss lead them in, though?"

Misty looked up. "Actually... where is she?"

She raised her voice. "Guys?"

Team Rocket looked around from where Meowth was attempting to interpret between the two humans and a curious flock of Swellow.

"Yeah?" James said, raising an eyebrow.

"Have any of you seen Togekiss?"

"What, didn't ya know?" Meowth pointed. "She went off dat way. We tought you sent her."

Misty paled. "...oh no. Why did she..."

Tracey put his hand on her shoulder. "She wanted to help. She's the only Pokémon either of us have got who can both fly and fight, at anything like that level... and I think you're selling her short, Misty."

The Cerulean gym leader looked back at him. "What?"

"She's not a baby any more, Misty. She's fully evolved, and she's been fighting for years – you know that."

"...you're right, I _do_ know that." Misty slumped. "But she's my daughter, and I don't want to see her in danger."

From the area the Rockets were, there was a chatter of raised Swellow voices. Meowth's cut over them. "Oh, fer cryin' out loud! It was a joke, ya bird-brains!"

* * *

><p>"So... all of it?" Melody asked, quietly. "The whole thing's real?"<p>

"It is," the Slowking informed her. "It isn't supposed to get this bad, this is quite a mess, but the Great Guardian seems to have things under control."

"Right." She looked down at the ocarina in her hands. "What about me? Do I have to-"

"You might," Slowking said, putting a companionable arm around her shoulders. "The song is connected to Lugia, and helps to empower him and to calm the discord of the titans."

The powerful psychic gave her a smile. "Don't worry. All you have to do is play the music, nothing more. It'll make sense at the time."

* * *

><p>Lugia focused, catching the bolt of lightning aimed at him in a Psychic and deflecting it away harmlessly. Sparing a glance down, he saw that the one aimed for Ash and Pikachu had been caught by the Pokémon, and that the young trainer had reached the shrine.<p>

He held up the yellow orb as it flashed to life, caged-lightning matching the internal-fire and wash of cool ice from the other two, and Lugia nodded to him.

Zapdos dove forward, pointed beak first, and aimed straight for Lugia in a Wild Charge.

Lugia frowned, came to a decision, and slipped sideways in the air to ensure the attack missed. Before Zapdos recovered, Lugia made things worse for him by firing a Hydro Pump that caused the Wild Charge to ground into Zapdos himself.

Screeching, the Electric-type wobbled in the air, and Lugia took the opportunity to compound his troubles with an Ice Beam, then finally a Psychic attack to slam him into the ground.

Seeing Ash and Pikachu had already cleared the cone, Lugia accelerated and came down to float alongside them. _Jump on._

Ash pushed aura into his boots again. One step was normal, the next was impossibly high, and he landed on Lugia's back just before Pikachu did.

_Right!_ Lugia added, wings churning the air. _Full speed to Shamouti._

* * *

><p>Lawrence III shook his head, groggy with sleep.<p>

That damned Grass type...

Pushing himself up from the place he'd been sleeping, he walked stiffly over to a console and examined it.

Systems were mostly down, as before. There was one reactor online, though, and the remote power control was still working.

Sensors... operational, at least some of them, which gave him a clear picture of Shamouti Sound and the air over it.

None of the great birds was still flying. Had he missed his chance?

Then a caret appeared on the display, highlighting a very familiar silhouette.

"_There_ you are..." he mused, and flicked switches. One final press, and four triangular shapes launched from the remains of the weapons module.

Spinning briefly to orient themselves, they set off northwest on an interception course.

* * *

><p>"Lugia! Look out!" Ash called, pointing east.<p>

Lugia glanced to the side, and spotted the incoming capture rings. _Not again!_

He inhaled, an eerie light forming around his mouth as air rushed in. Three seconds in, it flashed yellow as the heat and pressure drove it to form a plasma.

"_How is that still a flying type attack?"_ Pikachu asked, clinging on as Lugia twisted to open his firing line.

_It's all done with air pressure,_ Lugia informed him tautly. Then released the attack. At first, the plasma was carried along with the air stream – then it collimated, coalescing into a single bolt of incandescent air in the centre of a cooler but still intense wind.

One of the rings was caught directly in the beam, and began to glow cherry-red and steam in the hissing rain. It attempted to spin out of the area of the attack, failed, and exploded.

Lugia swept the Aeroblast across to another ring, which turned face-on to him and let the attack go harmlessly through the centre.

Then the other two were on him, discharging energy into his body, and he was forced to end the attack and switch to Light Screen.

Ash cried out in pain as the lightning bolts ran through him. He was used to Pikachu's electrical attacks, but these were... different. Almost... empty, like they took energy instead of delivering it.

_Pikachu?_ Lugia asked, struggling to break out of the encirclement. _Can you-?_

Pikachu winced, firing out another bolt. _"I've been trying! These things are really tough, and I've been doing a lot of high-powered electric attacks today!"_

Ash gritted his teeth, and pushed out a Protect – taking the pressure off Lugia's damaged shields for a moment. "Gah!"

_Thank you._ Lugia began gathering the energy for another Aeroblast, turning frantically to keep at least one of the rings in his sight line.

Rose-golden coloured fire rushed past his wing, coming in from the north, and enveloped another one of the rings. It spun free in a moment, then was caught again.

It visibly deformed in the few seconds of sustained fire before the attack ended. Once free, it wobbled, spun for a moment, and then fell apart.

_What?_ Lugia asked, blinking. _Ho-Oh? What are you-_

"_I'm flattered,"_ said the squeaky voice of his saviour. _"But no, I'm just the understudy."_

"Togekiss!" Ash called, beaming. "Thanks for the help!"

Lugia and both his passengers winced as the remaining two rings flashed lightning across them again.

"_Stay close!"_ Togekiss called, swooping around to try to line up on another ring. They seemed to be wiser now, though, and gave her a wide berth.

_Stalemate,_ Lugia observed, wings beating more slowly now. The rings hovered at a distance, ready to pounce if their guard dropped. _And we can't move on to Shamouti like this._

"Can't you blast the fortress?" Ash checked.

_I've barely got enough power for a single Aeroblast left. If I miss, then we're doomed._

* * *

><p>"<em>Don't move,"<em> Lucario instructed Hunter J.

She snorted bitter laughter.

He inspected the bent metal tying her hands behind her back to a girder, nodded, and set off at a run through the corridors.

It had, at first, seemed like the _Hikokyu_ was completely ruined by the crash. But now that clearly wasn't the case, what with the capture rings that he'd seen shoot off into the distance – straight towards the sparkle of Aura which indicated Ash, Pikachu, and what could only be Lugia.

Coming to the bottom of some stairs, Lucario skidded to a halt.

The route to the control room was collapsed. Damn.

Closing his eyes to enhance his Aura sight, Lucario scanned the wreck of the flying battleship. There had to be something-

_Aha._

A point, deeper into the ship, which shone like a small star.

Another sprint, faster still this time. Lucario's feet glowed with blue aura, increasing his speed, and he no longer bothered to open doors – smashing through them with a succession of small Aura Spheres.

In less than a minute, he reached the source of the light.

It was quite a sight to behold.

A spherical glass outer layer, connected to thick cables leading off elsewhere into the ship. Inside it, a succession of independently rotating bronze-coloured rings, marked with letters in an unknown language – strange lightning-flashes, vertical lines marked with diamonds, and something with a dot in the centre of an n-like shape were only a few of the runes on display.

Right in the middle was a blue spark, flashing alternately brighter and dimmer.

Lucario came to a quick conclusion. Break things.

Channeling aura around his paws, he picked a spot on the glass sphere and rammed a Force Palm directly into it. The whole assemblage shuddered, and the lights flickered for a moment.

Again, and small cracks started to appear.

The third blow made the cracks widen. The fourth, they joined up, and his chosen point dished in slightly from the impact.

The Aura Pokémon smirked slightly, pivoted on one foot, and slammed a roundhouse kick into the weakened spot.

The whole sphere shattered, the rings sized up, and the lights went out.

* * *

><p>Lugia blinked as the remaining two capture rings abruptly froze in the air, then dropped from the sky.<p>

_...well, I'm not complaining..._ he said, then beat his wings again and turned to face Shamouti. _We should hurry._

"No argument here," Ash said, shielding his eyes against the rain trying to get into them. "Pikachu? Can you check we've got all of them?"

Pikachu nodded, poking his head into Ash's backpack. _"Fire and lightning in here... and Ice?"_

"That one's here, in my pocket." Ash held it up, then gave it to Pikachu to put with the others.

"_Hey, look!"_ Togekiss said, indicating the stormy sea below with a nod of her head.

Ash looked down, seeing a strange sight. Three Floatzel hauling Articuno onto a Wailord, which had a wet-looking Moltres already on its forehead.

"Huh," he said, blinking. "Not sure what to make of that."

* * *

><p>For a wonder, the trip back to Shamouti Shrine itself was uneventful.<p>

The tired Lugia floated gently down to land outside the shrine, and his passengers disembarked.

"Lord Lugia," the Slowking said with a small bow. "And the Chosen One, as well. Do you know what is to be done?"

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Put the treasures in the shrine – each one in the corresponding window."

"Wonderful." Slowking paused, as Ash walked up to the altar itself. "If you don't mind my asking – what is your name?"

"Ash," Ash replied, taking his backpack off and removing the three glowing treasures.

"Ah, I should have known." Slowking's voice took on the air of one quoting.

"Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice and lightning,  
>lest these titans wreak destruction on the world in which they clash."<p>

Ash blanched. "Oh, I know where this is going..."

"And though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting,  
>alone its song will fail, and thus the earth shall turn to Ash."<p>

"I'd almost forgotten that. Again." Ash placed down the last of the three spheres, then stood back.

They glowed and began to activate.

* * *

><p>"Togekiss!" Misty called, voice uncertain. "I... why did you... I don't know whether to thank you or scold you, young Pokémon!"<p>

"_I love you too,"_ Togekiss replied, landing in front of her and embracing her. _"Sorry for making you worry, but I had to do it."_

_She did,_ Lugia agreed, chest heaving as he gathered his breath. _Without her, I would probably have been overcome._

He turned his focus to Melody. _Now. Young woman – I need your help, as well._

"Me?" Melody asked, looking up at the focus of her islands' entire religion – one which she'd not _really_ believed in, not until today.

_I am too tired to use the Great Song alone – you must accompany me. It is the very tune you know for this festival._

She looked uncertain, glancing down at the ocarina. "But – I'm... this is just some silly festival... or that's what I thought this morning."

Panic crossed her features for a moment. "If I've got to- I don't know if I _can_ do what you want me to."

_I am certain you will be fine._ The Legend's voice was quiet, but full of confidence. He turned, and spread his wings, taking off to hover just over the shrine itself – now transformed into a stone circle of glowing green crystal. _Begin when you wish; I will follow your lead._

* * *

><p>The pure notes resonated in the air, alone at first. With each sweet sound, one of the seven stones glowed a cool blue-green colour.<p>

After the first thirty seconds or so, Lugia, already looking much better, raised his voice and wove into the song – accompanying it, not mastering it, and letting Melody's ocarina set the pace.

The rain began to slacken, and then stop entirely.

Little flickers of movement, far out on the wave-tossed sea, showed first Articuno and then Moltres taking flight from the Wailord on which they had been recovering.

Further still, almost hidden by distance, the yellow dot of Zapdos flew out from his island.

Green energy pulsed out from the shrine, glowing like a heartbeat, and covering the whole of Shamouti Sound faster than even a Pidgeot could fly.

Ash closed his eyes for a moment, letting the song wash over him.

This was why he fought so hard. This was the very kind of moment which made everything worthwhile.

That timeless instant where the world was put to rights.

_Ash,_ a silent voice said to him.

He opened his eyes again, already half-guessing what it was. Lugia had landed in front of him, and turned – offering him a ride.

Grinning like a loon, the trainer took his offer. Lugia beat his wings, once, and took off into the clearing air as the song swelled.

The flock of Swellow who Meowth had been arguing with earlier watched, silent and waiting, alongside other Flying-types from all over the Orange Islands, as the four Legendaries took their place in the now-brilliant blue sky. Lugia in the middle, with the three Birds forming a triangle around him.

Then the sea split open.

A great column of water rose into the sky, glowing faintly with the unknown energy of the shrine. It formed a long arch in the heavens, crossing the whole of the small island group from east to west.

_The beast of the sea,_ Lugia informed Ash softly. _A major current which controls much of the world's climate._

Ash looked around, trying to take it all in – to see everything, because, hopefully, he would never see this again.

The massed Flying-types took wing. Clouds of Swellow, Pidgeotto and Pidgeot, Fearow, Golbat... too many species to count, with even a few Dragons among them, and three in particular – weary Pidgeot and Charizard, and proud Togekiss – in pride of place.

As the song began to fade, the Beast of the Sea crashed back into the water – tamed once more – and the wild Flying types dispersed, to return to their homes.

Lugia came back down to land before the shrine, followed by the trio he mastered and the friends' other Pokémon. He let Ash off, then bowed to Melody as the final notes rang in the air.

_A masterful performance,_ he announced solemnly. _My most sincere thanks, Melody of Shamouti._

* * *

><p>Dozens of miles to the south, a bipedal Pokémon lowered his arms. <em>There. No need for my help any more.<em>

"You did well," Sabrina told him, nodding. "That can't have been easy."

_Causing storms is more my forté,_ Mewtwo agreed. _I'm surprised how powerful that one was, though._

The Mew sitting on Sabrina's shoulder smiled, and made a playful squeak. _You should see what happens if Groudon and Kyogre fight!_

_I would rather not._ Mewtwo glanced down at the calm sea. _Perhaps we should return to solid ground?_

The other Mew – the one who hung around Mewtwo whenever she was bored – giggled. _I didn't think you were afraid of heights._

_I'm not,_ Mewtwo returned. _I just don't see any particular reason to keep spending energy on levitating when I've just been containing a storm that could have grown larger than the whole ocean basin._

_It's good practice!_ Both Mew said that in unison, then exchanged a glance and giggled behind their paws.

"You two are as bad as each other," Sabrina said fondly. "Seriously, though, Mewtwo – I think this did you some good. It helps give you a purpose."

_Agreed._ Mewtwo nodded slowly. _Perhaps it is appropriate that my purpose appears to be reducing the collateral damage from when Ash Ketchum saves the world._

His companion frowned. _He's not that bad... is he?_ She spun upside down. _Or maybe he is..._

* * *

><p>Lugia turned to face the three Legendary Birds. <em>And as for you three...<em>

Zapdos raised a wing.

_No. You don't get to talk now. None of you do._ Lugia glared at each one in turn. _I hope you three realize that you nearly ended the world because of another one of your stupid arguments. You're supposed to be Legendary Pokémon with the solemn duty of safeguarding one of the most important climate control points in the world, not squabbling toddlers!_

He shook his head. _My son is more mature than you. My son!_

Articuno looked up, blinking. _"Your son Silver? But – he only fledged three years ago!"_

_Exactly my point,_ Lugia agreed.

He nodded towards the ruined flying machine in the far distance. _One human shows up to catch you, and you promptly start arguing over who's in charge now. Idiots. You could have shot his ship down and be done with it if you worked together, you realize?_

There was a series of muffled caws and embarrassed shuffling of wings.

_I thought not._

_In any case,_ Lugia resumed. He looked directly at Pidgeot. _Can your trainer spare you?_

She blinked, surprised to be brought into this. _"Um... actually, I'm not sure. Ash?"_

Ash nodded. "If you want to be available, you are."

"_Then yes."_ She nodded at Lugia. _"Why?"_

_You seemed interested in my Aeroblast. Following the example of my fellow Legend, Ho-Oh... would you be interested in learning it?_

Pidgeot gaped. After a moment, she recovered her composure, and nodded. _"Yes! Yes please!"_

_Excellent. I look forward to working with you._ Lugia then gave the three birds another look. _It is also possible that I may be leaving in the future. Understand that, if you make trouble while I am gone, I will be returning – and not alone – to make sure you don't break everything _again.

"_We're not children!"_ Moltres burst out. _"Stop treating us like children!"_

_I'm sorry, it must have been some other legendary Pokémon who nearly ended the world. Can you point me to them?_

The birds shuffled, but none of them spoke up.

_Good._ Lugia then turned back to Ash. _I should have asked this last time, chosen one. Do you have a spare Poké ball?_

He smiled. _I can't promise to travel with you, but I will be here if you need me._

Ash nodded, unable to believe his luck, and retrieved a simple red-white Poké ball. He held it out, and Lugia took it from his hand with telekinesis.

_Thank you._

The ball thudded against his forehead, enveloped him in light, and fell to the ground in front of where he had been.

James raised a finger to his chin. "Is it me, or do we get loads of _brilliant_ opportunities only now that we've given up?"

Jessie shook her head. "It's just you. We got hundreds of chances to catch or steal amazing Pokémon before, it just never worked."

Meowth looked up from his catalogue. "Sorry, did somethin' important happen? I was too busy lookin' for our next ride. Look, a tiltrotor!"

The other two Rockets crowded around it, looking impressed.

Ash picked up the Poké ball, and opened it wordlessly.

_Once more, my thanks,_ Lugia said. Then he looked across to Ice Island. _You may want to call the police, by the way._

"Oh, that's right!" Misty said. "Almost forgot about that..."

* * *

><p>"Look at you!" Ash grinned, putting a hand on Lucario's shoulder. "Almost my size, now!"<p>

"_Indeed."_ Lucario looked down at himself. _"This will take some getting used to, though. No more shoulder rides for me."_

"Really?" Ash asked. "Why not?"

"_...Ash, I weigh more than you do now. A lot more. My bones are made of steel."_

"That's never stopped me before!" Ash declared.

"_Actually, now I think of it... it really hasn't,"_ Pikachu said, with a frown. _"Didn't you carry a Hippopotas on your head once?"_

"Yep!" Ash nodded. "Gave me a bit of a headache, though... whatever! Let's give it a go!"

Misty and Tracey watched, with some bemusement, as Ash tried to hoist Lucario up onto his shoulders.

"He's going to do his back out like that..." Tracey commented.

"Like that would stop him," Misty rejoined.

_Hello?_ Lugia broadcast from outside. _Ash?_

Ash stopped trying with a quick apology, and hurried over. "What is it?"

_You might want this._ Lugia nosed the ground surface, on which a rather bedraggled blue hat sat. _I remembered you lost it, and it seemed important..._

"Oh, yeah! Thanks!" Ash picked it up, grimacing at the sea-soaked material. "Might need a quick dry, though..."

* * *

><p>As they left the Shamouti island group that night, Misty saw Ash standing at the rear rail.<p>

She followed his gaze, and saw he was looking at the peak of Ice Island. The highest spot in the whole group, it would be in view longer than anywhere else given the route they were taking – east, to Cleopatra Island.

"You alright?" she asked, leaning on the rail next to him.

"Yeah," Ash said, shrugging. "Just... thinking."

"Oh?" Misty pressed.

"Just... you know. We had warning, that time, but things were... different." Ash turned to look at her. "With J, I mean. We had all that time to prepare, but I didn't realize anything was wrong until after I got to Fire Island."

"You can't prepare for everything, Ash," Misty said.

"I know, I know. But... we time travelled, and I keep making mistakes like this. What if I make one that's too bad?" Ash groped for the words. "One that can't be fixed?"

"...I don't know," Misty admitted. "Maybe you just need to make sure you scout the place out?"

"All the places, you mean," Ash sighed. "There's so many, even with Shamouti sorted out. Not just Cyrus, either... there's Crown City, Alamos Town... I can't even keep track of them all."

Tracey leaned on the rail the other side of Ash. "Well, I'm sure Professor Oak and Damos are keeping an eye on things."

"Not enough of one, though," Ash said, frowning. "They need someone there to... someone..."

His expression brightened. "I think I know who."

"Who?" Misty asked, interested.

"Well, I'll have to wait to see if she says it's fine," Ash corrected himself. "But Pidgeot's fast, and she can look after herself."

"Good idea," Tracey agreed. "Especially if she can stay in touch with the Professor and I."

Feeling better now there was a solution, Ash looked back towards Shamouti.

A tiny flash of orange-red light on the side of the island's cone became a line, thinner than a hair and only as long as the width of a finger at arm's length, and he smiled.

Pidgeot was wasting no time, it seemed.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

And done!

That's the last of the Power of One, at any rate.

I hope everyone enjoyed my little my-birthday present.


	43. Orange Islands chapter 3

"Okay, Charizard!" Ash said with a grin. "Ready to get frozen solid, thawed out over the course of a long night, and gradually come to respect me?"

Charizard shook his head, fire leaking out of the corners of his mouth. _"Not funny, Ash."_

"Right." Ash shook his head. "Sorry, yeah. Wasn't thinking."

He waved his hand. "Are you going to want to fight him anyway?"

Lucario raised a paw. _"Actually, I might."_

Charizard looked down at him. _"Really? Why you?"_

The newly-evolved Pokemon shrugged. _"Mainly to get used to fighting with my new weight. I'm used to being quite a lot smaller and more agile, and my feet are going to exert a lot more pressure on the floor now. That's going to have an impact, on sand for instance."_

"Makes sense, I guess," Ash agreed. "Hey! Guy over there! Want a battle?"

"_Still the direct route every time, I see,"_ Lucario said with a chuckle.

* * *

><p>"Begin!"<p>

Lucario crouched, and pushed off in a sprint. His feet dug into the sand, then the sand abruptly gave way, and he threw up a rooster-tail of sand instead of accelerating as he wanted to.

The release of effort sent him stumbling, leg out behind, then he recovered somewhat just as a Power-up Punch came in.

A clang reverberated around the beachfront.

Lucario grimaced. _Steel_ type, _Steel_ type, he reminded himself. It was harder to take fighting-type attacks now – they had something to connect to solidly, and he couldn't 'roll' with the punch so well.

Evolving wasn't all advantages. Specifically, he now had to worry much more about Fire and Ground attacks, as well as Fighting.

On the other hand... there were still definitely benefits. For one, it completely erased his original weaknesses.

Lucario skipped backwards, jumping off from the ground instead of using it for any real grip, and started experimenting. Using Aura to spread into the gaps between the grains of sand, adding to the adhesiveness the sand had just that _little_ bit more...

A bubblebeam came in, and he did a handspring away from it. This time, when he landed, the sand gripped much better, and he skidded to a stop in moments.

"Not bad," the trainer, Tad, allowed. "Try this! Poliwrath, use Hypnosis!"

Lucario closed his eyes, switching to Aura sight.

"...why isn't your Pokemon looking where he's going?" Tad asked, watching in bafflement as Lucario's fighting ability was impaired not one iota.

"It's complicated," Ash told him. "Just accept it and move on."

"That's practically _our_ motto," Tracey added.

Poliwrath considered, and then beat its belly (producing a series of loud clangs from the title belt.)

_Belly Drum,_ Lucario thought. _I should be cautious... unless..._

He dodged an Ice Punch, and jumped over a sweeping low-level kick.

Then saw what he was looking for – a direct attack. A Mega Kick, in fact, powered by the full might of the earlier power-up.

He raised a blue-glowing paw, making no attempt to dodge, and caught the blow.

Steel creaked in his forearm as the potent blow hit home. Grunting, Lucario focused his Aura, accepting the impact.

A spark of light ran around his back, from arm to arm, and flashed into his other paw.

Tad blinked. "Wait, is that-"

Lucario's Counter hit.

Poliwrath took an impromptu flying lesson.

Ash ran over. "Ri-Lucario! Are you okay?"

Lucario nodded, cradling his left arm in his right. _"I will be."_

Ash embraced him. "You should be more careful, you – ow!"

They both looked down at his chest spike.

"_No more hugs for me, then..."_ Lucario muttered with a sigh.

"Can't you... I dunno, use some kind of Metal Claw or something?" Ash asked. "Make it... less pointy?"

"_Possibly."_ Lucario winced. _"Well, I learned something at least. But I think that was not such a good idea."_

* * *

><p>Misty held up her hands. "Nope. Not getting involved."<p>

"_What?"_ Squirtle asked, putting his forelegs on his hips in indignation. _"This is because there's a firefighting team that showed you up, isn't it?"_

"They did _not_ show me up!" Misty corrected. "I just don't want to find out what kind of ridiculous anime _they're_ fans of, I know what your evolutionary line is like."

Music started.

"Oh, no..." the Water-type gym leader said, sighing deeply. "Here we go."

A half-dozen voices started up, not quite in unison. The effect would have been ruined had Ash and his friends not spoken Pokemon, because all the singers were Squirtle.

"_Go Wartortle rangers!"_

"Nope." Misty turned her back, wilfully ignoring the five colourfully-costumed Wartortle that started posing in the field. "Next island, please."

Tracey stifled a chuckle.

* * *

><p>It was a glorious day on Kumquat Island. The sun shone out of a clear blue sky, on a sea with just the right kind of waves to make surfing exciting breaking a hundred yards out into the water, and gentler waves lapping at a perfect sandy beach.<p>

A ship heeled over as it turned towards the harbour.

"Wow," Tracey said from the rail, looking along the shoreline. "This is beautiful! I've only been here a few times before!"

"It's a famous resort, isn't it?" Misty asked. "I've heard people come from all over the world."

"What kind of Pokemon live here?" Ash asked.

"One track mind," Tracey teased. "But I've heard that Fire types live up in the mountains – there's natural hot springs there."

* * *

><p>The ship bumped gently against the pier, and a gangplank was run out to allow passengers to go ashore.<p>

Not that Ash and his friends were still on board. They'd disembarked with Lapras as soon as it came into harbour.

* * *

><p>"Thanks, Lapras!" Ash said, returning him with a smile.<p>

"You're so impatient," Misty sighed. "Right, where was the gym in this place..."

She smiled. "Oh, that's right! It's a hotel!"

Tracey pointed at a map. "That looks like a good start."

They clustered around it.

"Kumquat hotel... is that the one?" Ash asked, pointing.

"I suppose it must be," Misty decided.

* * *

><p>"So, you're challenging the gym?" Luana asked. "That's quite surprising, Travis..."<p>

Ash blinked. "Who?"

"Travis?" Luana asked, then sighed. "Oh, dear, it happened again, didn't it... sorry, uh, what was your name?"

"Ash," Ash answered.

"Right. Ash. Sorry, Ash, you're the spitting image of my son Travis. This _has_ happened before – a boy called... Ritchie, that was it."

"Ritchie Getem?" Misty asked.

"I assume so," Luana said. "Why?"

"I fought him in the Indigo League!" Ash informed her.

"Now I'm almost glad I didn't watch the Indigo league," Luana decided. On seeing Ash's expression, she hastened to explain. "No, it's not you – sorry, I _am_ making a lot of mistakes today. It's that watching a boy who looked just like my son down to the Pikachu, fighting _another_ boy who looked just like my son down to the Pikachu, would have been too strange to bear."

"Okay, I guess..." Ash said, then shook his head. "Where were we?"

"You were challenging the gym," Luana reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, that's right!" Ash pointed at her. "Yes. I, _Ash Ketchum_," he stressed, "of Pallet, challenge you to a gym battle!"

"Okay." She nodded. "Do you need to spend some time to prepare? The gym hotel is free of charge to challengers."

"Say yes!" Misty suggested.

"Uh... yeah, then," Ash confirmed. "What are the rules?"

"Double battle. The first Pokemon knocked out loses their trainer the match."

"Okay." Ash frowned. "Tough one..."

* * *

><p>"So, who wants to do this one?" Ash asked, some time later.<p>

The assembled Pokemon exchanged glances.

"_Didn't Charizard and I do it last time?" _Pikachu asked.

"Yeah, but this is a good opportunity for teamwork practice." Ash shrugged. "I just want to make sure you guys don't get too complacent."

He frowned. "Wasn't the boss guy... Drake? The local Champion? There was something strange about his fight... Dexter?"

Drake challenges his opponents to a six-on-six battle.

"A what?" Ash asked, blinking. "Okay, wow. Better start thinking about that now, then."

He looked between his Pokemon. "Who's not used to big battles?"

"_I certainly am,"_ Pikachu said. _"No need for me."_

"_I think I proved my credentials earlier this week," _Charizard said for his part.

Ivysaur glanced at Squirtle, and pre-empted him. _"We're fine."_

Squirtle subsided.

Lucario nodded, slowly. _"I believe I am ready."_

"Dexter?"

I know the theory.

"And Pidgeot's good at them... but she's working with Lugia. Okay, I think I know who to send out there."

Many eyes turned to him.

"Lapras, Snorlax, you two are the ones who mesh least well with my normal style. Do you think you're up for it?"

"_Er..."_ Lapras glanced over at the enormous bear Pokemon halfway around the circle. _"_Can_ we effectively work together?"_

"Well, it's going to be interesting finding out," Ash shrugged. "I think she's going to use... what was it... a Marowak and an Alakazam."

Ash rummaged around in his backpack for the hat, which was nearly good as new after a few days' laundry. "One of you should wear this, as well."

"_What's that?" _Snorlax asked, blinking.

"_It's a really snazzy hat,"_ Lucario answered solemnly. _"It grants the Dark type."_

Lapras nodded. _"I should probably take it, then. Snorlax' Rest is actually a Psychic move."_

"Right." Ash frowned, tapping his foot. "I know just what we'll do!" he announced.

Blinking, Lapras looked over at Pikachu. _"Should I be worried?"_

Pikachu shrugged. _"Yeah, probably."_

"First step, teach Snorlax Sleep Talk. Lapras, you should probably learn Rain Dance... or, wait, you do know Blizzard, right?"

Lapras nodded.

"Right, Rain Dance it is then."

* * *

><p>"Ready?" the Gym Leader asked. She threw two Pokeballs, and her Marowak and Alakazam strode out onto the flat floor of the gym.<p>

"Yep!" Ash replied, sending his own two Pokemon out. "Okay, here goes!"

"Begin," Luana said simply.

"Lapras, Rain Dance!" Ash ordered.

Lapras complied, sending a pulse of energy upwards.

"Wait a second..." Ash glanced at the ceiling. "This is an indoor match."

* * *

><p>Tracey shaded his eyes, and looked up at the sky overhead.<p>

"Misty!" he called into the surf.

"What?" Misty replied, looking up from teaching her new Kabuto to use Bubblebeam. "Is there a problem?"

Tracey pointed up.

Misty followed his pointing finger, and saw that the weather was rapidly changing to overcast.

"Oh, no..." she said. "Let's hope it doesn't get worse."

* * *

><p>Ash released his Ivysaur. "Hey, Ivysaur? Can you go outside and make sure the weather goes back to sunny?"<p>

The Grass type nodded, lumbering off to the doors to use Sunny Day.

"Thanks," Ash told him, then turned back to the battle. "Uh... improvise! But still use Rain Dance somehow!"

Lapras did the next best thing, and shot one of the sprinklers.

Water flooded the gym to a depth of about two inches, before the pressure in the system ran out.

"I hope you've got a good reason for that," Luana said, frowning. "This isn't easy to clean."

Pikachu sniggered. _"She _really_ doesn't know you."_

"Hey!" Ash said, then turned back to the fight. "Okay. Snorlax, Body Slam! Lapras, Blizzard!"

Luana's Pokemon blinked, then yelped at the name of the second attack. Marowak jumped behind a shield that Alakazam set up, and they weathered the powerful Ice attack with ease.

"Ice beam!" Ash instructed.

"Alakazam," Luana instructed. "Hyper Beam."

As the blizzard eased, Alakazam raised his spoons and focused. A bolt of energy shot forwards, straight at Lapras.

Snorlax growled something, and interposed his huge body in the way. The attack hit him hard, making him grunt and skid backwards a bit.

"Good!" Luana said. "Now, Marowak, follow up!"

A Bonemarang came in next, and Snorlax blocked that as well. He yawned, scratching himself, and gave the Bone Pokemon a tired look.

"It can't hold out forever!" Luana called. "Keep that Lapras out of the way so it can't attack you!"

"Too late," Ash replied, seeing Lapras' signal that the ice was firm enough.

Rather than firing beams at the enemy Pokemon, he'd been plastering the floor in them – building up the thin film of ice from the earlier attacks into a thick layer over two inches thick.

"Snorlax!" Ash added. "Rest! Then Sleep Talk all you want!"

Snorlax yawned again, a big jaw-cracking one, and flopped forward onto the ice. It cracked, but there was no longer any water underneath it to fall into.

"Now, Lapras!"

Lapras skated forwards on the ice, Slamming into Snorlax and sending him skidding forwards, then formed a ramp with his ice and jumped.

Landing right on top of Snorlax.

"What on earth are you doing?" Luana asked, perplexed.

Ash dove for cover.

Snorlax started to Sleep Talk.

Snorlax didn't know many moves, not being much of a battler. The main moves he knew were Body Slam, Headbutt, Mega Kick, Mega Punch... and Hyper Beam. All of them powerful moves.

As a consequence, his Sleep Talk was randomly selecting from a really rather short pool of options.

All of which added up to the result: a half-ton Pokemon bouncing around on an icy surface like a crazed hockey puck, periodically shooting intense Hyper Beams.

"What the-" Luana began, then winced as the random movement of the unorthodox combo brought them near enough to Marowak for Lapras to clip her with an Ice Beam.

She needed to come up with a new strategy for them.

Frowning, Luana noticed that the Lapras – while looking quite dizzy by now – was firing off Ice Beams at a rapid clip. It didn't seem to matter where they went, actually...

Aha!

"Alakazam, get that Lapras off the Snorlax! It's what's keeping the arena frozen! Marowak, ready a Bonemerang!"

The two gym Pokemon nodded in unison. Alakazam focused in a Psychic attack...

And got nothing.

It blinked.

Marowak gave her teammate a quizzical look. Alakazam shrugged a reply – he had no idea what was going on.

They had a moment of wordless discussion, then started a new plan.

Alakazam erected Reflect walls across the stadium, making sure to double-strengthen them so that the Snorlax-puck bounced off rather than smashing through them. Once the stadium was divided into a half, he went on to do a second line through that half, constricting the area they could bounce around in more and more.

Marowak smashed her club into the ice again and again, gradually shattering it into smaller, spider-webbed pieces which provided less uncertain footing. She waited for the Reflect walls to confine Ash's two Pokemon into a very small area, then walked over with her club raised.

A smashing blow to the ice, and their icy spin was interrupted. Lapras went flying into the air, landed hard, and cried out in pain, while Snorlax bounced off the wall of the gym and landed back on the ice with a mutter and a snore.

"Lapras!" Ash called. "You okay?"

"_I think so,"_ Lapras said bravely. _"I can do this."_

He raised his head, mouth glowing with an Ice Beam. If he could just get that Marowak before she got him...

Alakazam frowned, erecting a light screen between the two to block the attack.

A growl came from next to him, and he turned.

Snorlax woke up.

It attacked in a grumpy rage.

* * *

><p>"I... have to say," Luana said, blinking. "That's an interesting interpretation of Crunch."<p>

Snorlax finished picking its teeth with the second of Alakazam's mangled spoons, then cuffed the staggering Pokemon hard enough to knock it to the floor unconscious.

"Well, that was... unexpected," the Gym Leader summarized. "Not an aspect of double battling we normally see, not even from our northern neighbours in Hoenn. Congratulations, though, you've certainly earned my Jade Star Badge."

She paused. "Why, though?"

"My normal style is with agile, hard-hitting Pokemon," Ash replied. "Maybe it was silly of me, but I decided to turn Lapras and Snorlax _into_ agile, hard-hitting Pokemon."

"...I see," Luana said, after considering that. "Well, a battle is a battle, and a badge is a badge. Well done, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. How many of the Orange Crew have you fought now?"

"You were number four." Ash showed the badges on his jacket, then ran over to Lapras. "You okay?"

Lapras nodded. _"A little bruised, but nothing a good Rest won't cure."_

"Snorlax?"

Only snores answered him.

"Okay, then," Ash said, shrugging. "Tell you what, Lapras, we'll take a boat again. Unless..."

He thought about it for a bit. "When's the next Orange league meet?"

"No such thing," Luana reminded him. "Drake's always open for challengers."

"Right. We can probably skip Rind Island, so... yeah, it's your choice," Ash told Lapras. "We can afford to stay here another day or so, so if you don't mind carrying us to..."

He pulled the map out of his pouch. "Excuse me – what's this island called?"

"West of Rind Island?" Luana frowned. "I can't remember, sorry."

"Oh well. Anyway, if you don't mind carrying us here, then we can wait until you're ready to go."

"_I'll be fine," _Lapras told him. _"I want to spend as much time as I can with you, before we find my pod."_

Ash knelt down and embraced him, touched. "Thanks, Lapras."

"_Only – please don't make this a normal strategy? The room only just stopped spinning."_

* * *

><p>"Excellent work," Giovanni said softly, as the tape came to an end. "Yes, superb."<p>

Jessie, James and Meowth exchanged looks.

"Um... you sure, boss?" Jessie asked, nervously. "Because it feels like we made mistakes..."

"Of course you did," Giovanni waved it off. "You didn't kill her, for one, so if J ever does escape that prison she's in she'll probably try to kill you. But that's not the point," he went on, ignoring the frightened looks the agents exchanged. "The point is that this greatly increases the power of Team Rocket."

Meowth raised a hand-paw. "How? Uh, boss?"

"Yeah," James agreed. "We're down one fighter jet and up nothing."

"War machines are there to be used," Giovanni shrugged. "How many kinds of power are there?"

The question threw his subordinates.

"Um... dunno?" Meowth offered, after a minute.

Giovanni smiled – like a Sharpedo. "You are probably thinking mainly of Super-power, the ability to compel using force, or possibly Earth Power, the ability to make things be done because you own the places they are done."

He steepled his fingers, and whistled something. The sleek Persian who sat on a sofa left off his glare at Meowth and touched a control.

The screen behind him lit up.

"There are eight kinds of power that I consider important," Giovanni explained. "Superpower, Secret Power, Nature Power, Cosmic Power, Earth Power, Stored Power, Hidden Power and Ancient Power."

"Ain't dey all Pokemon moves?" Meowth asked.

"Well spotted," Giovanni said, with precise sarcasm. "Superpower, as I've said, is the ability to compel with force. That is what we aimed to gain a monopoly on with Mewtwo, though that failed."

He said it without remorse – stating a fact.

"Secret power?" he said, inflecting it like a question.

James raised a hand. "Is that when Team Rocket owns part of a company?"

"Close. That is Hidden Power. Secret Power is favours owed, and good feelings – when people owe us, or feel we're doing a good job."

Another small smile. "Your speciality, believe it or not. Film proof that Rocket members helped save the world is important to that.""

They blinked.

While the trio digested that, Giovanni moved on to the next slide. "Nature Power. Important because, well, we want to live in a world where people don't _have_ to worry about this one. People who are struggling to feed themselves or stay alive don't have time to gamble and drink, or to buy things, or to have fun."

Another click.

"And there's cosmic power." Giovanni sighed. "There are some morons out there who actually try to get this one. Don't."

"What is it?" James asked, after a pause to make sure the boss had finished speaking.

"The ability to remake reality." The shadowy head of Team Rocket smiled slightly. "Useful, I'll admit, but far too flashy – and dangerous to acquire."

He looked each of them in the eye. "And Team Rocket does not like risk. Agents risk, the Team endures."

"And da other two?" Meowth asked.

"Finally, there's Stored Power and Ancient Power. Stored Power is, put simply, money. Lucre. The ability to bribe people with untraceable cash – and we have a _lot_ of that. Ancient Power is..." Giovanni permitted himself a small smile. "What I aim for, in a way. It is the power you have, when the very idea that you _have_ power is ingrained in society. People simply agree that you should be important... and so you are."

Silence stretched.

"Shouldn't you be back at your duties?" Giovanni asked.

The Rockets were only too glad to leave the meeting room.

Once they were gone, Giovanni tapped his fingers on the armrest for a moment.

"A worthwhile investment, on the whole," he said to his Classy Cat. "They're a little unsophisticated, perhaps, but... yes, entirely worthwhile."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Moving swiftly along...

That was actually my _first_ idea for how to have Lapras and Snorlax work together. I am a bit odd.


	44. Orange Islands chapter 4

(Sorry about Dexter's speech in the first version of this chapter, fanfiction dot net keeps eating the underlining when I upload.)

* * *

><p>The moment Lapras hit the beach on the island (one they still didn't know the name of), Misty was off.<p>

"Come on, Ash!" she called. "I want to meet Politoed again!"

"Yeah. I know." Ash jumped down after her, scratched Lapras, and set off after her at a jog.

"Well..." Tracey began, then sighed. "Clearly you don't need me."

He sat down, and took out a sketchbook.

"Mind swimming back and forth just offshore?" he asked. "The light's good."

"_My pleasure,"_ Lapras replied.

* * *

><p>"Back already?" Tracey asked, flipping the third finished picture over to the back of the sketchbook.<p>

"Yeah, the lake wasn't far from shore," Ash explained. "And we found Poliwag easily enough."

Behind them, Misty was conversing happily with her bouncy Water type, who seemed to be taking the whole 'able to understand Pokemon' thing entirely in stride.

"Pummelo island, next!" Ash announced. "Do we have time to get there today?"

Tracey looked up at the setting sun. "Maybe not."

"Right. Time to plan, then." Ash sat down next to his friend. "Dexter?" he asked, tossing the projector into the air.

Set up. Dexter's body formed out of hardened vectors. Drake is a powerful opponent.

Images were formed on the sand.

Last time, he used six Pokemon in succession – and it was a tough match. Especially this Dragonite and this Ditto.

Images sharpened, showing Drake's team, and highlighting those two Pokemon.

"A Ditto, huh?" Ash frowned. "Those can be tough."

So is the Dragonite. I'm not sure if you remember-

"_I do," _Pikachu said with a grimace. _"Isn't he the one I had to climb onto his head to take out?"_

Correct.

"So, who am I going to use..." Ash mused. "Pikachu and Charizard, and Lucario. They're my heaviest hitters. Squirtle for sure." He thought about it. "Dexter? You as well."

Very well.

"And... hm, bit of a choice there. If Pidgeot was available I'd use her, but she might still be working on Aeroblast. So it's Lapras, Ivysaur, or Snorlax, unless I want to pull someone back from training or from Oak's lab." Ash frowned for several seconds. "Don't know yet."

He lay back on the grass. "The two big ones are Ditto and Dragonite... so, that means we need to work out a way for someone to defeat themselves, and we need a way to defeat that Dragon-type. Who knows Ice moves..."

"_Hey, I don't, and I beat him last time,"_ Pikachu said, hurt.

"I know you did, but if I remember correctly it took half my team to get him down to the point you could do that. Ice attacks work best, then Dragon ones."

One by one, Ash released his Pokemon. "Okay, guys, each of you needs to work out a way to defeat your doppelgänger, and preferably something that would work on a Dragonite as well."

"_Don't you trust us to beat up one dragon?"_ Charizard asked.

"Not when he took out you, Squirtle, Tauros and Team Rocket in quick succession, no." Ash shrugged. "Sorry."

"_I'm hurt. Really I am."_ Charizard grinned. _"Okay, okay. Dragon Tail, Dragon Breath... what more should I have?"_

"Is Dragon Pulse an option?" Ash asked.

Charizard began to answer, then stopped, interested. _"I don't know it, but nothing should stop me from learning it. How do you do it?"_

"_If you can show me how to generate dragon-typed energy, we can probably work it out between us,"_ Lucario suggested.

"Don't forget the strategy to battle yourself," Ash reminded them. "Right. Pikachu, you handled him last time, but we can't rely on that... perhaps you should practice with Dexter."

I feel I would be better served with an Ice type move in my repertoire.

"Okay, sure. Lapras, do you mind?"

"_Not at all."_

Ash frowned. "So, perhaps Pikachu should work with Ivysaur instead..."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Pummelo Stadium!" Drake said, sweeping his hand around the audience. "Today, we're very honoured to have with us someone who's volunteered to referee this battle – the Gym Leader, Norman, here on holiday!"<p>

Ash blinked. That hadn't happened last time.

"It's his last day on holiday, so he's kindly agreed to referee so that his family can see an awesome battle!" Drake went on, nodding to the Normal type Gym Leader.

Ash was too busy scanning the crowd to pay attention, one eye closed.

_Aha!_

Two people stood out. One very familiar girl just a year or so too young for her official Pokemon journey, and a shorter boy who was much less like the Max he knew.

Ash decided he'd have to try to speak to them after the match.

"Thank you," Norman said, pulling Ash's focus back to the battlefield. "Now, this match is to be a Full Battle – both participants may use six Pokemon. Furthermore, they may use two at a time. The field starts as a Rock field, but will change each time someone loses three Pokemon."

Ash blinked – _that_ was slightly unexpected.

He pointed, throwing one Pokeball, as the match began. "Pikachu, Squirtle!"

Drake replied with two of his own. "Ditto, Onix! Get them!"

Pikachu bounded onto the battlefield, balancing on a rock. _"Oh. A Ditto. I think we know where this is going."_

He jumped forwards, cheeks sparking. A Thunderbolt speared out towards the blob of protoplasm, who dodged it handily. _"Squirtle, you handle the Onix!"_

"_That's just what I wanted to hear!"_ Squirtle adjusted his glasses and grinned. _"Okay, you big old rock snake! Dig that Ground type out of your ears, and listen up!"_

"_I hear through vibrations in the ground,"_ Onix informed him.

"_Oh. Well... good for you,"_ Squirtle said with a frown. He then blinked and got back on-rhythm. _"Now you're listening, pay attention! I'm the badass, Squirtle, head of the Squirtle Squad!"_

"_I know. I've seen you on TV,"_ the Onix stated. It lifted its tail.

"_Shut up, you're messing with my lines."_ Squirtle pointed an arm. _"Right! My water shimmers with the reflected promise of a thousand years! That's how waves work, never dying away and always carrying the echoes of what happened before! Eat Surf, cannon-_

"_Squirtle!"_ Pikachu called. _"Look out!"_

"_What?"_ Squirtle asked, really cross now. _"This is my third time-"_

He yelped, jumping away as a Thunderbolt nearly hit him.

"_So,_" he said, landing next to Pikachu. _"I take it you didn't manage to get him before he Transformed?"_

"_That's it exactly, yes,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"Look out, this means he has all my moves."_

"All_ of them?"_

Pikachu pointed.

The transformed Ditto had a shimmering ring of electricity forming around him. As they watched, a second began to form.

"_Oh... great,"_ Squirtle said, then shook his head. _"It doesn't matter! Even the greatest opposition will fall to us!"_

Pikachu grabbed Squirtle by the shell and jumped into the air, just ahead of a powerful Magnitude from the Onix.

* * *

><p>"I've never seen that move Ditto's doing before, kid," Drake said, frowning. "What is it?"<p>

"Yeah, about that," Ash replied. "Pikachu and I sort of... invented it."

He could swear there was a gasp from the direction of Norman's family in the stands at that.

Ash cupped his hands around his mouth. "Pikachu! Squirtle! Get the Onix!"

* * *

><p>"<em>If you say so,"<em> Pikachu shot back. _"Okay, Squirtle, you heard him."_

Rather than replying, Squirtle started to use Water Gun, producing a pool of water to use for further attacks.

Drake's Onix promptly vanished underground with Dig.

"_Okay, Squirtle..."_ Pikachu said as he eyed his doppelgänger, cheeks sparking. _"Now!"_

Squirtle left off from his preparation and tackled Pikachu.

The enormously potent Volt Crash attack lanced across the stadium, blowing a hole in one of the rock spires and stabbing towards Ash's two small Pokemon.

The blaze of power struck Squirtle, flowed across him without touching to Pikachu, and dissipated.

"_I am so thankful for Lightningrod right now,_" Squirtle admitted. _"Thanks, bro!"_

Pikachu decided to take that in the spirit it was intended.

Then he looked over at the pool of water. _"Why is the ground shaking?"_

Onix emerged from the ground in a powerful Dig attack, knocking the duo flying. Ditto took the opportunity to launch a Shock Wave at Squirtle, shocking him.

"_Right!"_ Squirtle announced, and plucked off his glasses. _"That is it!"_

He threw them, and they flashed into two sets of glasses, each ten times the size. To the bafflement of most of the spectators, these giant sunglasses pinned Onix to the floor.

Aura-saturated water formed around Squirtle. _"I don't have time for a long speech! That's the worst thing you've done today, because it means that I can't tell you why I'm fighting!"_

"_Get on with it!"_ Pikachu shouted, from where he was trying to keep Ditto distracted by liberal use of Iron Tail.

"_Alright, alright! Horn drill break!"_

The super-compressed bolt of water cloaked Squirtle, and then propelled him straight down. It ran a path all along Onix' back, showering him with water, and then drilled straight into the ground in a geyser of muddy water.

* * *

><p>Ash nodded in relief as the Onix was recalled, unconscious, and looked through his Pokeballs.<p>

Squirtle was probably tired after that, though still out. He couldn't send out either Charizard or Lapras yet, because he needed to save them for Dragonite.

The question was – what was Drake going to send out next?

Ash was soon answered, as an Electabuzz burst onto the field.

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh, come on!"<em> Squirtle shouted. _"_Two_ Electric types?"_

"_What's the problem?"_ Pikachu asked, taking a stance next to him. _"Feeling a bit down?"_

"_Never!"_ Squirtle replied, eyes flashing. _"I'm Squirtle, of the Squirtle squad! We never give up on anything!"_

He pointed directly at the Electabuzz, who was trading electricity with Ditto to charge them both up. _"Alright, you big yellow tough guy! I don't care about my type disadvantage! I'm going to give you the shock of your life! With my friend by my side, we're unstoppable!"_

Pikachu tapped him on the shoulder.

"_What?"_ Squirtle asked.

"_You realize that I can't always absorb some attacks, right? Like Discharge?"_

"_...well, now I do."_ Squirtle slumped slightly, then rallied. _"Okay, they're not attacking yet... think I can get in an Ice Beam?"_

Pikachu shrugged. _"Be my guest. I'll keep the Ditto off you."_ With that, he leapt forwards, palms glowing blue.

Squirtle watched for a moment as Pikachu arrived and started trading Force Palms with his copy, then sighed. He turned to give the Electabuzz a look.

"_If I was at full strength, I would have beaten you already by now."_

"_I am sure,"_ the Electabuzz replied, then launched a Thunderbolt forwards.

Squirtle jumped over it, blasting downwards with a brief Hydro Pump that split into two beams to avoid the thunderbolt, and headed straight for Electabuzz.

"_Eat this! A move I learned through friendly rivalry, and from the greatest of toil! Rime!"_

Electabuzz frowned at the incoming stream of water. _"That's stupid."_ He raised an arm, sparkling with electricity-

Contact.

The water froze instantly, creating a splash-shaped cocoon of ice around Electabuzz and trapping him inside.

Squirtle didn't have it all his own way, however, getting a lot of reverse blast from the Thunderpunch conducted back up his stream of water.

He shouted in pain from the electricity, landed badly, and bounced twice before coming to a stop.

"_You okay?"_ Pikachu asked, hammering his double away with a Quick Attack and hurrying back over.

"_Did someone get the number of the Mugann who ran me over?"_ Squirtle asked, staggering upright. _"Don't worry, I'm-"_

The ice exploded.

"_Huh,"_ Pikachu said, distantly. _"He knows Fire Punch. Who knew?"_

Tail glowing, Pikachu jumped in front of Squirtle. _"Good luck getting me out of the way, though, Electabuzz."_

Electabuzz shrugged, ears crackling with voltage, and pushed out a Discharge.

Another Discharge flashed out from the Pika-clone, and Squirtle said something which was probably unprintable just before they both hit him.

* * *

><p>"Nice work, Squirtle," Ash whispered, then plucked the projector from his pocket and threw it. "Dexter, your turn!"<p>

Norman raised an eyebrow. "Ah, your Porygon."

"You know?" Ash asked, a little surprised.

"You were on TV," Norman replied. "A lot. My kids loved watching you and your rival."

"Oh. Cool."

* * *

><p>The digi-Pokemon materialized. <span>Stand by, ready. Set up. Pikachu, I -<span>

A lightning bolt nearly hit him. Hey! he buzzed, strafing sideways. That is rude and uncalled for.

"_Little help here?"_Pikachu asked, struggling in the meaty hands of the Electabuzz. _"My normal approach is useless here!"_

The Ditto wearing his form was sitting on the Electabuzz' wrist, slapping away with an Iron Tail. It was a bit humiliating.

Right. Dexter shimmered, opening out into a shape made of vector triangles. A diamond, which then split in the middle three-fold. His projector shimmered, and then flashed a brilliant white, with red, blue and yellow spots on the points of the shape. Tri attack.

The electrical component did nothing, except for making all three other battlers slightly healthier.

The fire and ice components hit Electabuzz' hands, stinging him into releasing the electric mouse, who fell to the floor and landed lightly.

"_Thanks!"_ Pikachu said, running in with Agility and landing a stunning Force Palm on the Electabuzz.

Who started to glow.

Don't mention it, Dexter told him, reforming into his base form and scanning the Electabuzz. Tracing... Motor Drive copied. Query: Motor Drive?

Dexter knew a lot about Pokemon, so his response to that unusual copy result was immediate. Pikachu? You might want to move away. Now.

Pikachu fell back, using Agility again to open the distance. He skidded to a halt next to Dexter. _"What is... oh, you have got to be kidding me."_

Electivire punched his fists together.

So, Dexter began. What do four Pokemon, all of them immune to electric attacks, do next?

"_I think we have to knock out that Electivire,_" Pikachu assessed. _"What do you have that will work?"_

Dexter's reply was to fold out again, this time into a five-sided flower shape. Locking on. Pikachu, please ensure that he doesn't hit me before I fire.

"_Do you have to announce plans like that?"_ Pikachu asked, as both enemy Pokemon charged forwards.

He was then too busy with Aura Spheres and Force Palms to continue the conversation.

* * *

><p>"Dexter, we <em>really<em> need to get you some tactical training..." Ash muttered to himself, sorting nervously through the remaining three Pokeballs.

His next choice, if he had to make it, was obvious – and would be unless Dragonite turned up.

But, at the same time, he kind of hoped that Drake didn't know _all_ his Pokemon and their tricks. Being famous seemed to have some drawbacks.

"Don't worry, guys," he added to the three Pokemon still ready to go. "Just do your best."

* * *

><p>"<em>How much longer is that going to take to charge?"<em> Pikachu asked, exasperated, as he hammered an Aura Sphere from Ditto into fragments and kicked Electivire in the ankle to stop him getting past.

Zero. Dexter's petals glowed, and red light stretched out to the small dot of his targeting point. Hyper beam.

The blast of orange-red energy erupted forth, smashing into Electivire and sending back-blast in all directions. Both Pikachu and his double were sent bouncing away by the blast.

Did that work? Dexter asked as he reformed, eyes flashing red as he sought to see through the smoke cloud. I cannot-

There was a sound like shattering glass as Electivire lunged through the smoke, punching through Dexter's physical form and grabbing the golden projector.

"_Dexter!"_ Pikachu called, as Electivire directed electricity into it repeatedly. Then jumped out of the way of an Iron Tail from Ditto, and went back to his snarling little fight with his copy.

* * *

><p>Electivire delivered about half a dozen powerful shocks, shaking the projector up and down as he did so and grinning in a slightly worrying way.<p>

Are you done? Dexter asked, once the process was over.

Electivire frowned.

Motor drive. Ability. This ability means that electric attacks do not deal damage; rather, they increase the speed of the target Pokemon. Dexter's projector burst into light again, and he formed out from the golden triangle of plastic and metal – forcing Electivire's hands open. Thank you.

The Porygon shot into the air, coming back to levitating again at the other end of the battlefield. He was ever-so-slightly blurred. Total speed increase: 300 percent over nominal. Excellent tactical prospects.

Electivire lumbered towards him, and Dexter zipped over to the other side of the battlefield again when the burly Electric-type got close. Signal beam.

A red beam of Bug-type energy stabbed out, stinging Electivire, and making him charge forwards again.

Dexter followed that up with a Tri Attack, checking Electivire's rush. As he did so, there was a loud _bang_ from the other side of the battlefield.

Pikachu bounced over, rolling a couple of times as he shed momentum. Recovering with a long skid, he took in his situation, jumped up, and delivered an Iron Tail to finally knock Electivire out.

Much obliged, Dexter informed him.

"_Yeah, you're welcome."_ Pikachu panted. _"Keeping this Ditto under control is harder than I expected. Can I get some help?"_

Drake sent out his fourth Pokemon.

...well, I am not going to be much good against _that_, Dexter observed. I do not know Foresight.

Gengar gave him a piercing stare, and spread his arms. Dark energy crackled around them.

"_Right!"_ Pikachu declared. _"Finally, something I can hit!"_

Electricity crackled around his cheeks, then cannoned forwards. The Gengar left off its attack, diving for the ground – though still getting shocked, as Pikachu's Shock Wave tracked his target quicker than the Ghost-type could move.

"_Damn it..."_ Pikachu spread his electrical senses, searching for any sign with both them and the rest of his abilities. _"Look out, Dexter, it's going to be trying to attack from below."_

A bolt of electricity splashed off Dexter's form from the Ditto, not boosting his speed further as it was already as high as it could go. He turned, targeting array flashing-

-and a ghostly arm reached _through_ his vectors, gripped his projector in a glove of Dark-type energy, and threw it (and him) off the arena entirely.

* * *

><p>"And Ash's Porygon has left the battle area," Norman announced. "That means that he has lost his second Pokemon."<p>

Dexter righted his tumble, and floated slowly back down. Sorry.

"No, that's fine," Ash replied, already about to throw the next Pokeball. "I keep forgetting to give you tactical training, you did fine."

Away the ball went, sailing towards the battlefield. "Nice work on the Electivire, by the way."

* * *

><p>Drake blinked. "Pardon? I didn't know you- oh, of course, the Riolu. Congratulations on evolving him, then, but I'm not sure why you sent out a Fighting type against a Ghost."<p>

Lucario completed his forward-roll landing, coming up with paws glowing with ready Aura, and lunged forwards.

"_Dark Pulse!"_

The metaphysical energy pulse connected solidly with Gengar, knocking him staggering backwards.

"_Pikachu!"_ Lucario added, skidding to a halt next to his friend. _"Are you alright?"_

"_Think so,"_ Pikachu replied, inspecting his latest collection of bumps and scrapes. _"I hate Hex."_

"_Sure?"_ Lucario's nearest paw to Gengar glowed with a warning pulse of dark energy, warding the Ghost-type off. _"You look peaky."_

"_...oh, that's annoying."_ Pikachu sighed, ears flipping up and down. _"I'm Cursed."_

"_You're right, that's bad news,"_ Lucario agreed readily. _"Care to join me in punching a ghost until it's had enough?"_

"_You know it."_ Pikachu jumped up onto Lucario's shoulder. _"Don't jostle me, though."_

"_Think you can keep up?"_ Lucario's wrist-spikes pulsed with purple-grey energy, extending a pair of Shadow Claws.

Then he launched himself at Gengar, eyes flashing red.

* * *

><p>"This is so cool..." Max said, watching the battle intently. "The best holiday we've ever had! I mean, that's Ash Ketchum there!"<p>

"I know!" May agreed, then winced as she saw a bolt of electricity snap across the battlefield and stagger Lucario, doing relatively little damage due to Pikachu's help but still sending him off-balance and allowing Gengar to escape. "I preferred the Riolu, though..."

Max gave her a look, then quickly turned back to the battle as Gengar dove underground and Pikachu started exchanging bolts with the Ditto – fencing with his lightning, to prevent any further shocks getting through. "May, Lucario is clearly much cooler."

"It's not about cooler, it's about cute."

Their mother chuckled good-naturedly at the conversation. "You two..."

* * *

><p>Lucario scanned the ground, trying to work out where Gengar was. <em>"I can't see well enough to hit him when he's underground."<em>

A speculative Dark Pulse glowed on his paw, then flashed off down into the ground. It seemed to be absorbed with no further travel, though Lucario knew that in reality it was going about ten feet deep before losing coherency.

"_Don't ask me,"_ Pikachu replied, sounding worse all the time. _"I really, really hate Curse."_

Lucario made a sympathetic noise. He turned on one heel, abruptly firing an Aura Sphere at the Ditto, then followed it in in a charging rush.

Startled, the Ditto jumped up onto one of the remaining rock spires and began sparking off electricity like a Pikachu – which was, of course, appropriate. It jumped over the Aura Sphere, detonating it with a small Sphere of its own, then lunged down with an Agility-enhanced Iron Tail.

Lucario's final footstep, however, rendered that redundant. He pushed off into the air with a great shove of Aura, going easily over the top of the wrong-footed Ditto, and twisted in the air.

Gengar emerged into the air, and took a Dark Pulse to the face.

"_Nice!"_ Pikachu complimented, adding to the attack by firing off a Thunder. The attack clearly took a lot out of him, and he slumped slightly – though it was worth it, as Gengar went back underground with a slight flicker that indicated he was himself close to fainting.

The Aura Pokemon landed much more lightly than he should have, given how much he weighed, making a three-point touchdown. He stayed poised like that for a moment, then backhanded Ditto with a Flash Cannon as it hopped over the top of the rock spire.

"_That's kind of..."_ Pikachu coughed. _"Kind of unsettling to watch..."_

Lucario glanced sideways at Pikachu. _"No, I'm not working off the occasional frustration, why do you ask?"_

"_...I didn't,"_ Pikachu pointed out, deadpan.

"_Oh, right."_ Lucario's lips quirked, then his eyes widened. _"I may have a plan."_

On lithe feet, he ran back into the centre of the arena. A quick leap, and he balanced on one paw atop a spire of rock.

"_It's three knock-outs on either side to replace the arena, right?"_

"_...yes. What are you planning?"_ Pikachu asked, concerned.

In reply, Lucario raised his paws and pressed them together. They glowed blue, then – as he slowly moved them apart – a silver-cored blue sphere began to form between them, and grow.

And keep growing.

Pikachu blinked. _"How big are you making that Aura Sphere?"_

"_Big enough."_

When the ball of glowing, focussed Aura was about three feet across, Lucario began to spin it – turning it into a formidable weapon, as the rotation of the Aura self-stabilized the sphere and gave it much more impact.

Then he moved his paws closer together, sliding them around the outside of the sphere so they were nearly touching one another, and aimed down.

"_Aura Sphere!"_

Down went the globe of blue energy.

Up came the bits of arena.

* * *

><p>AN: Part one of two. Drake's a tough opponent, with immunities and resistances scattered all over his team.<p>

Also, a Ditto copies moves and stats. Bad news for everyone, when it copies Pikachu!


	45. Orange Islands chapter 5

(Note: this is today's second chapter.)

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Max said, awed.<p>

The dust hid the events actually in the battle area itself, but there was a more immediate concern – shrapnel. Bits of arena floor going flying in all directions, including some towards the crowd.

Then they all stopped moving, held in mid-air by psychic energy.

Misty's Psyduck frowned, giving Norman a look. _You know, the Pokemon League had a Linespokemon who got paid for this service._

"Blame Ash Ketchum, he's the one who attracted such a big crowd," Norman said with a grin. "I'm just the referee, it's not my gym." His expression turned more serious. "Seriously, though, thank you."

_Pleasure._

With that, the bits of floor that used to be the arena went clattering to the floor, and the audience tried to see through the dust at the results of what had been going on within.

* * *

><p>"<em>There you are!"<em> Lucario called, kicking off from the spire and heading straight down at the abruptly _non-_hidden Gengar – who looked quite startled that his underground hiding place had just turned into a crater.

He tried to leave, flying off to the side of the crater to disappear back underground, but a pair of glowing shadow claws on each arm gave Lucario the relative solidity he needed to hold Gengar in place and stop him from escaping.

"_Dark Pulse!"_

The attack hit at point-blank range, and Gengar winced but kept struggling. A second attack, though, was finally too much and he went limp, then dissolved back into his Pokeball.

"That's three down," Norman announced. "We're going to change the field now – to a Water field."

Pipes began to fill the crater from below, and Lucario hopped up to the top level with one paw steadying his passenger. He stared the still-active Ditto down warily.

"Venusaur!" Drake called from overhead.

Lucario glanced across at Pikachu, who looked terrible. _"Okay, I think we both know what Ash has left."_

Pikachu nodded, wincing as the Curse drained the dregs of his energy and he fought to stay conscious.

"_We need that Ditto taken out,"_ Lucario continued as the Venusaur materialized at the edge of the new water pool. She immediately began gathering light for a Solarbeam attack, but Lucario ignored her for the moment. _"Having him around is too dangerous for the others. Pikachu... use Tackle."_

Pikachu raised his head. _"Wait, _what_? You're not going to-"_

Lucario used Fling.

* * *

><p>Drake gaped as a ballistic Electric Mouse hit his Ditto, sending him flying clear out of the arena – and, by the way he reverted to pink goo, knocking him out to boot.<p>

"I've got to admit, Ash," he said, nodding with respect. "You're a tough trainer, and your Pokemon know your stuff. This is the first time in ages someone's fought far enough to reach my Dragonite without my leading off with him. Dragonite, go!"

* * *

><p>As the DragonFlying type materialized, Pikachu pointed in the direction Ditto had gone. _"That's... what you get for... plagiarism."_

Then he fell over.

* * *

><p>"Do we have to change the arena again?" Ash asked, as Psyduck retrieved Pikachu from the field. "I mean, I know I just lost my third Pokemon, but we did only just change it to Water..."<p>

"I'm... not sure." Norman thought it over. "We can forgo it this time, I think."

"Great." Ash glanced between two Pokeballs, then came to a decision. "Charizard!"

* * *

><p>Charizard erupted from his Pokeball, and took in the situation at a glance.<p>

"_Right!"_ he said, giving Dragonite the eye. _"You're going down."_

Dragonite regarded him calmly, hovering in mid-air over the pool of water. His skin pulsed with a faint inner light, periodically strengthening.

Lucario stepped forwards onto the water, a slight blue glow to the feet the only outward sign of how he was staying up. _"Your aura is impressively strong."_

He frowned. _"And getting stronger...aha!"_

Lucario's paws swept forward, launching a Dragon Pulse.

"I should have known!" Drake complimented, as his Dragonite moved out of the way with impressive speed and continued his near-stationary Dragon Dance. "You clearly do your research, Ash Ketchum. You're ready for my dragon-type!"

Charizard's wings spread with a crackling of scales, and he jumped into the sky. Hammering at the air, he rose, dwindling to a speck in only a few seconds.

Dragonite left off his Dance, jumping after the orange dragon and speeding into the air himself.

"_It seems we have been left to our own devices," _Lucario said formally.

Venusaur grunted, and released the Solarbeam she'd been charging.

Lucario cancelled his water-walk, and dropped under the water as the blast of light came in. He sank like a stone to the bottom of the pool, and waited until the Solarbeam had vented itself on the upper waters.

The water temperature perceptibly increased.

When that was done, Lucario's paws churned the water and he swam back up. Emerging into the air in a shower of spray and landing on the water, he blocked – mostly – a quick Razor Leaf attack from his foe and fired off a Flash Cannon to keep her honest.

Venusaur shielded with her vines, and Lucario took the opportunity to look up at the overhead battle.

As he'd expected, gouts of flame and lightning pocked the heavens. Even as he watched, Charizard got in a hit with a Dragonbreath, and took a nasty Thunderbolt attack in return. Dragonite then followed that up with a Water Gun, which Charizard evaded by standing on one wing and turning almost back on himself.

Lucario returned his attention to the ground fight.

Venusaur shook her vines out again, and then launched a half-dozen Leech Seeds in a broad spread.

Lucario's first response was to go into a crouched, one-palm-down stance on the water's surface. He then forced Aura out his feet, and moved in towards his opponent in a great shower of spray – going under and thus evading the seeds.

Venusaur was unprepared for the sudden closing of the range, and hesitated. Lucario put that hesitation to good use, snagging one of her vines and using it as an anchor to pull himself further in.

When at close range, he delivered two quick Force Palms – which were mostly absorbed by the thick foliage, but still elicited a grunt of pain – and then a more general physical blow.

The Grass-type gave him a scowl, and her flower pulsed.

Lucario jumped, recognizing the attack, and only his leg was caught by the eruption of roots from a Frenzy Plant.

He glanced up as he struggled, then went back to what he was doing and punched the thick roots hard enough to crack them. Working with a focused speed, he broke the one keeping his leg trapped – though not before it made some nasty bruises – and dove from there back into the water.

Venusaur lumbered forwards, about to try a Mega Drain into the pool itself, but then noticed what was coming from overhead.

* * *

><p>Lucario held his breath as orange light covered the surface of the pool, licking across in sheets of flame. The water temperature went rapidly to an uncomfortably high level, and kept rising as whatever Fire-type attack was going on up there played across it.<p>

Eventually, it abated, and Lucario lunged for the air again.

Emerging from the steaming water (in a noticeably lower pool), he found himself in humid air amidst a cloud of thick steam, with the ground around noticeably calcined.

"_You don't go halfway, do you?"_ he asked Charizard, seeing his silhouette.

"_I stopped as soon as she fainted," _Charizard replied, sounding quite hurt. _"Then Dragonite hit me with an Aqua Tail."_

Lucario raised a paw, and fired a Dragon Pulse into the sky. _"Missed," _he reported. _"Detect, I think."_

* * *

><p>Dragonite circled for a few seconds more, waiting for the steam to clear.<p>

When it did, he ran through his options, and decided to capitalize on his Dragon Dances to remove one enemy as quickly as possible.

The choice of how was easy, and he turned over and dove with stunning speed.

* * *

><p>"<em>-whoa!"<em> Lucario said, as Dragonite blurred downwards.

His arms came up, and he launched off a Dragon Pulse. Charizard contributed with a Dragonbreath, but Dragonite flew straight through the Dragon Pulse – accepting the damage – and used Protect to get past the Dragonbreath before ramming into the stadium floor.

The ground heaved.

Lucario staggered as the Earthquake move hit him, forcing him to focus all his attention into staying on his feet, and the follow-up Focus Blast sent him sprawling.

Dragonite broke off for a moment to Thunder Charizard, which let Lucario get back to his feet, but a Fire Punch was the final straw – Lucario's attempt to Counter it instead of blocking failed, as the blow sent him sailing into the air and he landed unconscious on the floor.

* * *

><p>Ash had had more thinking time than his Pokemon, on account of not having a dragon to the face to deal with. He had both Pokeballs ready, using one to return Lucario as soon as he landed, and then took the final Pokeball for this match and threw it.<p>

* * *

><p>Lapras opened fire as soon as he materialized, the Ice Beam hitting Dragonite in the side and producing a patch of iced-up skin. Two more attacks hit, one on the wingtip and one on the tail, before Dragonite was able to regain height using his enhanced speed and get out of the way.<p>

He used a Hydro Pump to cool the still-warm ground, keeping an eye on Dragonite, and turned his attention to Charizard. _"You okay?"_

"_Mostly,"_ Charizard replied. _"A few electrical shocks, but I can still fight."_

"_Good."_ Lapras looked up, and fired a few more Ice Beams. They were close, but Dragonite managed to dodge them successfully. _"I can't hit him when he's this fast."_

"_I'll handle that."_ Charizard looked eager for it. _"Just be ready, and try to not hit me."_

With that, he lunged skywards.

* * *

><p>Charizard noticed, as he reached altitude, that Dragonite was looking better than he had been.<p>

Suspiciously well, in fact.

"_I really should learn that move,"_ he commented. _"I hate it when other Pokemon use Roost."_

Dragonite shrugged. _"It's legitimate."_ With that, he came forward in a slashing attack run.

Charizard inhaled, and released a roaring gout of Dragonbreath. Unlike previously, this one he just kept breathing and breathing and breathing, rolling his neck around and producing a sphere of fire as a Counter Shield.

Dragonite veered off, unwilling to enter the danger zone at speed, and elected to wait Charizard's lung capacity out – because, no matter how strong, Charizard couldn't simply keep going forever.

His judgement was correct – Charizard did have to drop the shield. But he did so on his own terms, stopping marginally before he had to and using the last gasp of breath to give Dragonite a nasty score when he resumed his attack.

Dragonite flew a little further off after that sting, and circled at a distance, using his superior speed to keep the range open and fire off stinging Thunder attacks – most of which Charizard avoided, but not all.

The only thing that really complicated Dragonite's situation was the occasional bolt of ice from Lapras, who was slowly but steadily improving his aim.

Then the ice beams stopped.

Dragonite looked down for a moment, curious, and saw Lapras was beating his flippers gently – in time – and seemed to be glowing.

An Aurora Beam speared skywards, past Dragonite at a fair distance, and hit a cloud overhead.

It began to hail.

Dragonite winced, the cold hailstones beating against his vulnerable body and face, and slowed so that they wouldn't hit his front too hard.

"_Aha!"_

Charizard came through the hail in a great blundering rush, a Flare Blitz engulfing him, and cancelled the fiery shield just before he collided with Dragonite. Dragon Claws let him latch on, and a point-blank Dragonbreath struck Dragonite in the small of the back before Drake's Pokemon retaliated with a Thunder Wave.

Wincing as the electricity crackled over his body, Charizard tightened his grip with all his strength, and fouled Dragonite's wings with his own.

Unaided, Dragonite's levitation alone was not enough to keep both of them in the air, and they began to plummet.

"_Seismic Toss,"_ Charizard managed to get out, tail lashing in the airstream. _"Lapras! Now!"_

Dragonite finally realized what was going on.

Charizard was using a heavy Iron Tail to manipulate their descent. Specifically, he was making them both plunge directly towards Lapras – offering Lapras a zero-deflection shot, one which was guaranteed to hit.

The Transport Pokemon took it with all four flippers, and fired a continuous Ice Beam attack.

It broke around both plunging dragons, injuring Charizard but burning through Dragonite's energy far more quickly, eroding his Dragon Dance's advantage and cloaking him in a thin film of ice.

Dragonite tried to knock Charizard out so he could break free, but the burly orange Fire-type clung grimly on as they dropped through the sky.

Lapras was still firing when about a third of a ton of Pokemon landed on him.

* * *

><p>Ash used his Aura vision to see through the cloud of spray and diamond-dust, trying to see how his Pokemon were.<p>

Lapras was out of it, that much was obvious – resilient he may have been, but that much dragon at that high a speed was too much for him, especially with Dragonite's Thunderpunches grounding into him.

Charizard, on the other hand, was still standing – though exhausted.

As was Dragonite, amazingly. As the cloud cleared, it was obvious that his wings were iced up beyond any chance of flight, and his whiskers were sheened with frost – but he was still standing.

* * *

><p>"<em>You just don't... give up, do you?"<em> Charizard asked, breathing heavily.

The plunge hadn't done him much good, either. There was a layer of ice on his own wings, though that was melting, and he had quite a headache from the impact of landing.

He tried to summon up the fire for one more Flamethrower, to decide the match – but none was forthcoming. His element was spent, largely by the ice if he was any judge.

Reaching deeper, however, something else responded.

"_...oh."_ Charizard blinked. _"So _that's_ how it works."_

He inhaled, and a ball of orange energy grew in his mouth. It was a small one, barely reaching six inches across by the time it stopped growing, and he released it with obvious effort.

Rather than going straight for Dragonite, however, it went _up_.

* * *

><p>"Wait..." Ash said, looking closer. "That looks... familiar..."<p>

* * *

><p>The globe exploded, releasing dozens of smaller fragments which rained down trailing mystical orange fire.<p>

Completely taken by surprise by the unexpected nature of the attack, Dragonite was unable to put up his Protect in time, and the anaemic Draco Meteor was sufficient to finally knock him unconscious.

* * *

><p>"Huh," Ash said, that being about the only response he could come up with to express how he felt about that.<p>

Then he blinked, counting under his breath.

Reaching a conclusion, he punched the air. "Yes! I won! Nice work, Charizard!"

Charizard glanced back at him, and roared in triumph.

Everyone else was just too busy staring at the ravaged battlefield.

Norman shook his head, and coughed. "Ahem. Ash Ketchum is the winner!"

Scattered applause grew, until it became a thunderous crescendo.

* * *

><p>"Nice work, Ash," Drake said, coming up to shake his hand. "No-one else has got through my whole team to even <em>face<em> my Dragonite, let alone beaten him, in years!"

Ash chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Heh... yeah, sorry about the arena, by the way. I do that a lot."

"I've heard." Drake grinned, tapping the Pokeball resting around his neck. "Dragonite and I don't mind, a good fight is a lot of fun, and – well, like I say, you've got a reputation."

Ash shrugged. "It's the Pokemon, not me. They do the work."

"But you train them," Drake countered. "Dragonite and I have had this argument before."

He waved his hand. "Anyway. Ash Ketchum, as winner of this match you've earned the right to the Winner's Trophy, and to be honoured in the Palace of Victory. We'll sort it out in an hour or so."

The Head Leader winked. "You don't get my job, though."

"That's okay," Ash replied, then thought about what it would mean if he _had_. "I think I'd rather not have your job even if I had the choice, though – travelling is too much fun."

Drake cricked his neck, and turned. "One hour!" he reminded Ash, as he walked off. "Get your Pokemon healed up, there'll be photos taken."

Ash was about to do so, but then remembered something.

"Dexter," he said, quietly.

Yes? The Pokedex beeped back.

"Can you ask the Professor to send over a Pokedex? Or two. Fully loaded up."

Sending.

* * *

><p>"Sir, can I have a moment?" Ash asked, catching up to Norman.<p>

The Normal-type trainer looked around, nodding – a bit puzzled. "Of course. Why, did you have a question?"

His two children both looked a little surprised to see Ash so close, which felt vaguely uncomfortable for Ash. "Well, kind of... first is something a little private."

Norman exchanged a look with his wife. After a moment of silent discussion, she took May and Max a bit further away down the road to the beach – sparking a protest from Max.

"What is it?" Norman repeated, more quietly.

"Okay... this is what you'd call a secret." Ash took a deep breath. "I've travelled in time."

To his credit, Norman didn't visibly react. It wasn't clear whether this was shock, or acceptance – it could have been either. "Go on," he said, voice betraying no emotion.

"I can prove it," Ash went on, rushing his words slightly. "Dexter?"

Dexter knew just what to do. His projector pulsed, and a holographic image appeared – of May, standing at Blaziken's side.

Norman's jaw dropped open at seeing a confident young teen so much like his daughter – but only a few years older. She even had the hat – one they'd got just this very holiday, and which had turned out to be slightly too big for her just yet. "That's... that _is_ May. It has to be. But..."

He took a deep breath. "Okay, I believe you. And – you must have known May in the future, then... but... why tell me?"

"I can... kind of, give people back memories of the future. If I knew them really well, I mean." Ash shrugged helplessly. "I wasn't expecting to meet her – or Max, I knew him too – for another year or so, when I went to Hoenn."

"I've been considering moving to Hoenn," Norman observed neutrally.

"But – well, I guess you must have been here when you weren't the first time, or something. So..."

He frowned, uncertainly. "So, since you're their dad, I thought you'd be the best one to ask about this. Should I do it for them now, or wait?"

Norman considered that, silently, for a good couple of minutes.

After a silence which made Ash shift from foot to foot, he spoke up again. "How did you meet May?"

"My Pikachu blew up her bike." Ash chuckled nervously. "That's how I meet everyone, it sometimes seems."

More silence.

"Alright," Norman said, eventually. "If May ended up that confident, it must have been good for her. Was she a good trainer?"

"She was a coordinator, actually," Ash corrected. "A good one, too."

"Right."

Dexter beeped. Pokedexes are on the way.

"What's that about?" the Gym Leader asked.

"The third option. Oak's Pokedexes are basically not far short of being Porygon. The third option is..." Ash gave a small shrug. "Load two up, one each for Max and May, with the future information, and... well, teach them."

"You've given this a lot of thought," Norman observed.

"I really haven't," Ash replied promptly. "This is really an unexpected opportunity."

"Ash!" Misty called, jogging up. "Your Pokemon are healed!"

Pikachu ran ahead, jumping onto his shoulder.

"Thanks, Misty," Ash replied, accepting the Pokeballs.

"And – Professor Oak sent these through," Misty added, handing over two red Pokedexes. "I don't know why – he said you asked for them?"

She looked over and slightly up, at Norman. "Why-?"

"What were May and Max to you?" Norman asked, interrupting her.

"My friends," Ash replied simply.

"Okay," Norman said. "Go ahead."

Misty looked from Ash to the Gym Leader. "Should I know what's going on here?"

Pikachu shrugged. _"I've got a good idea."_

* * *

><p>"It's great to meet you!" Max said enthusiastically, taking Ash's offered hand and shaking it. "I- huh?"<p>

He blinked. "What just-"

"I'll explain in a moment," Ash said. "I don't want to have to do it twice."

Taking one of the Pokedexes, he handed it to the young boy. The other, he held out to May.

Mystified, she took it.

Then there was a confusing rush of memories. "What just..."

She trailed off, trying to reconcile two sets of memories.

They were mostly fairly similar, including this holiday – the one which had decided her father and mother on moving further south, to Hoenn. But there were – differences.

Mostly involving Ash Ketchum.

Seeing him on television – seeing his Pokemon, small, inoffensive and cute, and unbelievably showy – that had made her attitude to Pokemon... change, slightly.

It had also proven to her that a young trainer could still make it big. She hadn't come to any conclusions, not at the time of this holiday, but... being a Trainer had become a little more than just an excuse to travel.

"Okay, Ash," she said, her stance unconsciously shifting slightly to how she'd grown accustomed to walking a few years later. "Why are we in the past? You didn't run into another Legendary, did you?"

Ash sat down. "This could take a while. Dexter?"

The Porygon obliged, forming visual aids.

"Basically, about the time of the last thing from the future you remember..."

* * *

><p>"...and that's about the size of it," Ash finished, about forty minutes later.<p>

He shrugged. "I kind of had to make a snap decision, so I asked your dad. He knows the time-travel thing, by the way."

"Well..." May thought about that. "So, we have to do the whole thing again?"

"I can do the same to your Pokemon, so you'll meet Blaziken again," Ash reassured her. "But... yeah, not much choice."

"It's going to be years until we get to go on our journeys!" Max burst out. "I've been waiting long enough!"

Not necessarily, Dexter put in. It is actually possible to get Pokemon before ten years of age.

"Interested now," May reported.

"Well, you've already got one each." Ash indicated the Pokedexes. "I'm sure they can help you – give them a few days, they'll be Porygon, and then you can work with them."

"Cool!" Max said, inspecting the red device. "They never did this last time!"

You can probably thank me for that, Dexter announced, smugly.

Ash glanced at his watch. "Uh oh – sorry, guys, got to rush. Hall of fame."

"Yeah, yeah," May said, rolling her eyes. "Go ahead, mister Pokemon league champion, sir."

When he had gone, Max and May exchanged glances.

"We seriously need to discuss this with Dad," Max said. "I want to be able to befriend all those Pokemon I met last time _properly._"

"No kidding," May agreed.

* * *

><p>The shutter clicked.<p>

"Yeah, that'll do," Drake judged. "We'll put the photos up when we can pick the best ones."

He clapped Ash on the shoulder, as his Pokemon moved back out of their pose. "It'll be good to have a new face in here..."

Lapras gave Charizard a look. _"Incidentally, did you _have_ to land on me?"_

"_Well, yeah,"_ Charizard replied. _"I mean, where else did you want me to land?"_

"_There was a whole arena!"_

"_Excuse me for giving you a zero-deflection shot even _you _couldn't miss."_

Pikachu and Lucario regarded their bickering with amusement.

"_It's a good thing we never get like that, isn't it?"_ Pikachu said.

"_Indeed. You've been most understanding of my tactical decision to throw you at Ditto."_

Pikachu blinked. _"Your what?"_

"_...forget I said anything,"_ Lucario advised.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

And that's the Orange League. Next up, a bit of tidying things up around the archipelago, and then it's heading to Kansai.


	46. Orange Islands conclusion

"Well, that's it for Pummello," Ash said, watching the island sink out of sight on the horizon.

He patted Lapras' shell. "Not long now."

"_I know,"_ Lapras said, with a melancholy air. _"If you really want, Ash, I'll stay."_

"No, it wouldn't be right. We've got those transceivers Butterfree and the others got, so I can call on you if I want you." Ash rubbed the cetacean's head, and he cooed in thanks.

Ash watched Misty swimming alongside, her various Water-types around her, and then a thought occurred to him.

"Actually, Lapras," he went on. "I think I had an idea..."

* * *

><p>Ash's idea took some arranging. In fact, it involved enough travel time that they were a little <em>behind<em> schedule by the time they made it to Tarroco, and missed running into Lapras' pod.

"Don't worry," Ash said. "We'll get you back to them."

"_I don't doubt it."_

* * *

><p>Captain Crook laughed cruelly. "Fire a broadside!"<p>

Pokeballs soared out of the guns, erupting into Tentacruel surrounding the pod of Lapras.

The pirate chuckled to himself. Always the way... pick an out of the way island without a nearby Gym, and you could rob them blind. And pick up the local wildlife into the bargain.

"Hey!"

Crook looked up, and clenched his fist as a Charizard came sweeping down to hover over the deck.

"Stop that!" the Charizard's trainer shouted down at him, and Charizard snarled agreement.

"Oh?" Crook gestured, and the guns elevated. "Or what?"

"Or I'll stop you!"

Looking closer, the pirate captain saw that the trainer was – a young boy.

Ridiculous.

"You and what Pokemon? All you've got is a Fire-type!"

Had Crook been more... well, more intelligent, he would have wondered just _how_ a young boy had gotten hold of a final-stage Fire type starter like a Charizard.

But he wasn't very smart, so he just focused on the fact that it _was_ a Charizard.

"Fire!"

The guns boomed, launching Pokeballs skywards. As they reached altitude, they opened, releasing more Tentacruel.

"Water-" Crook began to argue, then the ship underneath him rocked back and forth violently, throwing him to the floor.

While he was distracted, electricity speared out from the boy's shoulder and hit all the Tentacruel – then arced down and got the ones in the water as well.

Snarling, Crook clung to the rail and hauled himself to his feet. Something seemed off about the way the Charizard was hovering, but he ignored it. "Where did that Pikachu come from?"

"My backpack?" the boy replied, sounding puzzled. "Shouldn't you be asking why you're a hundred feet in the air?"

"...I'm what?"

"He's right, cap'n!" the first mate, Scuz, reported. He looked over the side. "And we're still gettin' higher!"

Crook stumbled to the side himself, and looked out.

And down.

His ship was a hundred and fifty feet in the air and rising every second, supported on a column of twisting, swirling water.

An unearthly song built until it resonated in his bones.

Then the water column flexed violently, sending the ship flying into the distance.

Crook and his crew clung on, scowling or screaming, as they shot through the air.

_Hello,_ a powerful mental voice said. _I am Psyduck, and I will be your airbag for today._

Moments before they hit the beach, the ship slowed abruptly, and crashed to the sand from a height of only a few feet. Of course, that was entirely enough to break the keel and stun the crew silly.

_The police have been alerted,_ Psyduck added, and waddled off to reunite with his trainer – who was standing on the wharf.

* * *

><p><em>And stay out,<em> Lugia said unnecessarily.

He turned to Ash. _That was actually quite fun._

"Thanks!" Ash replied, grinning. "How's Pidgeot doing?"

_She is a most dedicated Pokemon,_ Lugia informed him. _I was thinking of visiting my mate and our son at some date soon, and will be sure to take her._

"Sounds like she'll enjoy it," Ash agreed. "Oh – since we missed her at Shamouti, can you let her know to stop by Oak's ranch when she gets a chance? I might have something for her to do when she's got free time."

_I will indeed. See you later, Ash._

With that, Lugia dove back into the water with barely a ripple.

Charizard and Ash exchanged a look, and then the Fire-type slowly lowered himself until he was barely above the water.

Ash stepped off, wobbling a bit on the waves, and took out a Pokeball. "Well, Lapras, guess this is it."

He called the Transport Pokemon out.

"_It's goodbye, Ash, but not forever."_ Lapras bowed to him. _"I would be honoured to travel with you again."_

"Thanks." Ash hugged him. "Now, go meet your mother."

Lapras nodded, and swam off.

Faintly, Ash heard his voice. _"Hey, Mom! I learned how to use Rain Dance, and Hail, and Blizzard, and..."_

Pikachu hopped down onto Ash's shoulder. _"You okay?"_

"Yeah," Ash said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm just fine."

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Ash called, waving. "Brock!"<p>

"Hi, Ash," Brock replied, waving back and hoisting his bag further up his shoulder. "Long time no see!"

"A couple of months, maybe," Ash replied, coming to a halt in front of his older friend. "What are you doing here?"

Brock shrugged. "Well, this is where the ferry back to Pallet is."

"Yeah, but why now?" Ash pressed. "Did you sort everything out with Professor Ivy?"

"Yeah." Brock's expression turned a bit faraway. "Yeah, I did."

"Okay, _how?_"

Brock's hand strayed to his belt, and Ash caught sight of a crowbar hanging there.

"Last time, Professor Ivy was doing research on the reverse world – you know, where Giratina lives."

"I remember," Ash agreed. "I've been there."

"Right. Well, she set up a machine to go there, and there was this thing called a resonance cascade..." Brock shrugged. "This time I was ready for the giant horde of Unown, hit enough of them with a crowbar, and managed to sort everything out."

Ash blinked.

"_I'm sure there's a story there,"_ Pikachu said. _"One we're not hearing."_

"Well, yeah, I'm simplifying things a lot," Brock agreed. "For good reason."

Any further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Misty. "Hey, Brock!"

She grinned. "Did Ivy finally kick you out?"

"Nope," Brock replied. "I mentioned I'd be travelling with you two again. Got her number, though."

"_Sorry, can you repeat that?"_ Pikachu asked, blinking. _"I think I had something crazy in my ear. Brock actually got a girl to give him their phone number?"_

"Hey!" Brock said. "I'm not that bad..."

"You are," Misty replied. "Well, okay, not quite that bad, but close."

Brock sighed. "I guess I can't argue with that."

He perked up. "Still, Philena and her assistants said they'd be happy for me to visit again, and I think I will!"

"Are we _sure_ we ended up in the same timeline?" Misty asked.

"Hey!"

* * *

><p>"So, we need to get several hundred Electrode out of the city," Ash summarized.<p>

He looked between his friends. "Any ideas?"

"Yes," Brock replied, releasing Steelix. "Okay, Steelix, dig us a path to the other side of the island."

Steelix nodded, and began digging.

* * *

><p>"That was easy," Misty commented. "Why was this such a problem last time?"<p>

"Two reasons," Tracey answered. "First, we didn't have Brock's Steelix to do all the digging in one go. Second, the Rockets."

"Yeah, wonder where they are..." Ash said, watching the Electrode roll out of the tunnel in a steady stream. "I mean, they don't bother us much any more, but what do they do instead?"

* * *

><p>Jessie clicked the slide projector. "Now, this is a boy called Ash Ketchum."<p>

She turned towards the audience. "For at least two different reasons, you do _not_ want to fight him."

"Reason one," James said. "He will defeat you, probably without putting much effort in."

"An' reason two," Meowth went on, "he's usually savin' the world."

"What, really?" one of the grunts in the audience asked. "How can someone be _usually_ saving the world?"

"We can name at least three instances in the last year alone," Jessie sighed. "Along with saving every town in Kanto, some of them twice. It just happens around him. Accept it and move on."

"What makes you think he's strong?" Butch asked from the crowd. "Couldn't it just be that you're weak?"

Jessie smiled a thin smile, and clicked over to the next side.

It was the skeletonized remnants of Hunter J's battleship, draped over a hill outside Fuchsia. Greenery covered it, but the outline was still visible.

"He did this to Hunter J," she said simply. "The Hunter J who regularly faces down small armies and considers Legendaries an achievable challenge. Her second run in with him got her arrested."

"Also, we got like third place in the Indigo League," Meowth added. "So we ain't the weak ones here."

"Basically," James summarized. "If you run into him, call for backup – that's us."

Some of the grunts took notes.

* * *

><p>"<em>Eh, probably shop for weird robots or something,"<em> Pikachu opined. _"Now, do we get to head back to Pallet?"_

Ash peered down the tunnel. "Looks like that's it for Electrode, so-"

A Voltorb rolled up to him, examined him, and then rolled on.

All the trainers exhaled in relief.

"I was so sure that was about to explode..." Misty said. "Phew. Well, off to the ferry, I guess."

* * *

><p>"Well done, Ash!" Delia beamed. "We saw it on the TV – you won the Orange League as well!"<p>

Ash blushed. "Thanks, Mom. It was a good battle."

"It's a pity Gary isn't here. He's too busy off in Kalos." Delia looked off west for a moment, then grabbed her son's hand. "Come on, everyone's waiting! We're all _very_ impressed with you."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Ash, nice to see you!" Professor Oak said, embracing him. "Still in one piece, I see?"<p>

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "The Shamouti thing went better than last time, actually..."

"Yes, Damos and I saw. Well, come along... oh, May and Max got in touch."

"They did?" Ash smiled. "Good to know."

"Yes, they're a little disgruntled at how long it will be before they can be trainers, but..." Oak coughed. "At least they do have their Pokedexes to tide them over."

"Did you help set it up for Max?"

"Indeed I did!" Oak nodded. "Thank you for reminding me. Now, where did I put those papers..."

He picked up a sheaf off a nearby table. "Here. This will register you as a mentor for Max, so that he can accompany you on a Pokemon Journey before he turns ten."

Ash eyed the thick stack of paperwork. "I might want to fill that out later."

"Well, there's no rush..." Oak agreed, dubiously. "Maybe I'll keep those for you, then."

"Probably a good idea," Ash agreed. "Oh, any new ideas about the GS ball?"

"I was hoping you had some. None of your new Aura powers told you anything?"

"Nothing." Ash held it out. "It's got a constant level of Aura on it, but otherwise nothing more I can tell."

"Does the Aura have any recognizable properties?"

"I did check." Ash shrugged again. "Nothing I recognize, no. It's just untyped Aura."

"I see. That's a shame." Oak took the ball and examined it, then returned it to Ash. "Perhaps it's a mystery we're supposed to never find the answer to."

For the next few minutes, Ash had Oak check his most recent team changes over. Lucario was duly admired – the story of his evolution was a good one – and Snorlax was pronounced to be in rude health.

"In what?"

"Rude health," Oak repeated clearly.

Ash just looked blank.

"It means he's fine," Oak sighed. "Kids these days..."

"Is that everything?" Ash asked, once Snorlax was back in his Pokeball and the two could move around the room comfortably again."

"Pretty much, yes." Oak frowned. "Oh, can you send Tracey in? I want him to meet Damos – my two assistants need to get to know one another, after all."

I have already met him via the engram, Damos observed neutrally.

"Yes, but you could hardly talk _back_," Oak shrugged.

Agreed.

"I'm really not needed any more, am I?" Ash asked.

"Well, not _everything_ revolves around you," Oak replied with a chuckle.

"_Actually..."_ Pikachu hedged. _"It might. Quite a lot does."_

Oak sighed. "You certainly distort rhetorical language, that's for sure."

* * *

><p>"Do you <em>have<em> to leave so soon?" Delia asked, frowning. "You just got here!"

"Yeah, I know," Ash agreed, and winced. "But – Johto awaits."

He frowned. "And – I'm kind of nervous, too. I want to make sure we're roughly on time, because – while, so far, I've been able to meet and catch all the same Pokemon... I'm scared. Worried that, if I set off late, I'll never meet Totodile, or Noctowl, or... or any of the others."

Delia nodded. "I... well, I don't pretend to understand everything you've ended up caught up in, Ash, but you've done alright so far. I suppose I have to trust you – and your bodyguard there."

Lucario and Pikachu both nodded solemnly, then exchanged glances – wondering precisely which of them she had meant.

"Thanks," Ash said, relieved. He stepped forwards, and gave her a hug. "Sorry I'm leaving again so soon."

"That's okay," his mother replied. As they broke apart, she took a small box out of her apron pocket. "Oh – this is for you. For luck."

Ash opened the box, Pikachu peering in to see it.

It was a small pin, attached to an equally small piece of jewellery. The main head of the pin was a five-pointed white flower, with a faintly yellow core and stamen.

"I had it made by a shop that does trial gym badges. It's an orange blossom," she explained. "To go with your indigo one."

With care, Ash removed the pin from its box, and attached it to his jacket. It shone faintly as it caught the light, bright next to the deep purple of the other custom badge.

"Thanks," he said, voice catching slightly.

Delia caught it, but said nothing, choosing to smile. Her own eyes were a little damp, too.

After another quick hug, Ash set off with Pikachu on his shoulder. Lucario fell into step behind him, and Brock and Misty joined him at the gate.

Professor Oak joined his friend, Tracey in tow, and they watched until the three Trainers were out of sight.

"Here we go again," Oak said, with a melancholy air. "I never really thought about what it was like, being the one left behind – when I first set off, I mean."

Delia nodded. "I'm not sure if it's harder or easier, this time. I mean, I know now his Pokemon are very tough – but he's getting into scrapes I never dreamed of."

There was a loud _crash_ sound from the ranch.

Damos' projector beeped. It appears that Ash's Squirtle has broken something. Possibly the ground.

"Oh, why did he have to leave the _Squirtle..._"

* * *

><p>"This," Ash pronounced, "is stupid."<p>

He gestured around at the fog-bound forest. "We're lost. Again! How can we possibly be this lost?"

Lucario shrugged. _"I honestly don't know. Why are we _in_ a forest in the first place – isn't there a road?"_

"Well... yeah, there's a road," Ash agreed. "But we decided not to use it."

"The word 'shortcut' is a pernicious lie," Brock said sagely. "We really should remember that in future."

"It worked fine in the Orange Islands," Misty muttered. "Maybe that's because on the ocean you can just point and go."

"_You know,"_ Lucario added. _"Perhaps it would be easier to see where we were if you were getting an overhead view. Hint hint. Charizard."_

"...yeah, I should have thought of that before now," Ash admitted.

"_Feels like old times,"_ Pikachu said. _"Does Charizard know Defog?"_

"Don't think so..." Ash released his Flying-type. "You heard?"

"_I certainly did. Climb on!"_

* * *

><p>"Well?"<p>

"Yep!" Ash said. "We're just a few miles from New Bark Town. It's..."

His voice petered off.

"_Oh, come on,"_ Pikachu said. _"Did you forget to make a note?"_

Charizard pointed. _"That way. It's confusing, I know."_

"Yeah," Ash agreed, glad for the save. "Thanks."

The Fire-type shrugged. _"Don't mention it."_

"Great!" Misty said, trying to sound optimistic. "Here we go, then!"

* * *

><p>"Well... great." Brock looked at the lake. "Of course there's a lake in the way."<p>

"Huh?" Ash looked puzzled. "What's the problem?"

He stepped out onto the water. "Seriously, have you guys not been listening when I talk about how to do this?"

Brock shrugged. "I've been beating up Unown with a crowbar for the last two months."

"I usually swim," Misty added. "So, yeah, not really all that interested."

"Fine." Ash pulled the ball off his belt. "Sorry, Charizard, looks like you'll have to give these two a lift."

"_Uh... Ash..."_ Lucario pointed.

"Huh?" Ash turned, Pokeball still raised, and saw-

Suicune.

Calmly walking forward on the surface of the pristine lake, tiny ripples spreading out from every footfall.

"...huh, that's right," Ash said distantly. "We met you here last time."

"_I have been given to understand that, yes."_ The blue Pokemon advanced to within a foot or so of Ash, and then paced around him. Cool red eyes scrutinized him, blinking occasionally.

"_My lord Ho-Oh told me you would be here sometime soon. You have matured considerably since last time I saw you."_

"How long have you been watching me?" Ash asked, following the movements of the Legendary Pokemon.

"_Years. On occasion only, but since your young childhood. My brother Beasts and I criss-cross Honshu, seeing who has the potential to become such as you."_ After a moments' pause, the blue Pokemon nodded. _"Excellent."_

Suicune lifted its gaze to Ash's travelling companions. _"I see the Riolu who travelled with you has evolved."_

Lucario nodded. _"I have."_

"_A worthy companion, indeed."_ Then Suicune turned to Pikachu. _"You, too, I have heard of. Far stronger and nobler than your stature would suggest."_

Her gaze lingered for a moment on Misty, then Brock, and finally returned to Ash. _"Young hero... we have discussed this, Entei, Raikou, and I. Entei feels I am being sentimental, but that is brothers for you."_

Strangely, the Aurora Pokemon seemed a little uncertain. _"None of us will simply offer ourselves up to you without a fight – but if you can catch us, then caught we shall be."_

Before any of the friends could quite react to that, Suicune bowed. _"We will meet again."_

Then vanished in a blur of blue motion.

"_...did she just say what I think she said?"_ Pikachu asked.

"That I had permission to catch them?" Ash checked. "Because yeah." He blinked. "Wait. She?"

"_You can't tell?"_

"No, actually." Ash shook his head. "With a Pikachu it's easy, but a lot of Pokemon it's not obvious. And voices don't always help."

I can, Dexter supplied. Scanner.

"That's enough from you!"

By the way, have you ever heard of GPS?

Stunned silence. Then all five, Pokemon and human alike, facepalmed.

* * *

><p>AN: Welcome to Johto!<p> 


	47. Johto 1

"I challenge you!" a young girl said, jumping up onto a log and pointing a finger at Ash.

Ash looked up. "Oh, hi! Sure!"

He paused, as an idea came to him. "Tell you what."

Rummaging through his available Pokeballs, he released Charizard and Ivysaur. "Pick one of my Pokemon. I'll just use that one."

Casey scowled. "Don't patronize me!"

"What? No, I'm not!" Ash denied, holding up his hands. He _liked_ Casey. "It's just... okay, yeah, I kind of am."

"With good reason, though," Brock said.

While they'd been talking, Casey had blinked and looked closer. "Wait a sec... oh, great. You're Ash Ketchum."

She slumped. "Yeah, I've got no chance."

Lucario walked over, and placed a paw on her shoulder. _"If it helps,"_ he said, focusing a little aura to make sure she could understand him, _"that's how everyone starts out. You should have seen Ash when he first set off."_

"Hey!" Ash snapped. "I wasn't that bad... was I?"

Misty chuckled. "You set my bike on fire. Twice."

"_So, win or lose, take it as a lesson."_

"Thanks," Casey said. "Okay... can I pick any of them?"

"That's kind of the point," Ash agreed.

"Okay." She thought for a bit. "Charizard."

Everyone stared at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Seriously?" Ash checked. "Charizard fights _legendaries._"

"Yeah, yeah, hurry it up!"

Charizard lumbered forwards, as she sent out her Chikorita. _"I feel kind of bad about this."_

"_Hey!"_ Chikorita said. _"You may be a fully evolved Fire/Flying type who was in a winning League team, but that's no reason to act like you're definitely going to win this!"_

"_It really, _really_ is, though."_

"Vine whip!" Casey ordered.

Charizard let the vines hit him with a faint thwik noise, then theatrically fell over.

"Stop overacting!" Ash said.

"_Fine."_ Charizard raised his head, and launched a carefully limited Ember at Chikorita.

As Charizard was holding back considerably, it didn't actually knock her out – instead, it merely sent her flying, scorched, and she bounced to a stop next to Casey.

"Pidgey!" she said, undeterred.

"If you train that so it evolves, it becomes _really_ cool," Ash contributed.

"I know, I saw your Pidgeot on TV," Casey agreed, as Pidgey flew in circles chirping and Charizard ignored him. "How come you don't have her here?"

"She's training in the Orange Islands."

"Huh. Cool." Casey pointed. "Sand-attack!"

Charizard flung up an arm against the shower of dust and grit. _"Okay, annoyed now. Wing attack!"_

He stood, raised his wings, and clapped them together in front of his chest with a _slap_ sound.

Casey's Pidgey went tumbling backwards beak-over-tail, and she recalled him. "Okay, Ratatta! Go! Go Electabuzzes!"

"_Cute scarf,"_ Charizard said, blinking reddened eyes as he peered at the Ratatta.

"The team does terribly, though," Ash pointed out.

Casey glared Cuts at him.

"What?" Ash looked around for support. "I don't follow baseball, but even I know the Electabuzzes do really badly."

Ratatta snarled at him, then ran up to Charizard and tackled him.

As Ratatta weighed about the same as Charizard's left toes, this had very little effect.

"_Are we done yet?"_ Charizard asked, and fired another Ember.

It hit Ratatta dead on, resulting in a plume of smoke.

"_Piece of cake,"_ the Fire-type said. Then frowned. _"Eh?"_

A slightly tattered black-and-yellow scarf skidded to the floor, broken in half.

The smoke parted, revealing Ratatta. She was panting heavily, but gave Charizard a surprisingly vicious look.

Then she jumped forwards.

This time, when she made contact, it most certainly _did_ have an effect. Charizard went skidding backwards, crashed into several of the trees at the side of the road, and came to a halt with an incredulous expression on his face.

"_What the heck was _that?_"_

Shaking his head, he focused on the Ratatta as best he could with his impaired eyesight. _"Ember-"_

"Quick attack!" Casey said quickly.

The Normal-type Pokemon darted across the intervening space, clocking Charizard one on the snout just before his Ember fired.

He sneezed out a gout of flame and smoke, stumbled, and fell over backwards.

* * *

><p>"...what just..." Ash said, blinking. "Charizard? The heck?"<p>

Ratatta glowed, and evolved into Raticate. A second flare of light over by Casey indicated her Pidgey had just evolved as well.

"It's a move called Endeavor that's stronger the weaker the user is," Casey said. "I don't have very strong Pokemon, but they're fast, and my focus sash means Ratatta gets a chance to use it!"

Charizard sat up, rubbing his head. _"I feel very, very embarassed."_

Ash shook his head, and walked over to Casey. "That was really impressive," he told her, shaking her hand. "Good work. Hopefully Charizard won't underestimate any Ratatta any time soon."

"_No kidding,"_ Charizard muttered.

"That's fine!" Casey said, looking at her new Raticate and Pidgeotto. "Well, hope to see you again some time!"

"Me too."

"And now I get to tell everyone I beat a League Champion!" she added.

Lucario smiled. _"You walked into that one, Ash."_

* * *

><p>"Forest full of bugs," Misty said, wincing.<p>

"I thought you were okay with bugs now?" Ash asked. "'cause if not, we could do the whole thing again..."

"No, I'm fine." Misty shook her head. "Really... I'm not _afraid_ of bugs any more, I just don't usually _like_ them. Pinsir are kind of ew."

"Oh, fair enough." Ash nodded. "Well, I suppose we can be ready to handle Bug types. Everyone send out what they've got that's effective against them?"

Out came Charizard again. Misty contributed with her Kabuto, which sat on her head like an unusually rocky beret, and Brock released Geodude.

"No Ninetales?" Ash asked.

"No, she's busy." Brock shrugged. "She said she had an appointment, and – well, who am I to argue?"

* * *

><p>In the tall grass somewhere north of Fuchsia, paws beat a tattoo on hard ground.<p>

Hooves started, thundering away, and then there was a roar and a flash of fire.

Teeth flashed near Ninetales' throat, and she went limp. Then, as Growlie stepped off her, she rolled upright. _"Very nice. That makes it, what, five to two in my favour?"_

"_Five-_three_, I thought,"_ Growlie corrected.

"_That's right, yes. Forgot the one in the blind canyon."_

She padded over to him, and rubbed up against his flank. _"That's one thing I like about you, love. Never afraid to treat me as a Pokemon, not just a female."_

"_I've got no choice, you win more than half the time,"_ Growlie replied with a bass chuckle.

Ninetales flirted a tail. _"I try. I try. Now, what else did we have booked?_"

"_Well, James tells me that he managed to get us on the list for coralling a herd of Tauros. That should be fun."_ Growlie winked, and Ninetales smirked in appreciation – a good run and a good challenge, perfect to get the blood pounding.

"_Then there's a meal in the evening. Jessie suggested this lovely restaurant overlooking the harbour – sea food."_

The elegant fox licked her lips. _"I'm hungry already."_

Then she frowned. _"The table _is_ booked in our name, right?"_

"_Oh, I make the mistake once and you never let me forget it," _Growlie said, without any real sting to it. _"Yes, it is. One reason Jessie recommended the restaurant is that they have a Psychic-type on staff, they're used to translating for Pokemon."_

Ninetales nodded – attention to detail was important. _"And the other reason?"_

"_She says it's very romantic."_ Growlie blushed slightly. _"After that recommendation, how could I say no?"_

She nipped his ear affectionately. _"Makes perfect sense to me. Now, where are those Tauros?"_

"_That was them over there, the ones we startled."_ Growlie indicated them with a nod of his head.

"_Well, no time like the present,"_ she decided. _"Race you!"_

* * *

><p>"It's nice to see this place functioning normally," Ash said, looking around. "No random crazy sap-mining scheme or whatever they were doing."<p>

"Yeah, Team Rocket showing a bit of restraint is really smoothing our way," Brock agreed. "I can see one problem, though – how are we going to find the right Heracross?"

As he spoke, a couple of the Bug/Fighting Pokemon moved from one tree to another, generally moving away from the interlopers.

Ash replied by closing his eyes, feeling for a familiar aura.

After several seconds, he pointed. "I think he's over there."

"Right." Misty tapped her Kabuto. "Hear that? If any bugs are coming at us from other directions, feel free to defend us."

"Misty," Ash asked, puzzled. "You do know Kabuto is on your head, right?"

"...yes?" Misty replied. "He does weigh quite a lot, he's hard to miss."

"Well... if you don't like bugs..." Ash gestured. "How much more bug-like could you get?"

"Not a Bug type, actually a shellfish." Misty shrugged. "What's the problem?"

"...forget it."

A jet of water sent a Spinarak flying backwards.

"Well done!" Misty said, scratching the reanimated fossil's cephalon. "That's just right!"

It made a clicking noise, leaning into the scratch as much as it could given the fact it was covered in an exoskeleton.

* * *

><p>"Okay, that's the one." Ash pointed. "Ready for this?"<p>

"_This is very demeaning,"_ Ivysaur muttered. _"Okay, here we go."_

He stepped out of the bush, and cleared his throat. _"Oh, dear. I appear to be a Grass type. Which means that I have sap going to waste."_

Half a dozen Heracross began walking over at once.

"_Well, that part worked."_ Ivysaur began backing away nervously. _"Next part of the plan, please?"_

Pikachu bounced up from the bush. _"Thunder wave!"_

Electricity arced across the six Bug types.

"Great!" Ash announced, coming out of the same bush, and stepping over to one particular Heracross. "Okay... here goes."

He put out his palm, exhaled, and touched Heracross.

The Single Horn Pokemon twitched, then shook the paralysis off and stood. _"Ash! What happened?"_

He looked over at Ivysaur. _"And is he still tasty?"_

"_No nibbling the flower!"_ Ivysaur said, folding his leaves up around it. _"You have terrible self control!"_

Lucario picked up the other five Heracross, and carried them off back to their original tree. _"Better luck next time,"_ he informed them, then dropped a Lum berry into the mouth of one and giving it a small pile of other berries.

It looked at him, then the berries, shrugged, and started to unparalyze its friends.

"_I think I understand,"_ Ash's Heracross said. _"So... time travel..."_

He shook his head. _"Oh well. So long as it's with you, it doesn't matter. Let's go!"_

Ash grinned. "Glad to have you back. Just – don't pester Ivysaur, okay? There's other places to get sap."

"_But it's so tasty..."_

A Caterpie went pinging off a nearby tree as Kabuto fired another Water Gun. Misty praised him effusively.

"_He's new,"_ Heracross added, pointing.

"Misty picked him up in the Orange Islands," Ash said. "They were kind of everywhere at the time."

"_Interesting."_

"Oh – that reminds me." Ash rummaged around, and got out a red/white standard Pokeball and a Net Ball. "Any preference?"

"_I'll take the normal one."_

Ash held it out, and then sealed the deal.

Behind him, a large rock slammed into a tree, nearly knocking it over.

"Whoa!" Misty said. "Okay, was that Ancient Power? I like this trend."

* * *

><p>"What is it with building roads through deep forests?" Ash asked. "Well, you know... not roads so much as... paths..."<p>

"It wouldn't be so bad if there was a route cut through the forest, but there's not." Brock shook his head. "It's environmentally protected, after all. Oh well. Suppose we have to go through."

"There were ghosts here, right?" Ash sighed. "This is one of those times it'd be really nice to have Noctowl back, it's right up his street."

Lucario stepped forwards. _"I'm sure it is. But I can not only see ghosts, but punch them."_

"_Well aren't you the all-purpose Pokemon,"_ Pikachu said, shaking his head. _"Can you make toast?"_

Lucario's response was to charge up a fire punch, making his fist smoulder with heat.

"_Fair enough. I'll have two slices."_

* * *

><p>The travellers stepped out of the forest, into a clearing.<p>

"Finally!" Ash said. "Which way's Cherrygrove City?"

We're still in the forest, Dexter said promptly. This is another illusion.

Lucario's palm glowed, and a Dark Pulse shot out. The clearing shimmered and vanished, and a Gengar appeared rubbing its head.

"_Ruin our fun, why don't you..." _it muttered.

"You get enough fun already," Misty said. "This is a major route, for some unfathomable reason."

"_Agatha likes us,"_ the Gengar informed her. _"She made sure they didn't knock down the trees, and her sisters hire out Hoothoot for a nominal fee."_

It glared at them. _"But _someone_ didn't get a Hoothoot, so rather than having fun with illusions everyone's going all out to try and trick you."_

"That might not be the best plan," Brock said.

Dexter bleeped. Speaking of... Brock, you have an email with an attachment. Email reads: Sorry I stayed out so late, we were having too much fun.

The transmitter lit up, and then a Pokeball dropped out. The 'ball opened, releasing Ninetales.

"Do you even pay attention to curfews?" Brock asked. "What time do you call this?"

"_I said I was sorry,"_ Ninetales muttered, not looking very sorry. _"We lost track of time."_

"That was two days!"

"_There was a lot of time to lose track of."_ She picked up her Pokeball and tossed it up to him with a sure flick of her muzzle, then turned. _"Oh, is that a ghost?"_

"_You people are terrible at this,"_ Gengar muttered, and slunk off. _"You're supposed to be scared..."_

"Do you think that Gengar would feel better if we told him we'd met Giratina?" Ash asked.

"I haven't," Misty pointed out.

"Yeah, but still." Ash shrugged. "It might have helped."

* * *

><p>"<em>Dark pulse!"<em>

A Gastly bounced away, looking glum, and the latest illusion dissolved.

"Finally!" Ash said. "We're out!"

Lucario blew on his paws. _"About time, I was getting cramp."_

And there's Florando city, Dexter supplied. A small city on the way to Cherrygrove.

"What's this place's thing?" Misty asked.

There's a Pokemon Exhibition, which is what they call a contest around here.

Ninetales looked interested. _"Actually, that sounds like fun."_

She turned to Brock. _"Could Steelix and I do that thing we practiced?"_

"Assuming he's fine with it, sure," Brock agreed. "We should give you a brush first, though, so you look your best."

* * *

><p>"<em>I see the problem,"<em> Pikachu said, watching as one of the Bellossom flubbed her jump again and came down badly. _"You're just not pushing off from the groud hard enough, so you don't have the time to do the full flip. It's when you realize _that_ that you're having trouble."_

Bailey frowned. "What did he say?"

"That your Bellossom is having trouble jumping high enough," Ash summarized. "Pikachu does a lot of aerial combat, so he's got a bit of experience at this."

"He does seem skilled," Bailey agreed.

Left unsaid by both Pokemon and trainer was that it had actually been _Bailey_ herself who'd taught him some of his dodge technique building blocks.

Time travel could make your head hurt.

"Do they know Petal Dance?" Ash asked, an idea coming to him. "Perhaps they could use that as a finisher."

"That sounds like a good idea, thanks." Bailey looked at her Bellossom, and Bella nodded – she knew the move.

"Can you teach Belle, Bella?" Another nod. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>Brock cleared his throat, as the curtain rose. "Once, long ago, there was a village terrorized by an eight-headed Dragon, of a kind long since gone from Johto."<p>

Steelix rumbled out of the backstage, Double Teams beside him to give the illusion of multiple heads, and let loose a gout of dragonbreath.

"The village feared and loathed the dragon, but there was nothing they could do – none of their own Pokemon was powerful enough to fight it, and these were the days before the gyms. Until, one day, a travelling Ninetales came to the village."

Brock's Ninetales came on from the side of the stage, a cloak over her obscuring all but her muzzle and the tips of her supple tails.

"The villagers begged for her help," Brock went on. "She said – for she was skilled enough in the arts of the mind to make her speech understood – that she was but one Pokemon, and that she could not promise that she would succeed. But the plight of the villagers moved her, and so she agreed to help."

Ninetales paced around the stage, approaching Steelix.

"When she approached the terrible dragon, he laughed, seeing only a Pokemon in a cloak." Brock warmed to his story, and Steelix joined in with a booming laugh. "He asked of her – did she really think she could defeat him? He had terrorized them for a hundred years!"

That was Ninetales' cue. She stood tall, and fire washed over her – incinerating the cloak, and producing a puff of white smoke which obscured her for a moment. As it rose and faded, the audience saw her closely for the first time. A marvellously turned out, beautifully groomed example of her species.

"Ninetales threw off her cloak, and revealed her true nature. 'I have lived nine times that long,' she said, and sprang into battle."

Brock fell silent for a minute, as his Pokemon launched into a very realistic fight. Ninetales leapt about the stage, fire spilling from her nine elegant tails and crackling into fireworks-style bangs and bursts, and using the occasional illusion to mislead her opponent.

For his part, Steelix roared and snarled, pantomiming repeated close-but-not-quite attacks on Ninetales. One by one, his double-team illusions were hit and vanished, until there was just his real self left.

"Finally," Brock resumed, "the dragon had lost seven of its eight heads. Only one remained. But Ninetales was tired from her long fight, and the dragon saw a chance."

Ninetales panted, tails drooping and flanks heaving, putting on a very convincing impression of severe fatigue. Some of the spectators gasped.

"The dragon spoke up, voice silky and subtle. It told her that it would leave, and trouble the village no more. It spoke of her clear exhaustion, and how further combat would be to neither of their advantage. If it left now, as it intended, she would be a hero and the saviour of the village."

"Ninetales listened. And when the dragon was done, she said one thing only."

Brock let the silence linger for a few seconds.

"'Then I am saving another village.'"

As soon as Brock said that, Ninetales leapt at Steelix, and there was a dazzling Flash.

When it faded, both Pokemon lay on the stage, unmoving.

"The village found them, the next morning. They gave Ninetales a hero's burial, and remembered her as their patron and saviour."

* * *

><p>"I've never heard that one before," Misty said afterwards. "Did you come up with it?"<p>

"No, it's a story my father told me when I was young." Brock shrugged. "I don't know if he came up with it."

"_But it could have been made for us,"_ Ninetales said happily, looking at the ribbon tied around one of her tails. _"That was fun!"_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Bit of love for Ninetales in this chapter, and the return of Heracross. Also the use of the FEAR strategy.

Man, I've been pumping them out... don't expect that to last, the update rate will drop a bit.


	48. Johto 2

"We can probably save you a lot of time and effort, miss," Brock said, nodding respectfully. "Your little Snubbull is a bit overwhelmed by all the pampering."

Snubbull looked up at the trainers, and then nodded to her owner.

"Oh!" Madame Muchmoney blinked, and looked down at her Pokemon. "Really? I thought... but you've had everything you wanted, sweetums."

Snubbull shook her head, and started talking. _"I've not! You've given me everything you think I want, but most of it isn't what _I_ want, it's just what you guess I want – and you don't bother to see if I _actually_ like it!"_

She gestured wildly. _"I don't actually _like_ Winthrop much! I mean, he's alright to play with, I guess, but you've engaged me – and Pokemon don't normally even do weddings! I'd rather have rice balls than the kind of too-complicated food you give me! And I just want to play fetch, rather than have my nails painted and my teeth shined to a high gloss!"_

Snubbull finished, and stood there panting.

Everyone blinked.

"_Lot of rage bottled up in there..." _Pikachu said, slightly stunned, and Snubbull stuck her tongue out at him.

"Um... sorry, schnookums, but I didn't understand that," Madame Muchmoney said.

Misty hummed. "Summarized... she'd rather play and have simple food than be pampered and have gourmet food, and she'd rather you checked whether she liked something before doing it."

Snubbull nodded her grudging approval of the summary.

"Oh, my..." The rich woman's hand went to her mouth. "I had no idea!"

She knelt down, extending a hand to Snubbull. "I'm so sorry, dearest. Mummy does love you, though – and I'll try to make sure you get what you want."

Snubbull considered that. Then she looked up at the friends. _"Can you tell her that I'd like a doorflap? That would help a lot."_

Ash relayed the message, and added his opinion. "I think she mainly wants it so she's got the choice – what she really wants is the freedom to do what she wants sometimes. Perhaps you should organize a battle with that other Snubbull?"

Seeing how her Pokemon reacted to that prospect – with great interest – Madame Muchmoney avoided voicing her first reaction, and thought about it. "I see. Well... I'll put Jeeves on it."

Snubbull nodded, and walked over. She put her hand in Muchmoney's. _"If I go missing, you know why."_

Ash decided not to translate that.

* * *

><p>"Not far to go now," Ash commented.<p>

"Yeah, we're only a few days walk from Violet City," Brock agreed.

"No, something much more important." Ash smiled. "Pretty soon, we're going to see a little wild Chikorita..."

"_Who will then promptly turn into a Bayleef and attempt to flatten you,"_ Pikachu sniggered.

"_I may have not heard about this?"_ Lucario asked.

"_It is hilarious," _Pikachu assured him.

"Yeah, why _did_ she keep doing that..." Ash mused. "I'm sure we can ask her."

For reasons Ash was unable to fathom, Pikachu found this positively uproarious.

"Hey, look!" Brock interrupted, pointing. "A Stantler. It's a little fawn, I think."

Misty peered at the bushes. "I remember this. Wasn't it hurt?"

"Yeah, I think it is," Brock agreed. "We should try not to startle the little guy, though."

"Why?" Ash asked. "I can't quite-"

The fawn looked up suddenly, hearing the approaching humans. Its antlers glowed slightly, and a horde of stampeding adults appeared out of the trees.

Ash gaped. "Whoa! Run!"

"Not so fast," Brock said. "Stantler produce illusions if they feel threatened."

The herd ran towards them, hooves drumming on the ground and making it tremble slightly.

"I really hope you're right, Brock!" Ash said, closing his eyes as they approached. "Oh. Huh, yeah, you are."

The lead stag reached them – and phased right through.

"Couldn't see them with Aura Sight?" Brock asked.

"Couldn't see them with Aura Sight," Ash confirmed. "Now, how do we convince him that we're here to help?"

Misty hummed. "I think I've got an idea. First, we should give him some space..."

* * *

><p>Stantler peered out of the bushes, looking out for trouble. At least the humans had left, though they hadn't been scared off by his illusions – he didn't think so, anyway.<p>

But they _had_ left. Perhaps that meant they had been scared off?

With a faint rustle of leaves, he moved further back into the undergrowth and nibbled at some of the nearest twigs. They didn't taste great, but they helped him feel a bit less hungry.

He'd been feeling all kinds of aches since yesterday. The ache of loneliness, because he was lost and away from his herd. The ache of fear, without the protection of the adults. The ache in his leg, from an injury he'd gotten trying to climb a steep slope. And the ache of hunger, the one he could at least deal with.

"_Excuse me?"_

He looked up, startled, and saw a strange Pokemon gliding overhead, threading a path between the trees.

"_Hello, I'm Togekiss. Are you alright?"_

The Stantler shook his head. _"No – no, I'm not. I'm lost, and hurt, and... I'm afraid."_

Swallowing, he looked up at the Togekiss as she came down to land. _"I've never seen a Pokemon like you before."_

Togekiss smiled. _"That's a pity! Togekiss are nice. You can trust me about that, because I'm a Togekiss, and we're nice."_

"_That doesn't make sense,"_ Stantler said, frowning. _"If you were lying, then Togekiss wouldn't be nice."_

"_You're a clever one,"_ she told him with another smile. _"Oh, dear, that leg looks awful."_

At the mention of his leg, Stantler drew it up against his body, instinctively trying to protect it.

"_Don't worry, some of my friends can help with that. Would you be willing to let them?"_

"_Your friends?"_ Stantler asked, dubiously. _"Who are they?"_

"_They're the humans you saw earlier. They're nice, really – one of them knows Pokemon medicine, and he said he'd give you some food if you wanted it."_

Food. That sounded very tempting.

Like all Stantler, this one was quite wary and suspicious. But this white-and-coloured Pokemon seemed to radiate trustworthiness.

Anyone she liked couldn't be too bad, could they?

"_Alright,"_ he said, eventually. _"But – just him, okay? I don't want to be trapped."_

* * *

><p>"There we go," Brock said, voice calm and soothing.<p>

For once, he was using his small talent in Aura to help the Pokemon understand _him_ – such a young one wouldn't have had time to learn the language without the extra cues Aura granted. "That should have cleaned the wound – luckily, not much dirt got into it."

The fawn nodded, legs trembling just slightly. _"What now?"_

"Now I'm going to apply a potion. Sorry, this is going to sting a bit."

Stantler nodded again, face set in anticipation.

Brock adjusted the angle of the spray bottle slighly, then pressed the trigger. Stantler hissed with pain, and one leg involuntarily kicked a little, hitting Brock's knee.

"_Oh no!"_ the fawn said, gasping. _"Sorry, I-"_

"Don't worry," Brock assured him. "It's fine, it doesn't matter. You don't kick hard enough to make me stop."

The Big Horn Pokemon swallowed, and let Brock investigate his shin a little longer.

"That looks like it's healing nicely," Brock pronounced, and pressed a dressing on it before adding a bandage and winding it on. "That should hold until it's healed, as long as you don't try and scrape it off."

Stantler examined the white cloth, amazed. The pain was already fading, replaced by a deep, slow heat which felt... clean.

"Now, you've got a choice," Brock said. "You can choose any of these. Either I can give you your food now, and you can leave and we won't follow you. Or you can get your food and eat it here, and then leave. Or you can stay the night, get breakfast, and leave in the morning – or we'll help you back to your herd as much as we can. Ash – my friend – has a Pokemon who can fly, so he can help search."

The young Stantler absorbed that choice.

"_I... I guess I'm not sure. Can I give you an answer later?"_

"Of course," Brock replied. "The important bit is that we won't keep you if you want to leave. But I do have to call my friends over now, is that okay?"

Stantler nodded. _"I think so."_

"Thank you – and let me know if you're worried, so we can help with that." Brock stood, and waved. "Okay, guys, come on over!"

* * *

><p>Hesitantly, the fawn licked at the outer coating of a rice ball.<p>

"_It's nice, isn't it?"_ Togekiss asked.

"_Yeah, I guess it tastes nice..."_ Stantler agreed, and took a small bite.

His eyes widened. _"Yeah, this _is_ good!"_ The ball of seaweed-wrapped rice and bamboo vanished in the twinkling of an eye.

"_...well, someone's hungry!"_ Togekiss said. _"Do you want more?"_

"_Yes, please!"_ The Stantler blushed. _"Uh, that is, if you've got some to spare – I don't want to be too... too... well, impolite, I think."_

"_Don't worry."_ Togekiss passed him her dinner. _"I can get more, Brock's still cooking."_

Stantler looked up, chewing the second rice ball, and watched the interactions of the other Pokemon with the humans of this group.

"_What's that big orange Pokemon?"_ he asked, swallowing his mouthful. _"The one that – the big human... Brock?"_

Togekiss nodded.

"_The one he's cooking with."_

"_That's Ash's Charizard,"_ Togekiss supplied. _"He's very strong, and a little arrogant – but he's got a good heart."_

"A little hotter, please?" Brock asked, putting more oil in the frying pan, and Charizard hrumphed before making his tail flame heat up more.

Brock laughed. "You're going to be the one eating about a third of this, you could be a bit more enthusiastic!"

"_I'm not a cooker,"_ Charizard grumphed.

The Stantler surprised himself with a giggle.

"_And the big blue one – whoa!"_

The souce of Stantler's surprise was clearly evident, as Ash and Lucario bowed, took stances and started sparring.

Small pulses of Force Palm slapped out as they went back and forth, dodge-parry-block-riposte-high-low-body blow, and the occasional flash of green showed Protect shields snapping up on short notice.

"_They do this most nights,_" Togekiss informed him. _"The blue Pokemon is a Lucario. They're usually found in Sinnoh, which is a long way to the north. The human is Ash, his trainer – and, as you can see here, training partner."_

"_Wow. I didn't know that any humans knew Pokemon attacks."_ Stantler watched for a couple more minutes, as Ash and Lucario clashed repeatedly, before turning away with some effort to look over the remainder of the camp.

"_I know what a Heracross is, and what Pikachu are,"_ he said, after a moment. _"But what are they?"_

Togekiss followed his gaze.

"_The green one is Ivysaur, another of Ash's Pokemon. The brown one with all the legs is Kabuto – he doesn't talk much."_

Stantler nodded.

"_And the human there is my mother, Misty,"_ Togekiss finished.

At that, the fawn turned to look at her. _"Your what?"_

"_Oh!"_ Togekiss blushed slightly. _"She hatched my egg, and raised me. I think of her as my mother."_

That, too, Stantler took in – not without a slightly startled expression.

"_I think most of the others are off looking for good wood, so that we can set up a campfire for the night without relying on Charizard."_ Togekiss pointed. _"Look – there. There they are. That's Psyduck, and Politoed, and Ninetales."_

She shrugged, making Stantler look over at her again.

"_Going to a new region is always strange,"_ she said. _"We leave old friends behind, and we meet new ones – but we're travelling with our friends, too, and never truly leave anyone behind."_

Stantler returned to his food, looking thoughtful.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, footfalls made him look up.<p>

"_Hello,"_ Ninetales said, keeping her lips carefully over her teeth to avoid startling him. _"I understand you use illusions."_

"_Uh – yes, I do."_ Stantler nodded quickly. _"Why?"_

"_Well, Ninetales use illusions as well, sometimes."_ She smiled again. _"I was wondering if you could give me a few tips? I'm a bit rusty."_

Stantler blinked, then stood up – finding it easier already, the pain in his leg becoming a distant memory. _"Sure! Uh... what do you want help with?"_

"_I find it hard to do more than two or three images at once. How do you do that?"_

"_Well..."_ Stantler moved his antlers, making the air resonate in them. _"I guess I never thought about it very much. I just... picture the herd, all as one lot."_

"_Fascinating,"_ she said. _"Can you show me?"_

* * *

><p>Brock smiled, seeing Ninetales helping to keep the fawn's mind off his injury.<p>

It was nice of her to be so considerate.

* * *

><p>Charizard banked, roaring, and a flock of Pidgey scattered in all directions.<p>

He chuckled, a little lick of flame coming from his mouth, and rolled with wings folded in. Three entire revolutions, and then he brought them out again and went from precipitous dive to steep ascent in a few powerful wingbeats.

"All right, you've had your fun!" Ash called, laughing. "Now, take us up a bit!"

"_Spoilsport."_ Charizard rocked left and right a bit, chuckles reverberating in his powerful chest, and then rose further into the air.

From this high, Ash could see for miles. There, in the distance, was what had to be Violet City – their next gym destination.

It was a little _too_ high to see something as small as a Pokemon, though, unless it was something enormous.

Ash steadied himself, and held up the projector. "Dexter?"

Set up. Dexter materialized, and began pacing the dragon and his rider. This could take a few minutes.

"_That's fine,"_ Charizard replied. _"Ash – I was meaning to ask, and this is as close as we're going to get to being alone..."_

What am I, a tuning fork?

"_No, you're usually in his pocket."_ Charizard shrugged, introducing a small hiccup in their flight path. _"Like I say, as close as we're going to get."_

I suppose.

"What is it, Charizard?" Ash asked, worried. "You're kind of making me feel a bit apprehensive..."

"_Yeah." _Charizard cleared his throat. _"Ash... I want to go to the Charicific valley again, when we get there."_

Ash blinked.

"That's it?"

Charizard made a confused noise.

"Charizard, of course!" Ash assured him. "I wouldn't dream of trying to stop you."

"_But – I wasn't sure if you were going to be safe,"_ Charizard said, wincing. _"And without me, and without Pidgeot, you'll be groundbound again. For the first time since Viridian."_ Charizard sighed. _"But I wanted to see Charla again, so... I don't know."_

"If you ever need to ask, the answer's still going to be yes, Charizard." Ash patted him. "We can get along without you."

He paused. "If you insist, though, take one of the transciever beacons, like Butterfree and Lapras have. That way, if I absolutely _need_ your help, I can get you."

"_I'd actually feel a lot more comfortable with that, to be honest,"_ Charizard agreed. _"Thank you."_

"Thank _you_, Charizard," Ash replied.

If I may? Dexter interrupted. I have located a herd of Stantler. Location fixed – they're about two hours' walk away from where we left the others.

"Thanks," Ash said. "Okay, Charizard, back down we go."

* * *

><p>"I keep telling you guys to learn some of this stuff," Ash said, walking blithely along the surface of a pond next to the road.<p>

"Yeah, but neither of us have much Aura at all," Brock pointed out. "I mean, we can translate Pokemon just fine, but you've got crazy amounts of the stuff."

"Water walking doesn't take much, really," Ash replied. "Besides, the airslip trick Riolu worked out is even cooler – and just as useful, especially in a sandstorm or something."

"Alright, I guess," Misty said, hesitantly. "I doubt we'll ever be able to fight, but if these tricks _are_ easy, I suppose we should learn them."

"_Are all humans like this?"_ the Stantler asked, blinking.

"_Ash is not like all humans,"_ Lucario replied proudly. _"He's a little nicer than most, stronger than almost all of them, and brave to the point of insanity."_

Stantler nodded. _"I see."_

After a moment, he spoke up again. _"What's Sinnoh like?"_

Lucario walked on for a few seconds before answering, trying to come up with a good answer. _"When I was there, I was quite young. I was a Riolu, not a Lucario. And... it's colder, generally. The air is crisp and clear, even in autumn, and in winter there's heavy snow which covers the land in a blanket of white."_

His voice became a little faraway. _"There are mountains on the horizon in all directions, from the kingdom I was born, and it seems like every day was a new challenge, bright and full of promise."_ Lucario smiled, in a melancholy way._ "I've not been there in a while, but I do look forward to when we eventually go. I love travelling, especially with Ash, but it'll be nice to see home again."_

"_So you know you're going there?"_ Stantler queried.

"_Yes,"_ Lucario confirmed. _"After travelling around Johto, then we're going to Hoenn, and eventually Sinnoh."_

"_Hoenn?"_ By now the fawn was a little awed. _"Where's that?"_

Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder, and took up a position next to Stantler. _"I can answer that for you, if you want."_

"_Are you from Hoenn, then?"_ Stantler was amazed to be around so many exotic Pokemon, and probably would have believed Pikachu if he said he was from the moon. (It wasn't completely ridiculous, after all.)

"_No,"_ Pikachu replied, shrugging. _"But I've been there. It's further south, and a lot warmer. There's a lot of Fire types there, and only the highest mountains have snow on them."_

"_I look forward to it,"_ Lucario said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"Here we are," Brock said, as they emerged onto the coppiced field. "There's your family."<p>

"_Thank you," _the Stantler said, peering forward and seeing the horns of some other Stantler. _"I was so lost..."_

"Not a problem at all." Brock bent down. "If you don't mind, I'll take that bandage off now."

The fawn offered his leg, and Brock cut it away with a pocket knife, taking care not to catch any of the fur.

When the scrap of cloth came away, the dressing was a little dirty, but the skin was healed and already regrowing some fur.

"There you go, little guy," Brock told him.

Stantler looked back at him for a moment, then cantered off.

"Well, that's that," Brock said. "Nice to know all that studying was worth it."

Ash smiled. "Yeah, helping people and Pokemon is really worthwhile."

* * *

><p>"<em>Momma! Momma!"<em>

The doe Stantler looked up, astonished. _"Dear one! I thought we'd lost you!"_

"_I thought I'd lost you, too,"_ the fawn said, nuzzling his mother. _"But – some really nice humans helped me!"_

He glanced back quickly, then took a longer look.

A mixture of frown and smile crossed his face, and he very visibly thought something over for a few seconds.

Then he looked over to the largest buck in the herd. _"Excuse me!"_

The stag, who had looked up along with the rest, nodded slightly. _"What is it you want, young one?"_

"_I..."_ Swallowing, the fawn looked up and straight at his father. _"I want to go with the humans."_

"_Why?"_ The question was simple, and asked in tones of brassy strength.

"_Because... because, talking to them, I've learned so much about the world. About other places, other regions – I've heard about a place where it never snows, I've seen a human who walks on rivers, and I've met a Pokemon who's from hundreds of miles further north."_ Stantler's eyes shone. _"I want to go there. I want to meet more Pokemon from everywhere in the world."_

The stag considered that, calm expression giving no clue to his thoughts.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wait!"<em>

The friends turned around, and saw the young Big Horn Pokemon galloping down the path towards them.

Slowing to a stop, Stantler panted for a bit, and then faced Brock. _"I want to come with you."_

Brock broke into a smile. "You do?"

"_That is – if you'll have me,"_ Stantler added, sounding a bit unsure.

"If you're certain you want to," Brock said. "If you are, we'd love to have you."

The watching humans and Pokemon made their agreement fully clear.

"_I'm sure."_ Stantler nodded firmly. _"You're going to all these amazing places – I want to see them."_

"Fine by me." Brock rummaged in his bag, and retrieved a Pokeball. "Just touch the button on the front," he said, placing it on the floor. "We won't mind if you decide not to."

Stantler advanced the last few steps, wavered for a moment, then pressed his hoof against the button.

With a white flash, the Pokeball activated, and caught him.

Brock waited only long enough for the capture to register before releasing him again. "You alright?"

"_Fine,"_ Stantler insisted, head swaying back and forth slightly. _"Does that always feel like that?"_

"Not sure." Brock glanced at Ninetales, who flirted her tails.

"_Just the first few times."_

"Well, there you have it." Brock smiled, and rubbed Stantler's head. "We'll take good care of you."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

A new team member!

This is one of those episodes where the Pokemon in it was _so_ close to joining the team. And I though I'd take the chance to show what the average campsite looks like for these guys.


	49. Johto 3

"Well, at least it's not snowing," Ash said, breathing the crisp mountain air. "Grass-types don't like snow much."

"_Not that I think Chikorita would mind,"_ Pikachu added. _"She is one tough Pokémon."_

"Yeah." Ash scanned the slopes. "Can't see... wait a second."

Walking forwards, he looked closer. "There. Just on the edge of where I can see. A point of green light."

"_I'll take your word for it,"_ Pikachu said. _"How long do we have?"_

"Brock said they were renting everyone skis for a day, so that long. Should be easily enough time."

* * *

><p>"<em>That looks kind of scary,"<em> Stantler said, watching as Psyduck went down the slope with arms flailing.

"_He's fine,"_ Togekiss told him. _"Psyduck's not very graceful, but he _is_ very powerful. He just doesn't always bother using his psychic powers if he feels he'll be fine without."_

"_I see."_ Stantler didn't, not really, but he had an inkling.

Ninetales came next, tails waving like a banner in the wind as she steered herself down the ski slope. Crobat flew alongside, matching her speed as best he could, and their combined wakes did interesting things to the snowy dust of their passage.

Misty was using Seadra to help her steer, and the watery Pokémon was making good use of his high swimming speed to keep them moving down the slope at a rapid clip.

(Yes, it wasn't water. But he didn't care much.)

Once they'd gone past, and the wash of their passage had faded, Stantler looked a bit confused. _"Isn't someone missing?"_

Togekiss floated a bit higher, then came back down again. _"Here he comes."_

Brock came into view around the bend, wobbling a bit.

He'd lost his left ski somewhere, and was balancing along on just the right.

"_Shouldn't we... help him?"_ Stantler asked, as his new trainer went past on one ski and at high speed.

"_He'll be fine,"_ Togekiss assured. _"He's got Geodude with him, who can make sure he's in no trouble."_

She looked back into the lounge. _"Want some more food? It's complimentary."_

"_Compli-ment-ary?"_ Stantler repeated.

"_It means we can have as much as we want."_ Togekiss waved her wings. _"I'm going to have a bit more, and then go and have a fly."_

"_Okay."_ Stantler looked down at his hooves. _"I don't think I can do the ski-ing, though..."_

Togekiss followed his gaze. _"Hmmm... you're right. Well, I know what we can do instead. I'll get some of the others, and we can have a snowball fight!"_

* * *

><p>Whatever plan Ash had to reconnect with Chikorita had forgotten one important detail about her.<p>

She was monumentally stubborn as a Chikorita, and had in fact been game to fight Charizard back when they'd first met.

So, it was a battle. Not to capture her, just to get close enough to touch her.

And it took some doing.

"_Get back here!"_ Ivysaur shouted, vines whipping out.

Chikorita's razor leaves slashed out and cut one vine, and Ivysaur grimaced and pulled the other one back. While he did so, Chikorita ran a bit further, then turned and began slowly charging a Solarbeam.

"_Isn't it overcast?"_ Pikachu asked, blinking.

"_It's still doable, just takes a long time to charge,"_ Ivysaur replied. _"Okay, Grass isn't working."_

His flower flashed, and the ground underfoot creaked and rumbled. A small number of rocks responded, ramming together into a miniature but respectable boulder, which then shot off towards her.

Just before the Ancientpower arrived, Chikorita fired. The Solarbeam blew the Ancientpower into fragments, and then went on to hit Ivysaur – who grunted, and took the attack with relatively little damage.

"_I'm not fast enough,"_ he said reluctantly._ "Anyone else want to tag in?"_

"_If I may."_ Lucario walked forwards, past Ivysaur. _"You are very impressive for a wild Pokémon, Chikorita."_

She looked mulish, and the tiny plants in a ring around her neck unfurled slightly.

Lucario examined the result as he advanced. _"Sweet Scent, I see."_

His fists flashed into fire, and he rubbed them together until a flame built and held on the palm. With a careful breath, a blaze of flame came out and touched the edge of her Scent cloud – igniting it, resulting in a soft _whoomth_ of an explosion and a sweet-smelling cloud of transient smoke.

A little startled but unharmed, Chikorita replenished the cloud of scented pollen. Lucario advanced through it, moving with purpose around the edge of the cloud and burning it off a little faster than it was replenished.

Chikorita stopped replacing it as Lucario got close, and stared up at him defiantly. _"Do you expect me to give up?"_

"_No. I respect you more than that."_ Lucario paused, then punched upwards.

Chikorita had just enough time to wonder what that had been in aid of when the spiral of hot and cold air activated. She was whirled into the air by the sudden updraft, and went flying thirty feet into the air.

Lucario hadn't tried to target it too specifically, so the spiral of wind tugged at him as well, but he weighed over ten times as much and merely had to check his stride slightly. His arm snapped out as she came back down, and caught her as gently as possible.

* * *

><p>"There," Ash said, touching Chikorita's neck.<p>

Her slightly sullen attitude changed to shock and then relief, as she recognized the boy before her – and then the light of evolution flowed over her, as all that she had done and been since applied itself in a flash of sudden energy.

When the light faded, Bayleef stood there, looking none the worse for wear despite the battle.

Then, predictably, she glomped Ash.

"Yeah, I missed you too..." Ash chuckled weakly. "Ow?"

"_Sorry,"_ Bayleef said, not sounding very sorry. _"What happened?"_

"_Time travel,"_ Pikachu summarized. _"It's more complicated, but let's work with time travel for now."_

"_I see... I think."_ Bayleef frowned. _"It was Ash, wasn't it?"_

"Yeah, me again," Ash admitted.

She blinked. _"Did you just understand me?"_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Honestly, whenever I realize I can do it, it makes me amazed all over again... but talking to my Pokémon all the time, really _talking_ to them..." He smiled. "It's really precious, but at the same time it's kind of become normal. Which is fine, but it might take some of the wonder out of it."

"_Basically, it's because Ash is an aura user,"_ Lucario supplied.

Bayleef looked over at him, and jumped. _"You're new!"_

She shook her head. _"No, right, I did see you before. You were the one who beat me just now, that's right. Sorry, getting confused."_

"It's fine, we've all had it," Ash reassured her. "Though – I had a question."

"_Ask away,"_ Bayleef said, looking around and rolling her neck to stretch it.

"Why _do_ you keep jumping on me?" Ash asked. "None of the others really do that as much..."

Bayleef blushed suddenly. _"Well... uh... I like you."_

"So do the others," Ash replied, frowning. "I don't understand."

Pikachu fell off Ash's shoulder, and burst out laughing.

Ash glanced down at his starter, vaguely confused, then back to Bayleef. "And why is this funny?"

"_No, I mean... _like you_ like you."_ Bayleef shuffled her feet.

"Still not seeing what-"

Lucario interrupted him. _"As entertaining as this is, I think I can cut to the chase. Bayleef. Would you say that it is in the same way that Charizard likes Charla?"_

Bayleef blushed again, then nodded.

"...oh, right..." Ash said, blushing himself. "I never... that explains a lot, I guess..."

He sighed, then looked at her. "I... I'm flattered, I guess. And I do like you – love you – but the same way as the rest of my friends, human and Pokémon."

Bayleef nodded, looking a bit glum. _"I kind of guessed. I think I worked it out a long time ago. But – still. It's how I feel."_

"_...this got a lot less funny,"_ Pikachu decided.

Ash was silent a moment longer, then stood. "Bayleef, I don't think... I can't be quite what you want, because I _don't_ have feelings for you that way. But I can be a friend. Would you like that?"

Bayleef looked down for a moment, then back up again. The smile on her face was a little forced, and her eyes were wet, but she nodded. _"I think I'd like to be your friend, Ash."_

* * *

><p>Ash and his Pokémon went up to the ski resort themselves, deciding they had enough time to join in with their friends. The resultant snowball fight was quite impressive, especially when Stantler essayed an illusion and had everyone throwing them a foot to his left for a minute or so.<p>

Eventually, though, the friends headed back down-slope.

"What's next?" Brock asked, as they crossed the tree-line into light forest.

"Hmmm..." Ash looked ahead. "There's Cherrygrove city, but there's nothing much to do there... Dexter?"

Nothing of importance until Violet City. You may as well head straight there.

"_Excellent."_

Ash blinked. "Who said-"

His eyes went right. "Suicune?"

"_The very same."_ The lithe Pokémon essayed a small bow.

"_Wow..."_ Stantler said, gaping. _"You're a legendary."_

"_I am."_ Suicune looked him over. _"You're a Stantler."_

"_That's right..."_

"He's new, but I think we're quite pleased with him so far," Brock added. "He wants to see the world."

"_A most noble goal. I have seen much of the world, and it never fails to astonish me."_ Suicune smiled, then returned her attention to Ash. _"If you have some time free... well, chosen one, catch-as-catch-can."_

With that, she turned north, and broke into a lope. A hundred feet away, she turned and looked behind her, then beckoned forwards.

Ash stood frozen for a moment, then grabbed a Poké ball from his belt. "Charizard! Let's follow her!"

The orange Fire-type materialized in a flash of white light. Charizard sank to the ground as Ash returned Lucario and Bayleef – to save weight – and then collected Pikachu and jumped aboard.

Brock, Misty, and their companions watched as orange shape followed blue shape over the nearest ridge, and out of sight.

"Well... what do we do now?" Misty asked.

"Maybe we should head to Violet City..." Brock suggested. "I guess he'll go there eventually?"

"It's about the best we can do, I think."

* * *

><p>"<em>She is very, very fast,"<em> Charizard grunted, wings beating the air in steady _wham_s. _"I'm going as fast as I can, and we're only making up ground very slowly."_

"Right." Ash patted his flank, and bent low to reduce the air resistance. "Okay, try and gain height without losing her. We can dive down for speed, and then Pikachu can try to slow her a bit."

"_Got it."_ Charizard's flight tilted up very slightly. _"Keep an eye on her, can you? I need to concentrate."_

As the smallest, Pikachu bent over Charizard's side, and spotted the moving blur of blue. _"I can see her from here, yes."_

"_Good. Let me know when you're losing her."_

* * *

><p>Suicune hopped from rock to rock, balancing for a moment on a tiny point before jumping further, and ascending a low ridge without breaking stride.<p>

High overhead, she could see the cream belly and red-orange wings of the trainer's Charizard. A powerful Pokémon, from what she had heard.

She had also heard the Pidgeot was far, far faster – so, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep up if she went at full speed, she was making it a merely difficult challenge.

Well, okay, _very_ difficult.

Another glance overhead, and she saw the Charizard was no longer climbing.

In fact, he was diving shallowly – trading height for speed, accelerating towards her and gaining a slight speed edge.

_Excellent._

This was why she had argued he was worthy.

But – why make it easy?

Suicune glanced around, and spotted a valley which led to a riverbed. She loped over to it, then began running upstream towards the north – the river flashing to pure, sparkling clarity as she ran along.

* * *

><p>"Okay, this could be tricky," Ash said, eyes forward. "Charizard, can you break through the tree cover?"<p>

Through the branches, he could see the flickering blue shape which was Suicine. Charizard was currently angled to hit the river considerably ahead of her, estimating by eye where she would be when he reached it so their paths would intersect.

"_Yes, I can,"_ Charizard replied. _"Flare blitz, if nothing else. But I won't be able to fight – I'd make it through, but not cleanly."_

"That's okay." Ash touched his three full Poké balls. "We've got others to do any fighting."

"_Got it."_

The ground came up with surprising speed. One moment, it was distant and the trees looked like toys, the next everything was approaching and the branches went from sticks to thick logs and then Charizard burst into flame-

Ash's teeth clicked together painfully as Charizard hit a big tree, sending it crumbling and crashing to the ground. There was a moment of clear air, and then he slammed bodily into another large tree and came to a crunching, rumbling stop.

Jumping clear, Ash returned him and released the rest of his team. Ivysaur and Bayleef went to either bank, and Lucario joined him and Pikachu on the water surface.

Suicune looked up, then around at the flaming barricades which had dropped across the river both upstream and downstream. _"Unorthodox, but effective."_

"That's my fighting style!" Ash grinned.

"_Is your Charizard okay?"_

"I don't know," Ash replied, grin replaced by a frown. "But I hope he is."

"_As do I."_ Suicune's face set. _"But I am not caught yet."_

"Thunder wave!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded, and fired out a potent blast of electricity.

With incredible grace, Suicune jumped, and was in mid-air at the moment the attack reached her. Water blasted outwards in a sparkling blue wave, and the attack was mostly soaked up by that rather than connecting with her.

What got through crackled along her flank, and concentrated on her legs.

"Power whip!" Ash added, and the two Grass-types lashed out.

Suicine dodged, slower than before, towards the eastern bank of what was becoming a small lake. She let Bayleef's whips grab her, then took one in her mouth and bit it in half.

Ivysaur's whips got to her before she could sever the other, and she raised a paw and tugged with all her might – pulling him off the bank and into the water with a splash.

Lucario had not been idle. He ran forward, palm sparkling with electricity for a Thunderpunch, and delivered it as Suicune divested herself of the last vine.

Suicune took the blow without complaint, and kicked out with her forelegs at Lucario. He took them in a grip, and his feet glowed brightly as he tried to hold her. _"Pikachu! Now!"_

Pikachu fired his Volt Crash.

Suicune released another of the instant waves of water, and the attack grounded not only into her but also into both Ivysaur and Lucario.

* * *

><p>Before the steam and smoke cleared, Ash was squinting. "Is everyone okay?"<p>

"_I think so,"_ Ivysaur coughed. _"I can replace those petals either way."_

"_I'm fine,"_ Lucario supplied, voice trembling a bit. _"Is she-"_

"_I'm afraid not,"_ Suicune informed them.

The air cleared, revealing her atop the wooden dam upriver. She was clearly favoring one leg, and looked very tired, but was unmistakeably conscious.

"_Very close, but no. A gallant effort, chosen."_

She cocked her head. _"We will meet again – and I don't know what the result will be."_

Suicune turned to go, then turned back. _"You might want to get out of the river bed. I'm going to destroy the logs."_

Ash returned those of his Pokémon who were most hurt, and clambered up to the east bank with Pikachu.

Once they were clear, Suicune smashed the first dam with a focused Bubblebeam. The second, already damaged by progressive fire, fell apart as a sudden wave hit it.

When the wave subsided, Suicune was nowhere to be seen.

"...well, that happened," Ash said. "That was _close._"

Pikachu nodded, and hopped up onto Ash's shoulder, leaving wet footprints on his clothes.

"Hey!" Ash chuckled, then sighed. "Right, let's get to a Pokémon centre. Dexter, where's Violet City?"

Half a mile west, Dexter supplied promptly.

"Guess we wait there for Brock and Misty, then."

* * *

><p>Ash hoisted Pikachu up onto the counter, and passed over four Poké balls. "Thanks, Nurse Joy."<p>

"Oh, not a problem." The Joy looked over her new patient, and Chansey ran the scanner over the rest. The results came up on screen, and she blinked. "Goodness. They have had a rough time of it. Falkner?"

"No, I just got into town." Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "I was trying to catch a wild Pokémon..."

Joy glanced up at the screen. "Which one was it?"

"No, I didn't catch her. Came close, though."

"I wish young trainers would be more careful," Joy fretted. "It must have been a strong one, with these Pokémon – and how tired they seem."

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

"_Don't worry,"_ Pikachu supplied, as he was carried into the back room for a quick check up. _"We all volunteered."_

Joy glanced over at her Chansey, who smiled, and assumed it had been something conciliatory. "Well... okay, then, but be careful next time."

"You bet," Ash sighed, going to sit down on one of the chairs.

"Excuse me..."

He looked up. A dark-haired woman with a bun was approaching, looking puzzled. "Yes?"

"Are you..." she paused, glanced over at the desk, and continued. "Are you actually Ash Ketchum?"

"Yeah," Ash replied. "That's me."

"Okay." She frowned. "Sorry, where are my manners... I'm Miss Priscilla, I teach at the Pokémon Academy here in Violet."

"Oh, right!" Ash said, much more enthusiastically. "What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering... are you staying here for a while?"

"A day at least. I'm going to wait for my friends, who are a bit behind me, and then wait for my Pokémon to be recovered before challenging Falkner."

Miss Priscilla looked hopeful. "Would you be willing to stop by at the academy tomorrow?"

"Sure!"

* * *

><p>"Class, we're lucky to have a visitor today," the teacher said brightly. "This is Ash Ketchum."<p>

Ash waved. Pikachu, on his shoulder, waved as well.

A hand went up.

"Can we see your Squirtle? He's cool."

Ash blinked. "Uh... that might be a problem, he's training back at home."

"That sucks," the kid said.

Another hand went up. "What about your Pidgeot?"

"She's training in the Orange Islands."

"Snorlax?"

"At home."

"Butterfree? He was awesome."

"Sorry." Ash shook his head. "With his family."

"Kingler?"

"At home."

"Primeape?"

"Training."

"Muk? Tauros?"

"All back at home too." Ash was feeling a bit embarassed by now.

"Do you actually have any Pokémon with you?"

Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder onto a desk. _"Hey!"_

"Oh, yeah, the Pikachu," someone said. "Didn't you blow up the arena?"

Pikachu thought about that for a moment, then decided to treat it as a plus.

Ash took out a Poké ball and opened it, releasing Lucario. "What about him? He was a Riolu in the League."

"He evolved?" That voice actually sounded a bit disappointed. "He was cuter before..."

After a moment, another hand went up. "Do you have your Charizard?"

Pikachu rolled his eyes. _"Finally."_

"Let's go outside," Ash suggested, smirking.

* * *

><p>Charizard stood on his hind legs, flapping his wings, and blew a small ball of fire into the sky. A faster one followed, which caught up with the first and detonated.<p>

"Wow!"

"He's awesome!"

"_That's better,"_ Pikachu said, attempting to bask in reflected glory, but still a bit grumpy. _"How cynical are these kids?"_

Ash shrugged.

On the field at the centre of the school grounds, Bayleef and Ivysaur fenced back and forth with their vines, neither using anything more spectacular, but still holding the attention of some of the students.

"Mister Ketchum?" someone asked.

Ash looked down. "Yeah?"

"What do you think is your best Pokémon?"

Ash's eyes widened. "Wow, that's a hard question."

"_Good start,"_ Pikachu quipped.

After a moment to think, Ash decided what to say. "I don't think 'best' is really a sensible thing to ask, here. I mean – best in what way?"

He rubbed Pikachu's chin. "Pikachu here has been with me for the longest. He's my starter – starters are special, most people never retire theirs."

Ash then nodded towads Lucario. "I raised him from an egg," _technically,_ "so we trust one another a lot as well. He's one of the Pokémon I have with the most diverse move set, so I rely on him a lot. He's saved my life before."

Charizard was next. "He's probably the strongest Pokémon I've ever used in any tournament, and he doesn't mind carrying me – that's _really_ useful, by the way, and fun too." Ash grinned. "If you ever catch a Pidgey, take good care of them, the payoff is _awesome._"

There were scattered giggles.

"Squirtle is the one who invents moves I've never heard of before. Ivysaur seems to have a skill for every situation. Butterfree's the first Pokémon I ever caught, as a Caterpie. Pidgeot's the second, and the fastest. My Tauros come through in the most unusual situations. Bayleef and Heracross are new, but I'm glad to have them."

He stopped for a moment, then shrugged. "Best doesn't make sense. What matters is that your Pokémon are your friends, and you appreciate them for what they are – use their strengths, work on their weaknesses, and – above all – _be their friends_."

Ash then lowered his voice slightly, so the kids had to crowd closer. "A bit over a year ago, in Kanto, I met a Pokémon whose trainer had abandoned him for being weak. This guy had told his faithful Pokémon that all it had to do was wait until he came back, as training, and then walked away and left him to die."

The silence stretched.

"Did he die?" asked a black-haired boy.

"No." Ash shook his head. "My friends and I found the Pokémon in time, and got him to the Pokémon centre."

Another pause.

"He was a Charmander."

Charizard emitted a rumbling, purring growl, and Ash reached up to scratch his eye ridge.

"Whoa..." someone said.

"Never give up on a Pokémon. Be kind to them, help them, and they'll pay you back and more," Ash finished.

* * *

><p>"Hi!" Ash called, waving. "What kept you guys?"<p>

"You went fifteen miles north, that's what!" Misty replied. "We had to guess where you ended up." She walked over to the Pokémon centre counter, and handed over two Poké balls. "These two have been doing a bit of battling."

"And can you check up Stantler, please?" Brock added. "He's still young."

The little Big Horn trotted up to the counter, looking around. _"This building smells... sort of like nettles? It's very clean."_

"It's a building where people take their Pokémon to be healed and looked after," Brock explained, patting Stantler. "This is Nurse Joy, and her Chansey. They'll look after you."

Stantler looked at the two nurses, then nodded. _"Okay."_

"Brock," Misty asked, as they walked over to the waiting area. "Are you well?"

"Fine," Brock replied. "Why?"

"You didn't hit on Nurse Joy."

Brock shrugged. "Wouldn't be right, I've got a call to Philena to make."

The other two trainers exchanged a bemused look.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Better luck next time, Ash.

I know the Bayleef thing is usually played for laughs and/or drama... but it's really kind of sad, as all one-way unrequited love is. Bayleef is fully intelligent, and feels a strong love for another being... and it's one he doesn't return.

But, at the same time, it doesn't have to define their relationship either. They can still be friends.

As for Suicine – she's a roaming legendary, it was never exactly going to be _easy_.

Next up, Falkner. Please do review – it's a great feeling to get one.


	50. Johto 4

Violet:

* * *

><p>Ash picked the ball up from its place in the transfer slot, and opened it. "Hello again, Pidgeot."<p>

"_It's good to see you, Ash,"_ she replied, brushing her wings against his arms. _"How have you been?"_

"Fine. Just fine." Ash rubbed the back of his neck as she followed him out of the centre. "How's Lugia?"

"_He's fine. The Birds are a bit upset, but they seem to be remaining quiet for now."_ Pidgeot cooed laughter. _"I think they feel they made a mistake, but they won't actually admit it."_

Ash nodded. "Makes sense. How's Aeroblast coming?"

"_I think I've got it – well, the weak version. I still can't do the plasma version, I keep losing the airstream."_

They reached the edge of town, and Charizard waved. _"Hi!"_ he called. _"I keep having to carry Ash around now you're not here, he weighs a lot!"_

"Hey!" Ash said, as Pikachu and both Flying-types laughed. He couldn't keep the smile off his face, though.

After they got it out of their system, he looked between them. "Okay, you three are my team for this challenge." Ash looked specifically at Pidgeot. "It's Falkner, in case you didn't know."

"_I've heard of him, vaguely..."_ Pidgeot looked over at the tall, expansive gym building. _"That's... big."_

"He's the Flying-type leader here in Johto. I think the roof opens too or something." Ash clapped his hands together. "So. Which of you should I send out first?"

"_What does he have?"_ Pidgeot asked.

"I know he's got a Pidgeot." Charizard and Pikachu nodded ruefully at that. "And a Dodrio. There was a Hoothoot too, but he might not use it..."

"_Right."_

"_I should be good against anything that isn't Grass or Ground typed,"_ Pikachu volunteered.

"_...send me out first,"_ Charizard asked. _"Save Pidgeot for last, she's the fastest, and we don't want him to have a counter for Pikachu out last."_

"Sounds good." Ash looked between them. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Burned Tower:<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>I see you escaped,"<em> Raikou said.

Suicune glanced down at her leg. _"Barely. Ash Ketchum is a very, very strong trainer."_

"_You mean his Pokémon are,"_ Entei corrected.

Suicune shook her head. _"They are too, of course – but he's a strong trainer. He brings out the best in everyone he meets. Lord Ho-Oh has said as much."_

She smiled. _"And you heard what the Lord Lugia had to say about it."_

"_I did,"_ Entei admitted. _"Impressive."_

"_More than impressive!"_ Raikou laughed. _"Even when we count his unusual situation, he is far more than most humans aspire to be."_

Suicune pursed her lips. _"I wouldn't put it quite like that, Raikou. He's more than most humans are, certainly – I regret that, it seems, I did not know him better in that old and gone world. But more than they aspire to be?"_

"_I don't see,"_ Entei admitted.

"_What do humans want to be?"_ Suicune asked. She jumped up onto a heap of rubble. _"Not what they want to do, what they want to be. Almost every child dreams of being a master trainer or coordinator, of having a rapport with their Pokémon... of being a hero."_

"_They want powerful Pokémon, you mean,"_ Entei argued.

"_Yes."_ Suicune accepted that without argument, and made a show of inspecting her flanks. _"That's because powerful Pokémon are... novel, and exciting, and above all impressive. But ask yourself – why do most people reach an end to their journeys?"_

Neither of her brothers answered her for several seconds.

"_Because they have the Pokémon they want, I suppose," _Entei said – thinking of those he had seen.

All kinds of people. Trainers, yes, but for their jobs...

The sea captain who had a Wingull, and who relied on them for readings of the wind and the tides. Placing his life in her hands every day, for all she was hardly a powerful Pokémon.

The elegant lady whose Pokéball held a Vulpix. Because she wanted a friend she could trust and rely on, and who loved her in return.

The artist whose Smeargle was her partner, who collaborated human-and-Pokémon to make their pictures – for the simple joy of creation.

The martial artist who demanded the same of himself that he did of his Pokémon, and always strove to do better.

And the young boy who saved the world, who had tirelessly pulled together a powerful band of Pokémon through practice and care and love.

"_I see,"_ Raikou said softly. _"It's all about teams and teamwork, isn't it."_

"_Mostly, yes,"_ Suicune agreed. _"There are bad trainers, but there are bad Pokémon as well. Ash is not a bad trainer."_

Entei agreed with that much, so had nothing to say to that.

"_So,"_ he said, after a moment. _"You convinced us to let him catch us if he can. Why should we give him the chance, Suicune?"_

To his surprise, she chuckled.

"_I've got several reasons,"_ the Aurora Pokémon said readily. _"But here's a good one – I've never had a trainer before, and I kind of want to see what it's like to have one like Ash."_

Raikou blinked. _"You're planning on fighting as part of his team, aren't you?"_

"_If he'll have me, yes,"_ Suicune agreed.

Her electric brother boomed laughter. _"Aha! That explains a lot!"_

His eyes twinkled. _"I'd almost agree with you, but with that Pikachu of his he's unlikely to see much need for another Electric type!"_

Suicune cocked her head. _"There's always contests. You'd look nice with ribbons on your tail."_

"_Not half as nice as Entei would look!"_ Raikou riposted.

Entei watched, bemused, as his siblings laughed. _"Weren't we just having a philosophical discussion?"_

* * *

><p>Violet Gym:<p>

* * *

><p>"Welcome, challenger," Falkner said. Then blinked. "Oh, great. It's you."<p>

"That's not very polite," Ash pointed out.

"I heard what you did to Cerulean. And about half the other gyms you've been in. I only started work here a couple of years ago, I don't want it broken." Falkner sighed. "Okay, we'll use the roof. Can you give me a minute? I want to grab a couple of Pokéballs..."

"Sure," Ash agreed readily.

"_Does this mean a bigger challenge?"_ Pikachu asked.

Ash shrugged. "Probably. I mean, we've got League titles this time."

Falkner looked around. "Did you just hold a conversation with your Pokémon?"

"Yeah, I do that."

"...right." The Violet gym leader visibly decided to just ignore it.

* * *

><p>Violet gym roof:<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, challenger." Falkner stood on his platform. "This match will be three Pokémon a side. Challenger sends their first Pokémon out first, and is allowed to change out Pokémon during the match."<p>

"Got it." Ash took the first ball from his belt. "Charizard!"

Charizard emerged, landed on the roof, and crouched – ready to spring. _"Bring it on!"_

"I can see you're ready for the Violet gym's unique aerial combat style," Falkner commented. "Very well. Aerodactyl!"

"_Do those even-"_ Pikachu's comment was broken off, as the Pokémon emerged.

It was, indeed, an Aerodactyl. The ancient Pokémon screeched a war-cry, hovering in the winds over the top of the tall structure.

"Where'd you get one of _those?_" Ash asked, astonished. "I though they were extinct!"

"I don't actually know, not for sure," Falkner admitted. "Pidgeot and I found him looking a bit lost a few months ago, and after a great deal of effort managed to catch him. I don't know more than that."

"_Ash..."_ Charizard said, looking intently at the pterosaur. _"I remember this one. It's the first Pokémon I ever fought as a Charizard."_

"Wait... back when we found Togepi's egg?" Ash blinked. "Wow. Guess something had to have happened to it."

Falkner looked politely curious. "What's that?"

"Oh – right. I think we might have been involved with unfreezing him," Ash said more loudly.

"Interesting. Well... begin!"

* * *

><p>Charizard leapt skywards as soon as the arm came down, and rose slowly but steadily straight up – the better to keep an eye on Aerodactyl.<p>

For his part, Aerodactyl matched Charizard foot for foot. Beady eyes flickered, taking in every detail of Charizard's wings and body.

When they were almost three hundred feet up – well over the gym itself – they stopped climbing, as though by mutual agreement, and began to circle.

Aerodactyl made the first move. His body glowed, then a similar ring of energy formed overhead.

"Look out!" Ash called, barely heard at this altitude. "You have trouble with Rock moves, remember!"

Charizard launched a blast of flame at Aerodactyl, hoping to interrupt the attack. This wasn't sufficient, and Rock Slide began to rain out of the ring of energy.

One of the rocks hit Charizard, who roared in pain and dove to get out of the attack's range basket. Aerodactyl promptly ended it and dove after Charizard, screeching a challenge.

Charizard continued his dive, using his weight to pull him to great speed, and then pulled up into an abrupt climb and rolled. His Dragon Rage hit Aerodactyl coming the other way, producing a cloud of smoke and giving notice that this wouldn't be a one-sided fight.

The cloud roiled for a few seconds, then Aerodactyl fired an Ancientpower out of it. Charizard barely dodged it in time.

"Thunder Fang!" Falkner called.

Charizard's neck twisted around and he breathed fire back behind him as he flew. Aerodactyl came right through it, wings brushing it aside and only being lightly scorched, and grabbed Charizard's tail with one claw before swinging closer and delivering a Thunder Fang.

Charizard cracked his tail like a whip, sending Aerodactyl spinning away. _"Pikachu shocks harder!"_

"_That's not saying much!"_ Pikachu called up. _"I shock harder than just about everyone!"_

Charizard shot him a glance as they swooped past, then went into a forward loop which barely avoided hitting a nearby skyscraper and came back up roaring with Dragonbreath.

Aerodactyl conjured three rings of energy which solidified into Stone Edge, and peppered Charizard with shrapnel as he came up – though the Dragonbreath eroded much of the potency of the shards.

Another roar, and Charizard cannoned into Aerodactyl in a full Body Slam before clawing with metallic-sheened claws.

Aerodactyl swallowed, and shrugged the Steel attack off much more easily than he should have done. He charged another Stone Edge, and Charizard was forced to break off.

* * *

><p>Kalos:<p>

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the tower, mister Oak."<p>

Gary nodded respectfully. "I'm honoured."

And puzzled, but he didn't mention that.

"What do you do here?" he asked. "I understand that you wanted my advice on something, but Professor Sycamore was quite secretive."

"That's entirely understandable," Gurkinn agreed. "I asked him to be. It's still something we're researching."

"What is?"

Gurrkin waited until the door was closed, then beckoned Gary towards the stairs. "What do you know about the reason why this tower is here?"

"Very little, I'm afraid." Gary shrugged awkwardly. "I grew up in Kanto, in Japan, and Kalos is a long, long way away."

"Of course, of course. Well. Legends of the Kalos region tell that this area is where the first recorded _mega_ evolution took place."

Gary blinked. "A what?"

I second the question, Dee said.

"Who's that?" Gurrkin asked.

"Oh, that's Dee." Gary's hand slipped into his pocket, and he removed the red-purple marble of her projector. A flash of light, and she solidified into a Porygon. "She helps with my research."

"Ah. Well, welcome to you as well, Dee." Gurrkin coughed. "Anyway. Mega Evolution was considered to be more or less mythical – just a misunderstood form change or the like."

"I notice a _was_ there," Gary observed, as they reached the top floor landing.

"Very astute! Watch."

Two Lucario paced over to the elderly Gurrkin, and bowed.

"This is the keystone my ancestor used," Gurrkin informed Gary, holding up a small bluish crystal. He then produced a red armband, in which was a large sphere with a curious red-yellow flaw. "And this is Lucarionite."

He gave the band to one of the Lucario, who slipped it on, and they paced out to opposite sides of the training area.

Gurrkin closed his eyes, touched the keystone, and concentrated. The Lucario with the band did likewise.

As Gary watched, the blue crystal flashed into sudden light. Matching it, the Lucarionite glowed orange.

Then, under his astonished eyes, the Lucario... Mega Evolved.

It was almost like a regular evolution. There was the same wash of light... but this time, it was orange. The Lucarionite disappeared, along with the armband.

And when the light faded, Mega Lucario stood there.

"We'd thought they were just symbolic, to be honest," Gurrkin admitted, eyes open again. "But about... ooh, a year and a half ago... we were all a little surprised when Lucie mega evolved spontaneously when we were cleaning them."

He nodded. "That's her, there. She and Lucen take turns using the stone – we're still looking for others."

"So it only started working a year and a half ago?" Gary asked. "Did you do anything different that time?"

"No, same thing we'd done for decades." Gurrken nodded. "A puzzler, isn't it... I'm hoping you or your grandfather might know something that happened around that date."

Gary counted back in his head. A year and a half ago-

He'd set off on his Pokémon journey.

So had Ash.

And that had been when he'd come back in time.

"Mister Gurrken," he said, slowly. "I'm about to test a hypothesis. Was the date this happened on or about the first of April?"

Gurrken gave him a look. "Almost," he said. "Very late in the evening, March 31."

Gary worked out the time difference, and nodded. "I see."

After a few seconds in which he did not elaborate, Gurrken shrugged. "You young types, always so mysterious. Oh well. Lucie, Lucen, want to show our guest what Mega Evolution means?"

The Lucario and the Mega Lucario nodded. They faced one another, bowed again, and exploded into motion.

* * *

><p>Violet gym roof:<p>

* * *

><p>"Charizard isn't doing well," Ash said, wincing.<p>

"_Not surprised,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"Aerodactyl isn't a great opponent for him."_

"Yeah..." Ash agreed. "Charizard! Over here!"

The Fire-type heard him, warded off Aerodactyl with an Overheat, and hurried over – with Aerodactyl close behind.

An Ancientpower shot past and nearly clipped his wing. _"What? I'm kind of busy!"_

"Blast burn!" Ash told him. "Airburst!"

"_Now that, I like the sound of!"_ Charizard swept low over the roof, the wind of his passage snatching at clothes, and his wings hammered the air to gain more speed.

Aerodactyl followed, screeching, and already charging another Ancientpower.

Charizard went into a shallow dive, and used one of the other buildings in Violet City to drop out of sight. Aerodactyl reacted by going high, ascending into the air and looking down to try and spot his prey.

"I have to say, I've never actually heard of a move called Blast Burn," Falkner said. "Why are you covering your ears?"

A beam of glowing, bluish gas shot up from behind Sprout Tower. It reached its apex half a mile in the air, about a hundred feet from Aerodactyl, and blossomed out into a sphere of smoky gas ten feet across.

Which then exploded.

Aerodactyl was knocked out of his flight regime by the blast overpressure, and tumbled almost to ground level before managing to recover and stabilize his flight path.

Fortunately for Falkner, Charizard _had_ been keeping the power of the attack below what he could achieve. As a result, no windows were actually broken in Violet City (they were reinforced anyway, the local Gym Leader had supersonic Pokémon) and it was merely LOUD rather than deafening.

Charizard popped back up above roof level, wings driving hard to close in on Aerodactyl. As the Rock/Flying type began to circle to attack again, his wings shimmered with steel on their leading edge and he bored in – as Aerodactyl had expended his Babiri berry earlier, the attack would work properly.

"Grab him! Then use Sky Drop!" Falkner ordered quickly.

Aerodactyl performed a complicated acrobatic manoeuvre in the air, evading the Steel Wings but not a reaching Metal Claw. Grunting in pain, it latched onto Charizard – fouling his wings - and dragged the two of them towards the ground at speed.

"_This feels familiar..."_ Charizard muttered – he'd have preferred being on the other side of it, though. He responded by flashing into flame, using Flare Blitz.

His first hope had been that it would startle Aerodactyl, but when that didn't work he started struggling to control the attitude of their dive much as he had against Dragonite.

Aerodactyl's claws slammed repeatedly into his breast, trying to weaken him enough to let the impact finish the job.

The two hit the ground, still entangled, and a cloud of dust and cinders went flying up.

* * *

><p>Falkner grimaced. "I don't know quite who won that one."<p>

Ash nodded – both Pokémon were passed out in the crater.

"Basically a draw," Ash suggested, and Falkner nodded.

"Send out your next Pokémon, challenger. Pidgeot!"

Ash jerked his head. "Pikachu!"

"_Sure thing!"_ Pikachu jumped forward. _"Right!"_

Falkner's Pidgeot took off in a cloud of dust, and rocketed up and away. Lightning bolts followed him, and he rolled around them with casual skill.

"How's he doing that?" Ash asked, interested.

"He's learned to feel the static charge on his tail," Falkner replied. "We face a _lot_ of Electric attacks."

"_Right, then."_ Pikachu set himself. His orange cheeks sparked, and the charge danced up to his ears and down to his tail. _"Let's see how many kinds of Shock Wave I remember."_

* * *

><p>Oak ranch:<p>

* * *

><p><span>Professor?<span>

Oak looked up. "Yes, Damos?"

I have completed my search. No sign of Team Galactic at known locations from last timeline. This suggests they've not set up yet.

"We hope..." Tracey agreed. "I mean, they could have just chosen somewhere else..."

I have also verified the current positions of the Lake Trio. They are as normal.

"Well, that's a relief," Oak said. "Keep a look out, please."

Of course.

"Where were we?" Oak asked.

"I think we were discussing what to do about reinforcing the building," Tracey contributed.

"Oh, I always dislike those discussions..." The elderly Professor rubbed his temples. "Well, it has to be done."

A series of light _clang_s came up the corridor outside. They stopped, and the door opened.

"_Tracey?"_ Scizor said. _"Professor? I'm afraid Squirtle is doing it again."_

"You'll have to be more specific," Tracey recommended.

"_He is riding Ash's Tauros. All five of them."_

"Oh, why is that an _again?_" Oak asked, with a heartfelt sigh.

* * *

><p>"<em>I see,"<em> Primeape said. _"So the sleep is the healing, itself."_

Snorlax snored.

"_And I must learn to use it as not merely mental but also physical refreshment."_

The big Pokémon rolled over in his sleep, and continued to snore.

"_Thank you for your lesson, sensei."_

As he turned to leave, Kingler accosted him.

"_Did you actually learn anything?"_

Primeape nodded.

"_How? He was asleep for the whole lesson!"_

"_Ever heard of Sleep Talk?"_

Kingler stopped. He raised a claw, then lowered it. _"That's not how it works."_

* * *

><p>Violet gym roof:<p>

* * *

><p>Lightning snapped skywards.<p>

Pidgeot dodged around one attack, was just clipped by a second – making him hiss and snatch himself onto a different vector – and blocked the third with a cloud of feathers.

He glanced back, seeing more electricity gathering, and soared further still into the sky.

* * *

><p>Pikachu squinted. <em>"He's a really long way up, now. I can't target properly."<em>

"Is this really a proper battle?" Ash asked.

Falkner smirked. "Flying types fly. It's not my fault if you assumed that an Electric type would be the perfect weapon against them."

"Except I kind of didn't..." Ash shook his head. "Whatever. But he must be miles away by now!"

Falkner shrugged.

Ash glanced down at the other Pokéball, and seriously considered calling Pikachu back.

"Nah," he said. "Hey, Pikachu – if he's going to stay out of the way, let's take advantage. Charge!"

Leaving off his attacks, Pikachu did so. _"What now? I know that tone of voice."_

Ash rummaged around in the piles of stuff in his pouch. "Here. Have a boxing glove."

Pikachu looked at it dubiously, then his eyes widened. _"Gotcha!"_

"What's that?" Falkner asked. "A boxing glove? What could that possibly..."

"Watch and learn," Ash said.

Pikachu put on the glove, and pointed it at Pidgeot. _"Here goes!"_

"Okay, Pikachu..." Ash shared a look with Pikachu, both grinning. "Rocket punch!"

Electricity crackled around the glove.

Then, to the astonishment of the gym leader, it emitted a huge cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Pikachu was nowhere to be seen.

"What just-"

Ash pointed up.

"...he's using a boxing glove as a rocket. _How_ is he using a boxing glove as a rocket?"

"I taught him that," Ash said proudly.

Falkner began to speak, then stopped. He tried again. "That just raises further questions..."

* * *

><p>Pidgeot soared, safe, high above Violet.<p>

He would be able to wait for a few minutes, until the Pikachu was no longer so alert – then head back to ground level and hedge-hop at speed to launch powerful wind-based attacks on him.

It was a plan they'd used before against Electric-types. And he had a Wacan Berry, just in case.

He looked down, and blinked.

It looked an awful lot like a rocket had just taken off. There was a tiny red dot, with a gigantic plume of smoke coming out of the back of it.

Unsure what was going on, Pidgeot circled around. He frowned, trimming his wings to better use the wind, and tried to work out just _what_ was going on.

The red dot grew with shocking suddenness as it neared him. First it was just about resolvable as a circle, then it was abruptly evident – it was a boxing glove, of all things.

A sudden suspicion formed in Pidgeot's mind, and he jinked-

Lightning speared out from below the glove, which stopped emitting smoke, and skirled around Pidgeot's tail. Another blast was barely blocked in time by a cloud of chaff-like down.

Pikachu threw aside the mangled glove, and bolts of electricity speared out from him in all directions. _"Gotcha!"_

The bolts went well past Pidgeot's distance, then spread and connected – in a matter of moments, the Flying-type found himself inside a gigantic cage of electricity hundreds of metres wide and still rising along with Pikachu.

There was a sizzling sound as the connecting bolts joined up, until just three sustained the cage. Pikachu panted, then connected the bolts to his ears and tail, and turned to face Pidgeot. _"Like it?"_

"_There is no way you're just doing that casually."_ Pidgeot circled, warily staying near the edge of the globe.

"_Well, no, it's not _casual_,"_ Pikachu agreed readily. _"But it's still something I can do. Care to try to escape? It has three layers."_

Pikachu reached the apex of his trajectory, and began to descend. Slowly at first, but quickly accelerating to terminal velocity. (Terminal velocity for a Pikachu. It wasn't actually all that fast.)

"_Perhaps not."_ Pidgeot blurred into motion, launching a Whirlwind at Pikachu. The Electric type went whirling away from the effect, but kept the globe up – and Pidgeot was forced to follow him anyway as a result.

"_Okay. Let's try something else."_ Pidgeot began to glow with white fire, as he charged a Sky Attack.

"_I'm game,"_ Pikachu agreed, righting himself. _"By the way, Shockwave."_

Pidgeot cawed with surprise, as the globular attack pulsed out and crackled over him, breaking his concentration. _"How do you still have power for that?"_

"_It's called a Light Ball."_

With a gulp, Pidgeot swallowed his berry, and endured the next Shockwave more easily.

He looked down – they were still several thousand feet up.

It would take longer to reach the ground – where he could potentially escape – than his berry would last.

Put like that, the answer was easy. His wings beat more rapidly, summoning winds which whirled in a small space and grew ever stronger.

Then he released a Hurricane.

Pikachu was blown towards the ground at incredible speed. Pidgeot followed, wings hammering, and managed to barely stay inside the globe of electricity.

* * *

><p>Ash watched as the ball of light fell towards the ground. "That sped up a lot all of a sudden."<p>

Falkner nodded. "Any idea why?"

"Nope."

"Any idea what it _is?_"

"Pikachu does this sometimes." Ash shrugged. "Not too unusual."

Falkner gave his challenger another look. "Okay, now you scare me. I mean, I was confused by the rocket thing, but your attitude to a quarter-mile-wide ball of electricity _scares_ me."

* * *

><p>Kanto:<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh, hello!"<p>

Duplica waved to the trainers coming up the path. "It's good to see you. I can't thank you enough for how much you helped my poor Ditto."

"Our pleasure," James replied, smiling. "You do a great show."

"And such good outfits!" Jessie agreed.

"I'm glad you think so." Duplica took off her disguise. "Come in, please."

She piled the big Dragonite costume on a table. "I've been trying this one out... anyway, what did you want?"

"Well, we've been speaking to our boss," Jessie began. "He wanted to come around and see your work."

"He did?" Duplica blinked. "Oh, goodness..."

"Eh, don't worry," Meowth put his feet up. "It'll be fine, da boss ain't that bad once ya get to know him..."

"And I'm sure we'll feel more comfortable once we get to know him," James muttered.

"It's mainly for his mother, actually," Jessie continued. "Or that's what he said, anyway. Don't worry, Duplica – you'll be fine."

"Oh, thank you for the vote of confidence." Duplica nodded. "Anything you think they'd like?"

"I've got an idea," James suggested. "Perhaps we should help? I've got some lovely costumes..."

"Yeah, we all know about da Moltres," Meowth said, _sotto voce._

"Perhaps you could take requests?" Jessie proposed. "Add an extra element of challenge to it for you."

"That does sound like a good idea."

* * *

><p>"She's nice, ain't she..." Meowth said, as they left a few minutes later. "Cooks good, too – dose cookies are ta die for!"<p>

"She _is_," James agreed. "Wonder why Ash never turned up here?"

"He was probably doing somethin' important," Meowth shrugged. "Anyways – ain't like he helped all dat much last time, we're da ones who taught dat Ditto both times."

"True." Jessie grabbed a Pokéball off James' belt. "Right, let's go get lunch. Abra!"

Abra cracked open one eye, deposited them in the Seven Stars restaurant, and went firmly back to sleep.

"...okay, then," James said, looking around. "I guess we're having a battle first, then."

He blinked. "Isn't this place in Sinnoh?"

"Yes, it is," Jessie confirmed. "Let's hope we can convince Abra to wake up enough to send us back once we've eaten..."

* * *

><p>Violet City:<p>

* * *

><p>Pikachu clenched his teeth grimly, watching as the ground approached.<p>

Closer – now!

With a burst of electricity, he used Magnet Rise at maximum power, slowing rapidly and hitting the ground with merely enough force to bruise. The outer layer of his trap collapsed as he redirected the electrical energy, and Pidgeot used the chance to kick up a cloud of mud and dust from the ground with Mud-slap and ground out some of the now-dome-shaped electrical curtain.

He flew through as it reformed, tiny electrical sparks sleeting across his skin, and rounded a building just ahead of a hasty Thunderbolt.

Pikachu shrank down his globe to a few inches above his skin, hopped onto the side of the nearest building, and ran up it with Agility.

When he reached the top, he looked around – closing his eyes to search better.

Aura was strange, when you thought about it.

_Aha!_

Recreating the collapsed third layer, he expanded the globes out, shrank them down to rings, and set them spinning.

It had nearly worked against Suicune. It should work here.

* * *

><p>"What's your Pidgeot doing?" Ash asked.<p>

"It's a move called Roost," Falkner replied. "It lets Flying-types heal by resting somewhere high up where they're safe from attack."

"Yeah..." Ash winced, spotting Pikachu on a building a few streets away. "About that..."

"What?"

A line of electricity connected Pikachu's tiny form with a suspicious looking gargoyle on top of Sprout Tower, sending it jerking into the air before falling off.

"Holy Tornadus!" Falkner yelped, blinking and seeing an afterimage in front of his eyes. "What _was_ that?"

"Trade secret," Ash replied glibly.

* * *

><p>As Pidgeot had been Roosting, he hadn't actually been knocked out by the attack – amazingly. But he was clearly heavily damaged, and had in fact been set further back than he was before using Roost.<p>

Bolts of electricity snapping across his feathers as the charges equalized, he struggled for height, and Pikachu began sending out Thundershocks.

They weren't very strong – most of his energy had gone on the _perfect_ target for a Volt Crash – but they were enough to stop Pidgeot climbing and force him to stay behind cover.

For several tense seconds, Pikachu circled warily, trying to follow the moving dot in his aura vision. It was a lot harder to keep track of something moving so fast...

A blur resolved itself into Pidgeot, who bored in, delivered a Wing Attack and sped away. Pikachu launched another Thundershock after the evading bird, and sighed as it hit the stone facade of a building.

This could get annoying.

As his voltage wells started to recharge, he built up a Charge again to be ready in case an opportunity presented itself-

"_There!"_

Pikachu pulsed out a Thunder Wave.

Pidgeot tried to evade, but wasn't quite able to turn in time. He ran into the paralyzing attack, wobbled in the air, and came crashing down on top of Violet Gym.

* * *

><p>"Pidgeot!" Falkner said, running over to him. "Are you okay?"<p>

Electricity crackled over Pidgeot's form, and he twitched. _"I... I've been paralyzed."_

"He says he's paralyzed," Ash translated. Over on the other building, Pikachu jumped up and down to see what was going on.

Falkner whispered something to his Pidgeot, who nodded. The Gym Leader sighed, and stood. "Pidgeot is unable to battle. I'm going to switch to my last Pokémon."

"I'll do the same," Ash replied. "Hey! Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded in the distance.

"Nice work! Return!"

Pikachu nodded, and walked off towards the roof door.

"Where's he going?" Falkner asked, rummaging around for a Paralyz Heal and spraying his Pidgeot.

"Probably to use the lift." Ash shrugged. "He doesn't like Pokéballs. Anyway."

He picked the other 'ball up. "Okay. Ready?"

Falkner nodded. "Skarmory!"

"Pidgeot!"

Falkner's Pidgeot shook his head, regaining feeling in his wings and legs. He looked up, and blinked. _"Wow."_

Ash's Pidgeot glanced down at him, then took off. Skarmory chose to walk to the edge of the roof and drop off, using the fall to gain flight speed.

* * *

><p>Mount Quena:<p>

* * *

><p>Mewtwo looked up. <em>I see I have a visitor.<em>

"_My apologies for arriving unannounced."_ Ho-Oh drifted down over the crater rim of Mount Quena, wings catching the slightest breeze, and alighted in a clearing near the clones' homes.

"_I would have sent Suicune, but she was busy. I trust you are well?"_

_Better now._ Mewtwo glanced skywards. _No rainbow?_

"_I wish to respect your desire for privacy. A large sparkling rainbow is contraindicated."_ Ho-Oh folded his wings with finicky precision. _"I have heard from Mew that you are more at peace now."_

_Better than I was the first time, at any point._ Mewtwo glanced towards the village of cloned Pokémon, and smiled. _I have learned to take joy in my friends – almost my children, I suppose – and in becoming more than I was intended to be._

He coughed. _My forays into the arts, however, have not gone well._

Ho-Oh chuckled.

The two Legends stood across from one another for a silent half-minute.

"_You have memories of the other time,"_ Ho-Oh said, eventually. _"What differs?"_

_First..._ Mewtwo's mouth twisted. _I was far more antisocial. Far, far more. As it is, I occasionally speak to a human or two – hundreds of miles from here, creating the impression I live to the north – but I am still a recluse... but in that other time, I wiped the memories of all who knew of me and hid underground._

"_Except Ash, and his friends,"_ Ho-Oh added.

_The first time, I did. Not the second._ Mewtwo paused. _It's curious, you know... whenever I met them, those three Rockets. The blue haired one, the redhead and the Meowth..._

"_I know the ones,"_ Ho-Oh confirmed. _"The ones who Ash Ketchum brought back in time, in mind at least."_

_Yes. Well, they were always on his side. It is a most curious thing. I was startled to learn they were usually antagonistic._

Ho-Oh nodded. _"People change."_

_Yes._ Mewtwo looked to the sky, to the bright sun in the cloudless blue. _Yes, they do._

A white shape flew overhead. _"Welcome, lord Ho-Oh!"_

_Ah. Togekisstwo._ Mewtwo nodded to her. _Ho-Oh, will you be able to stay?_

"_I have little that is urgent to do,"_ Ho-Oh replied. _"I can spare the afternoon."_

_Excellent. Togekisstwo, please inform the others that we will have a guest._

As the Jubilee clone flew back to the village, Ho-Oh raised an eyebrow. _"Are they all still named with numbers?"_

_They are._

Ho-Oh chuckled. _"That might cause some confusion, since Lugia tells me that Riolu at least has evolved."_

_He has?_ Mewtwo nodded to himself. _Interesting._

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the topic. _We should eat. I'm sure the others have a lot to say to you._

Ho-Oh cocked his head, then smiled, and started walking forward on his clawed feet. _"I'm sure they do."_

* * *

><p>Violet City:<p>

* * *

><p>Pidgeot came around in a tight curve, spinning off an air control layer and using it to foul Skarmory's climb. He snarled, and launched an Air Cutter at her.<p>

Pidgeot accelerated, leaving the air cutter behind, and dodged behind a building.

A few seconds later, she came out of the maze behind Skarmory, and hit him with a Razor Wind.

Almost unharmed, the tough Steel-type sped towards her, using his respectable speed to try and intercept. Pidgeot pulled up into a Kulbit, leaving him grasping on air, then rolled upside down as she righted herself and dove.

With a screech, Skarmory followed her – right down to the deck.

She flitted down the street at a little above head height, going between the lamp-posts and having to climb to avoid hitting a bus. Skarmory followed her, matching her movements, and using the occasional shortcut to close the gap on her.

Then she was out, going over the academy low enough to make the weathervane spin wildly, and soaring back into the sky. Wings of air formed, snapping out with a low _boom_, and she went on a great shallow circle out as far as Dark Cave before coming back in.

In her wake, currents of air began to seethe and combine into a much larger Razor Wind.

She blew past Skarmory at about five hundred miles an hour, evading his Steel Wing attack, and the Razor Wind hit him from behind.

Still barely injured, Skarmory began to circle and build his own air constructs – while climbing higher and higher with each turn.

* * *

><p>"Your Pidgeot is magnificent," Falkner said, watching her as she periodically hammered Skarmory with Gusts or Razor Winds, flying on a complicated looping trajectory which brought her in-and-out too fast for the slower Steel-type to react.<p>

"_I'll say..."_ Falkner's own Pidgeot said absently, following her with his gaze.

There was a _creak_ sound, and the doors opened.

Pikachu walked out, and dramatically flopped to the floor. _"Why doesn't Falkner have a lift?"_

"Pikachu..." Ash shook his head, and picked the Electric Mouse up. "Did you take the stairs?"

"_I had to, there's no lift."_

"You're exaggerating, aren't you." Ash placed Pikachu back in his customary shoulder-riding position, and turned back to the battle. "Oh, here we go!"

Falkner had seen it too. He, Ash and Pikachu covered their ears at the same time, just before the first sonic boom arrived.

* * *

><p>A condensation shock cloud formed and broke around Pidgeot as she reached mach one, and she released her Gust at maximum speed. She went back down through the sound barrier again and it shot past, aiming to hit Skarmory's current project.<p>

"_Hah!"_ Skarmory made a sweeping motion with his wing, and the ball of swirling wind he'd created burst apart into a wave of Air Slashes just before the Gust hit

Pidgeot was clipped by one of them at the closest point of her attack run, which destabilized her air control envelope for a moment and made her flight path worryingly erratic until she could reform it.

Clearly, this strategy of repeated close-in attacks was no longer tenable. And direct physical attacks on a Pokémon with wings made out of swords was just plain stupid.

Option two, then. Long range.

Strengthening her air-construct wings, she bored skywards. The abused sound barrier broke again, resulting in a long and thunderous _rumble_ sound heard throughout Violet City.

By now, school was most definitely _out_. Everyone was watching, as their local Gym Leader faced the toughest challenge in years.

Reaching operating altitude – two miles up – Pidgeot's ascent slowed. She began to circle, layering wind into a series of nested rotating cylinders.

Fortunately, their battle had drifted over water. That was going to be useful.

She needed a backstop.

* * *

><p>Skarmory glowed, using Autotomize, and shedding weight for speed.<p>

He didn't quite understand how it worked, but it made him weigh far less than usual – and a _lot_ faster.

Now, he should be able to surprise that Pidgeot. She wasn't the only one who could go supersonic.

Skarmory looked up, trying to tell if she was on the way down. If not, he'd have to go up to face her, but that might accidentally reveal his now-greater speed by the way he flew.

When he did, he saw something... worrying.

An almost invisible circular... no, cylindrical... shape, coming out of the sky towards him.

As it dropped, it became easier to see, condensation forming as it incorporated and cooled the more humid air near the lake.

That was about when Skarmory recognized it as nothing less than a funnel cloud.

"_What the heck?"_ Skarmory stared for a moment, then yelped and flew for it.

The tornado's cloud followed him, snaking along the length of the lake, and he soon discovered the downside of his newly lowered weight – it made it much harder to resist the increasingly powerful winds pulling him back _towards_ the funnel.

With a gigantic splash, the tornado touched down and began to draw up water from the lake itself. Skarmory flew harder, bringing up reserves he didn't know he had, and finally broke away from the sucking vortex of wind.

Pidgeot watched for a moment, then cancelled the tornado.

"_Hah!"_ Skarmory called into the sky, as it began to rain back a significant fraction of lake (and some rather surprised Magikarp). _"What do you think about that?"_

* * *

><p>Pidgeot fixed her target, and inhaled.<p>

It was a massive inhalation. Far more than a Pokémon her size should have been able to – but none of it actually went into her lungs.

No, it was all focused together in a very small point just ahead of her beak.

Just before the air temperature and pressure reached the point it would flash to plasma, she opened a tiny cavity in the air-control marshalling the ball of concentrated air.

And the sky split open.

* * *

><p>Petalburg City:<p>

* * *

><p>"So, kids!" Norman said, spreading his arms. "What do you think of our new house?"<p>

May and Max looked it over. Then, they exchanged a glance.

"Well," May said, frowning. "If I get the first room to the left as you go up the stairs, that'll be fine. Otherwise, I hate it and can we move to Unova?"

"I'll take the first to the right," Max added. "Otherwise, I'd prefer Kalos."

"But you've... never..." Norman lowered his hands. "Oh, yeah. Forgot."

"It's okay, Dad." May's frown turned into a smile. "We're just having fun with you. It's the same house we lived in last time, so we know it well."

"That's good to hear." The newly transferred Gym Leader sighed. "I'm still getting used to this whole... time... travel... thing?"

"So are we." Max held up his Pokedex – like May, his rarely left his side now. "Kris and I have been looking back over Ash's League challenge, and it's really bizarre to see him doing things like that."

"Yeah," May agreed. "He was already strong, but now..."

Norman couldn't think of anything to say for a few seconds, so stayed quiet. Then he realized there was a question he could ask.

"You called your Porygon... Kris?"

"I did."

That is correct. Kris beeped. Max placed her chassis on the ground, and she formed around it. We discussed the matter, and Max decided to name me Kris.

"I see. Well, nice to meet you. I think we're going to see a lot of one another for the next year or so."

As do I.

Norman turned to May. "Have you named yours?"

She frowned. "Not really... we didn't settle on a name."

"Well, let me know if you do." Norman clapped his children on the shoulders, one each. "I don't fully follow what's happened to you, kids. But I'll help as much as I can. That means – if your new Pokémon need training, let me know and I'll help. I'd feel better if you had a strong Pokémon by your side when you set off."

"I already will," May assured him. "Ash said he can restore Pokémon who he knew a lot, and my Blaziken counts."

"Still." Norman squeezed, then released their shoulders. "I want to help. And Normal-types are my specialty."

"Norman! Kids!"

"Sounds like your mother wants to speak to us," Norman said. "We'd better hurry."

* * *

><p>"There you are." Norman's wife nodded at the kitchen counter. "I just noticed – there was a package waiting for us on the doorstep, and the movers put it in one of the drawers."<p>

"Thanks, dear." Norman picked it up. "It's addressed to... well, the two of you, May, Max."

May, as the oldest, took it. "It says it's from Akihibara Industries? Isn't that the man who makes that CyberMon programme?"

Aha! Kris said. I think I know what this must be.

"Well?" Max asked.

Open it and see.

May duly did so, revealing a bubble-wrapped package with two small objects inside. One was a small octagonal medallion which appeared to be made of bronze, the other a red brooch shaped like a feather.

I thought so! Kris floated over to the table. These are our projectors. Both of you pick one, and we'll hard-code them to respond to us. It's how we can battle without the Pokedex being inside.

Brother and sister glanced at one another.

After a few seconds, May picked up the brooch. "I'll take this one, I think."

"Fine by me." Max collected the medallion, and held it out to Kris.

Accessing... hard-writing authentication code into PROMs.

May placed her own projector onto her Pokedex. "Is that close enough?"

It is.

The process took not much more than a minute, with first one and then the other Porygon reporting the process complete.

May picked hers up again. "So... this is you now?"

One part of me. I can use either.

"Wow." She toyed with it for a moment longer. "Ethan."

Pardon?

"I think I'll call you Ethan." She smiled. "Seems right somehow."

Ethan it is.

* * *

><p>Violet gym roof:<p>

* * *

><p>"That's..." Falkner's jaw dropped. "That's... Aeroblast..."<p>

"You know it?" Ash asked.

"I've only ever read about it," he said, absently. The enormously powerful blast of focused air, glowing faintly even at noon, hit Skarmory like a freight train and drove him entirely into the waters of the lake. "It's the attack known only by Lugia."

"_Almost_ only by Lugia," Ash corrected.

"_I think I'm in love,"_ Falkner's Pidgeot said, beak hanging open.

"I..." Falkner shook his head, as Pidgeot splashed into the lake herself and pulled the unconscious Skarmory back out. "There's no... you win the Zephyr badge. No-one's ever earned it more than you."

Ash declined to mention his _other _powerful Flying types. "All right!"

He grinned. "Hey, at least your gym didn't get broken, right?"

"That's true." Falkner exhaled. "But I'm going to have to explain things to the people of Violet City..."

* * *

><p>"Well?" Misty asked.<p>

"I got the badge, that's what!" Ash patted Pidgeot's wing. "Thanks to some lovely work from Pidgeot, Charizard and Pikachu!"

"I think you might have overdone it, Ash," Brock said. "Have you noticed that Charizard used Blast Burn, Pikachu used Volt Crash and Pidgeot used Aeroblast? The poor man!"

"...oops." Ash shrugged. "Oh well, he'll get over it."

He turned to Brock. "So, where next?"

"Azalea Town, eventually." Brock examined his map. "This way."

"Hold on a moment." Ash turned to Pidgeot. "See you soon, Pidgeot."

"_I hope to be there when you need me, Ash,"_ Pidgeot said. _"I'll help the Professor keep an eye on Sinnoh once I've perfected Aeroblast, but – if you need me, I'll be there."_

"That's all I could ask for," Ash replied. "Good luck."

Pidgeot tucked her Pokéball into a small bag, to let her use the transit system if needed, and took off in a rush of wind.

"_Nice to see her,"_ Pikachu commented, as she climbed into the sky and headed off south – to the Orange Islands once more. 'The scenic route', she'd called it.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I wish I'd gone back for her before... last time, I mean."

Pikachu nodded.

"_Um..."_

They turned, to see Brock's Stantler. He was looking puzzled, one hoof raised. _"Was that Pokémon one of yours?"_

"She's my Pidgeot, yeah," Ash confirmed. "As far as I'm concerned, if a Pokémon of mine wants to live somewhere else, they can. It's their choice."

"_Right."_ Stantler nodded. _"Thank you for explaining it. Do all humans do that?"_

"Not all of them, no." Ash shrugged awkwardly. "I guess we all try to do our best."

"_I see."_

Brock and Misty were already headed south. "Hurry up, Ash, there's still a good few hours of daylight!"

"Coming!" Ash called back. "We'd better catch up."

Stantler trotted alongside, asking occasional questions about the battle, as they headed to join their friends.

* * *

><p>Unova:<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>What do you think?"<em>

A tall, blue Pokémon frowned. "_I don't know. It is a long way, you must admit."_

The Grass-type Pokémon who had asked the question tossed her head. "_We've been further before."_

"_That is true."_

A third Pokémon frowned. "_What's the trouble? Virizion, Cobalion, you know what I think."_

"_Yes, we do, Terrakion."_ Cobalion smiled. "_You always say exactly what's on your mind, all the time – and you think we should cross the ocean."_

"_Of course I do!"_ Terrakion snorted. "_Danger? Since when has danger stopped us? Or is it distance? We wouldn't be the Swords of Justice if we let distance get in the way of going where we're needed!"_

Virizon raised a hoof, cutting off Terrakion's speech. "_Cobalion, I think the question is clear. It is whether we are needed."_

She went on. "_We have a Pokémon created by humans, who was used as a weapon until he escaped his entrapment. We have many clones, Pokémon who were often created as adults. And we have all of them residing in peace."_

Putting her hoof down with a _clop_, Virizon completed her case. "_Maybe that does not sound like we are needed, but I argue something slightly different. _We_ need to go there. To learn from them what we can, and how they managed to overcome such handicaps."_

Cobalion inclined his head. "_Well said, Virizon. Very well, I agree. Now, only one question remains."_

"_Ah."_ Virizon nodded. "_A difficult question indeed."_

"_No it's not!"_ Terrakion looked between his friends. "_We take him. It's not even a question we should have to discuss."_

Terrakion nodded firmly. "_Sure, he's not one of us yet. But he's going to be. And you keep saying what he needs to learn is inner peace – where else is he gonna get it?"_

Cobalion considered that. "_An excellent point,"_ he said eventually. "_Keldeo joins us."_

"_Yes!"_

All three Swords looked around.

"_I mean, uh..."_ Keldeo trotted out from behind a nearby rock. "_Sorry for listening in..."_

Virizon smirked slightly. "_Well, Keldeo, as you overheard – a new piece of work for you, to test your ability to plan."_

"_I'm ready!"_ Keldeo nodded firmly.

"_How are we going to get to Johto?"_

The Colt Pokémon blinked. "_Uh... might have to get back to you on that one..."_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Poor Falkner. He'd probably have a stroke if he knew that Ash (technically) has _two_ Flying-type legendaries.

Did something unusual for this chapter with the switching viewpoints, letting us get a look in on the Beast trio, Gary, Oak Ranch, the Rockets, Mewtwo, Max and May, and some Unovans. For a good reason – it's chapter 50!

Also it means the fic is now past the two-hundred-thousand word threshold.

Edit - whoops, forgot the é in Poké. Hopefully I got all of them.

I'll just take this opportunity to mention that this fic has a Trope page... edits welcome.


	51. Johto 5

"This is a really big mountain," Ash panted. "With this in one direction and the forest in the other, how do people ever get to Azalea town in a normal amount of time anyway?"

Brock checked the map. "Union cave."

Correct, Dexter supplied. The cave is a route to connect Route 32 and Route 33 without requiring people to go hiking.

"Should have taken it the first time..." Ash said. "Oh well, guess this route has compensations."

"_You're telling me."_ Charizard looked around him, and sniffed the air. _"I could fly there from here, actually... but I'll wait."_

Ash grinned, and thumped the big orange Pokémon on the side. It did nothing perceptible. "We'll miss you, ya big lunk."

Charizard nodded.

"Hello, travellers!"

Ash kept looking at Charizard for a moment longer, and saw him close his eyes for a moment to steel himself.

Then he turned to the woman standing atop one wall of the canyon.

"Hello yourself!" he called back. "Who are you?"

"Liza," the dragon tamer replied – as Ash had already known. "And you're Ash Ketchum. I've heard about you. You've got a Charizard, haven't you?"

Ash and Charizard exchanged a look.

"Yeah..." Ash said, slowly.

"Right!" She slid down the rocky canyon wall with very little effort, and landed with bent knees. Straightening, she jogged over to Ash and shook his hand. "Sorry, I've been doing this for a while and most people don't have their Charizard out."

Charizard snorted. _"Their loss."_

Liza looked intent. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"_You speak Pokémon?"_ Pikachu asked.

The dragon tamer's reaction showed she didn't.

"Pikachu wondered if you spoke Pokémon," Ash supplied.

"Right." Liza shook her head. "I'm afraid I only understand Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard – I spend almost all my time around them."

"Neat."

"Well." Liza twirled her cane. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to come to the Charicific Valley with me – it's a place where Charizard train to become as strong as possible."

"Sure!" Ash agreed readily. He shot a look at Charizard, who nodded.

"Well, then." Liza twirled her cane again, and called out to the sky. "Charla!"

Ash sent another glance over at Charizard, who took a deep breath.

Then, with a roar, Charla soared over the wall of the canyon.

* * *

><p><em>She doesn't remember me,<em> Charizard reminded himself.

It was hard. Very hard, to see the Pokémon who had become his mate – who trusted him, fought by his side – seeing him as just another Charizard, and a newcomer at that.

Charizard had known this was coming, though. And he was one of Ash's strongest Pokémon.

Strong didn't just mean being able to beat up other Pokémon.

_I can do this._

Misty and Brock climbed aboard the balloon Charla carried behind her. Liza was ready to tell Ash he wasn't going to get a ride, but Ash pre-empted her.

"Should I ride Charizard in?"

Liza nodded. "Good idea!"

_As if she wasn't going to insist._ Charizard chuckled. _"Okay, Ash. Climb on!"_

"Just a sec, Charizard." Ash faced Liza. "Mind if Charizard and I... show off a bit? When we come into the valley?"

Liza grinned. "You can try to show off, but Charific Valley Charizard are _really_ strong."

That made both trainer and Pokémon hide a smile.

Beating her wings, Charla took off, pulling the gondola behind her and soaring out towards the Valley. Charizard waited until Ash was fully seated, and then did a running takeoff in the same direction.

Charla didn't fly straight back towards the Valley. Instead, she took her passengers on a dog-leg route, which Charizard paced relatively easily.

Concentrating on flying, he allowed himself to give his other-time mate a look over.

She was a very attractive Charizard. Exactly as he remembered her – strong, fast, and somehow indefinably dainty.

Charla glanced back, and saw him looking. She... didn't approve, precisely, but nor did she look angry about it. She seemed to be still making up her mind.

_Fine by me._

Smirking, Charla did a sharp turn to the right, towards the Valley. Charizard matched it, staying in formation, and winked.

He wasn't quite sure if that had won him any points, but it didn't hurt to try.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Charizard!" Ash patted his neck, as they came over the valley wall and saw the full glory of the Charicific Valley. "Time to show 'em what you can do!"<p>

Charizard roared. _"Sounds good to me! Hold on tight, Ash!"_

Ash laughed, and Charizard felt the gentle warmth on his back which told him Ash was using Aura to hold on.

Which was probably a good idea.

"Show 'em your Flamethrower!"

Inhaling, Charizard let his fire build and build. After about five seconds, it was a roiling hot coal in his throat – and then he exhaled.

A rippling stream of flame, fifty feet long and more, erupted forth. It started off thin, then widened and shortened until it was a squat cone bathing an area larger than he was at close range.

Charizard held the flame, turning it back from short to long, and rolled in the air with his wings in. The Flamethrower spiralled out and became a Fire Spin, closer than his normal wingspan but not even touching his trainer, before snapping outwards and dissipating as he spread his wings again and pulled up.

His tail kissed the water of the Valley lake, raising a cloud of steam, and he was up again.

"Nice work!" Ash called, looking down. "You certainly got their attention!"

Charizard glanced down, seeing over a dozen other big dragons following him – assessing his skill and power.

"_Then let's give them more of a show!"_

This time, Charizard used Dragonbreath. The stream of mystical fire was shorter than his Flamethrower, but glowed brightly even under the sunlight.

Ending that attack, Charizard flew through it, and spat a Dragon Rage ball back at it. That was followed up with an Overheat, which went down to the waters of the lake and flash-boiled a hemisphere into instant steam.

A Fire Blast went up, detonating high overhead in a five-pointed star which faded to a thick cloud of black smoke.

"That's enough of this Charmeleon stuff!" Ash called, laughing. "Show them what you're _really_ made of! Draco Meteor!"

Charizard obliged, punching up his newly learned attack. It wasn't very big, not as Draco Meteor attacks went, but it was still something almost unique – and, to his delight, he heard at least one draconic gasp from below as it rose into the air and detonated.

He dove, flying through the sleet of smaller meteors as they rained down on the lake surface and using all his hard-learned skill to dodge between them.

"Woo-hoo!" Ash shouted, laughing, as they emerged.

Pikachu didn't have much to say, and Charizard quickly checked he hadn't fallen off at some point.

The electric mouse was, indeed, still onboard. He was clinging grimly to Ash's clothes, silent – but clearly opinionated about the wisdom of all this.

Ash noticed it too, and grabbed Pikachu with one hand. "No more acrobatics, Charizard – but you may as well show off."

Charizard's ears perked up. He knew what was coming.

"Blast Burn. Full power."

"_Oh, this is going to be good."_

Aura built up in Charizard's mouth, and he fired.

A thin line of blue gas shot out of his mouth, spreading as it rose until it became a gigantic globe in the sky.

Charizard's aura coated the superheated hydrogen, keeping it separate from the oxygen in the air and preventing combustion... until he was ready.

Then it caught at his mouth, the fire racing up to the globe overhead. It sped up around the edges of the cone and slowed in the centre as Charizard finessed the combustion, in a way that couldn't really be trusted to work in battle but was just _fine_ for showing off.

After about three seconds, the detonation front had formed a complete hollow sphere, enclosing unburned gas. Then it flashed inwards in all directions, driving the pressure in the core of the remaining fuel higher and higher as the shockwave drove in-

For a tiny fraction of a second, the temperature and pressure in the core of the gas crossed a threshold.

And a tiny star briefly sparked into life.

As it did, it destroyed the conditions required, and so the resultant blast wasn't nearly as powerful as the technical term might suggest. But the technical term was "thermonuclear explosion", so it was still a very, very big bang.

* * *

><p>Charizard came gliding down, steering with small movements of his wings, and landed gently in front of Charla and Liza.<p>

Ash disembarked, and patted him on the shoulder. "Nice work, Charizard."

He looked up, and found Liza was nearly touching him. "Erk!"

"What. On Earth. Was _that?_"

Liza gestured at Charizard. "That was – and I can't believe I'm saying this – a more powerful version of _Blast Burn!_ How did he learn that? This is the only place in the _world_ that teaches even the base move to Charizard!"

Ash gulped. _Rumbled._

He exchanged a look with Charizard, then sighed. "Yes, that was Blast Burn. He learned it _here_, and then we refined it together_._"

Liza gave Charizard a longer, appraising look, then shook her head. "Impossible. He's never been here before."

"Not yet, no." Ash took a deep breath. "We were involved in time travel. About this time, in the other future, Charizard came here to the Valley to train."

"_Is that why he was looking at me like that?"_ Charla asked. _"I wondered – he seemed to know me. But he was sad as well."_

"_Yes."_ Charizard slammed a foot into the floor. _"Yes – I knew you, Charla. I know you. But you don't know me."_

He scowled, swiping at his eye to dash away a tear. _"I... I hope you'll come to feel the same again as you did last time."_

Charla blinked. _"...well, I wasn't expecting that."_

"What is this?" Liza asked, looking between the drake and dragoness. "A soap opera?"

"_Probably."_ Charizard snorted laughter, glad for the break in tension. _"Hopefully we won't have to fake each others deaths or something, though."_

Charla surprised herself by giggling.

After a moment, she subsided. _"I don't... okay, we can work this out later."_

"_I'm glad to have a chance to at all,"_ Charizard admitted.

"So... you're staying here?" Liza asked.

"I wouldn't take him away from here if he wanted to stay," Ash confirmed. He rummaged in a pocket, and plucked out one of the transceivers. "Oh – don't forget this."

Charizard took it, and his Pokéball. _"I won't. Call me if you need me, Ash."_

"Only if I need you," Ash confirmed. "I'll call you for the League, though!"

"_Of course – you're going to need me there!"_

Pikachu hopped forward. _"I'll miss you, you big idiot."_

Ash released his other Pokémon as Charizard bent down and nodded at the Electric-type. _"Don't be a stranger, Pikachu. Keep Ash out of trouble."_

He looked up to Lucario, and locked eyes with him. _"That goes for you, too. Actually, all of you. Ash needs a lot of keeping out of trouble."_

"Hey!" Ash laughed.

"_Good luck,"_ Ivysaur said, waving. _"Don't go all Squirtle!"_

Bayleef gave him a confused look, then spoke up herself. _"I never really got to know you, Charizard – I think we only met a few times, at the League – but you're a good Pokémon. Enjoy yourself."_

"_Never fear." _Charizard snorted.

Heracross didn't know the big dragon very well either. For lack of anything better to do, he waved. _"Good luck?"_

And don't blow up too much scenery.

Brock's Pokémon came over then, and then Misty's, and the goodbyes ended up taking nearly ten minutes before everyone had said everything they wanted to say.

Ash got in one last hug. "You're awesome, Charizard," he said, blinking back tears. "See you later."

Then he turned, and followed Misty and Brock down the mountainside.

* * *

><p>"<em>So..." <em>Charizard said, once his trainer had gone out of sight. _"What happens now?"_

"_I don't know." _Charla frowned. _"You were... my mate?"_

"_Yeah, but..."_ Charizard's tail slapped the ground, causing cracks. _"I don't want it to be just – hey, we were mates, let's do it again... that's stupid."_

"_I wasn't even suggesting that,"_ Charla replied hotly. _"I just wanted to know-"_

"_Here I go, putting my foot in it again."_ Smoke seeped from Charizard's mouth for a moment. _"Look... let's just start with... I know you, but you don't know me. I'd like to get to know you, because I like you. But you take the initiative."_

"Victini's ears," Liza said with feeling. "This _is_ a soap opera. Please tell me you at least have the release-lock on your Blast Burn?"

"_Both normal and advanced, yes."_ Charizard nodded firmly.

"Well... that's something."

* * *

><p>"Sunflora..." Ash frowned. "Can't quite remember what it is about this place..."<p>

One of the Pokéballs at his waist flashed, and opened.

"_I'd like to give this a try, please,"_ Bayleef said.

"Uh... sure," Ash agreed.

Bayleef walked forwards, and stopped short of the Sunflora. _"You alright?"_

The Sunflora, Sunny, frowned. _"Not really..."_

Bayleef sat down next to him. _"Mind telling me about it?"_

"_I guess not."_ Sunny sighed. _"I know this other Sunflora, Gwendela. She was traded to a man called Cyrus, and she's not around any more."_

Bayleef nodded sympathetically. _"Being apart from a good friend can be terrible, can't it."_

She pondered, then smiled. _"I know. I'll have my trainer ask about that other Sunflora, and we can talk while he sorts it out."_

Her buds loosened slightly. _"Maybe this will help. I know Aromatherapy."_

Sunny inhaled. _"That _is_ a nice smell. What is it?"_

"_Honeysuckle,"_ Bayleef supplied. _"Hold on a moment."_

* * *

><p>"Oh, <em>that's<em> what I was forgetting," Ash said. "Thanks, Bayleef."

"_No problem."_ Bayleef began to say something else, but stopped. Then she smiled. "_I'll stay here with the Sunflora."_

"Got it." Ash nodded. "Thanks again. He traded her to the local Joy, right?"

_"Right."_

Lucario raised a paw. _"This isn't... _that _Cyrus, is it?"_

* * *

><p>It wasn't.<p>

* * *

><p>"That went well," Misty remarked. "Nice work, Bayleef."<p>

"_Thanks."_ Bayleef frowned. _"Can I try the next one too? Helping people makes me feel... useful, I suppose."_

She shook her head. _"There's certainly no way I'm going to be able to catch up to Pokémon like Pikachu and Charizard."_

"_We might not be the best Pokémon to measure yourself against,"_ Pikachu said tactfully.

* * *

><p>Carefully, Bayleef reeled the Oddish back into the bank.<p>

"_I know you're feeling confused right now,"_ she told it. _"I know a... similar feeling."_ She glanced back at Ash for a moment. _"Wanting to be part of a group you're just not."_

"_But... can it really be like that?"_ the Oddish asked. _"I feel that I _am_ a Hoppip. Just... not a normal one. Why would I feel that way if I wasn't really meant to be a Hoppip?"_

"_I don't know,"_ Bayleef admitted. _"I'm still working on that one myself."_

She sighed. _"But it's important to make sure that that isn't the only thing about you. You're an Oddish who wants to be a Hoppip... or you're a Hoppip who happens to look like an Oddish. Oddish is part of who you are, even if it's not all of it."_

Oddish looked down.

"_How?"_ it asked. _"How do you handle it, then?"_

"_By being a friend. I do what I can."_ Bayleef tapped a foot, pondering. _"Hmmm... do you know Petal Dance?"_

"_No..."_ Oddish admitted.

"_Well, then. If you learn that move, which other Hoppip can't learn, you can blow them around when they need it! That's something only you can do."_

"_I... see!"_ Oddish nodded, more firmly this time. _"Thanks!"_

Bayleef smiled. _"Oh – and you might want to invest in a parasail, too. Perhaps you can find a friendly Spinarak to spin you one."_

"_That sounds nice."_

* * *

><p>"Two for two!" Ash complimented. "What about the next town, think you can do that one as well?"<p>

"_I'll give it a go."_ Bayleef nodded firmly. _"After the last one, how hard can it be?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>...what."<em>

Pikachu nodded. _"I second that. What."_

"Oh, I'd forgotten this..." Ash said, to which Brock and Misty agreed wholeheartedly.

"Fear not, citizens!" announced a man in a costume. "For _**GLIGARMAN**_ will save the day!"

Lucario looked interested for a moment, until Pikachu gave him a discreet kick.

"_Okay, there's no way I can solve this one."_ Bayleef shrugged. _"Let's keep going."_

* * *

><p>"Unfortunately," the dojo leader said with a sigh. "Not all of my students are as... dedicated, as I am. There is one in particular who I'm thinking of."<p>

"Who's that?" Brock asked.

"His name is Shingo." Muramasa shook his head. "He feels Pokémon battles are all about numbers and analysis."

The friends exchanged glances. Then Pikachu started to giggle.

"Why is your Pokémon... laughing?" Muramasa asked, frowning.

"...yeah, probably because of me," Ash admitted. "_I_ can't make sense of half the battles I win."

"_Numbers! Analysis!"_ Pikachu repeated, still giggling. _"That's just silly!"_

Hey!

Pikachu shrugged, the occasional giggle escaping his lips despite his best efforts to return to a sober expression. _"Didn't work very well on Pumello, did it?"_

...true.

"Okay, I'll sort him out!" Ash said, clenching his fist. "Don't worry, mister Muramasa!"

"If you think you can," Muramasa agreed.

* * *

><p>Shingo tapped on his keyboard. "Let's see..."<p>

He blinked. "Oh. Okay, I refuse to fight you."

"What!" Ash asked hotly. "Why?"

Shingo turned the screen around.

Misty read it out. "Ash Ketchum. Winner of the Indigo and Orange leagues, this young trainer is probably insane-" She stopped. "Probably insane?"

"It fits," Brock admitted.

Ash looked hurt.

"The good kind of insane, though."

Ash looked mollified.

Misty resumed. "-probably insane and completely unorthodox, and so are his Pokémon. Half the things they do should be impossible. His preferred style is probably sweeper, but it's hard to tell. His starter Pokémon is a Pikachu. Class – probably A."

She glanced over at Ash, who seemed unable to decide if the description as a whole was a compliment or not.

"Interesting," she said.

"As you can see, my system predicts that I'd lose against Ash," Shingo said. "So I'm not even going to bother trying."

Brock had withdrawn a little way, and was having a conversation with his Pokémon.

As Shingo finished, he walked back over. "I'll challenge you."

Shingo glanced down at the laptop again, then accessed his database. "You're a gym leader. Rock type speciality... hmmm... okay, I should win this."

* * *

><p>Stantler gulped.<p>

It had sounded a lot easier to say he'd do this before the reality was in front of him...

"_Good luck!"_ Togekiss called from the sidelines.

Stantler glanced over at her, then took a deep breath and nodded. _"Okay."_

"Blade!" Shingo instructed. "Quick Attack!"

The Scizor, Blade, flashed forwards. Its pincer extended in a punch -

and hit nothing.

The illusory faun vanished, and Stantler reappeared – stood about ten feet to the right.

"Confuse ray!" Brock called.

"Metal claw!" Shingo ordered in return.

Blade spun, recovering from his overbalancing attack. As he advanced, a beam of orange light shone from the balls on Stantlers' antlers, playing over Blade's eyes and making him blink.

The Steel-type attack arrived a moment later – and hit nothing.

Another illusion disappeared. This time, Stantler turned out to be behind Blade.

"You're doing great!" Brock praised. "Now, Sand-Attack!"

Nodding, Stantler turned his back and kicked up a spray of sand as Blade turned again. The Scizor blinked, squinting around to see where his target was.

"Metal claw!" Shingo said again.

Stantler jumped forwards before Blade could target, and waved his horns in Blade's face. As the Scizor reflexively flinched, Stantler delivered a small kick which barely did anything, then jumped off and cantered away.

"Great work with that Astonish!" Brock called, as Scizor shook his head to steady himself.

"Hit him!" Shingo snapped. "Quick attack! Why isn't this working?"

Scizor blurred forwards, and attacked. This time, Stantler didn't quite get out of the way in time – he cried out, as Blade hit his flank.

"Finally!" Shingo glanced down at his computer, then back up. "That did almost a third of his hit points in damage! Quick Attack again!"

Blade complied, pressing his advantage. The attack was a little wobbly, but it connected, sending Stantler sprawling.

"Stantler!" Brock called.

"One more attack should do it..." Shingo mused. "False Swipe."

Claw glowing, Blade attacked. The False Swipe connected, making Stantler cry out again with the impact.

"Give up," Shingo said. "He's only on one HP now, he's just about to – eh?"

His screen shimmered.

"Stantler," said Stantler, from just behind him.

The illusion faded.

Shingo tried to take in everything at once. First, the Stantler fawn standing next to him, frowning down at the screen.

Then, the screen itself, as it shimmered and changed – Stantler's health bar going from nearly empty to pristine, and Blade's collapsing.

And finally, the battlefield itself. Where – dazed, confused, and chasing an illusion for the last minute or so – Blade had gradually beaten himself silly.

"What?" Shingo gaped. "How did you-?"

"It's Hypnosis." Brock walked over, and scratched Stantler under the chin. "Good work, Stantler! Just like we practiced – and good thinking!"

Stantler beamed, nuzzling into Brock's petting.

"It's because Hypnosis doesn't just put a Pokémon or person asleep," Brock went on. "Stantler can use it to make realistic illusions. Stantler here made sure he wasn't going to be hurt by Blade very easily, then did a little bit of damage, and used that to see what you were expecting to see on your screen."

Stantler said something. Brock listened, and nodded.

"He didn't get it quite right, though. You should have noticed the health bar didn't go yellow or red when it should have."

"I..." Shingo shook his head. "There's no way that should have worked. Blade is powerful enough to defeat you in one blow!"

"And that's the problem with reducing everything to numbers in a computer," Brock finished.

Oi!

"No offense," he added.

* * *

><p>"Finally."<p>

Sir Aaron let his remaining Sacred Sword dissolve (the black one had been snapped in half by Dialga's foot at some point) and stood back.

"We're done."

"_Good game,"_ Giratina complimented him. _"I liked the thing with the swords being boomerangs."_

The guardian nodded absently.

"How long did that take?"

Dialga raised his head. _"The final battle? A month and a half."_

Aaron blinked.

"How?"

_The gods of space, time and antimatter were involved in a gigantic fight scene straight out of an anime._ Arceus paused. _A really, really long anime. Frankly, you're lucky you didn't finish before you started._

"I'm sure that makes sense somehow."

Palkia shrugged. _"It makes sense to me."_

"You were speaking terribly broken Engrish and riding a Rapidash one quarter your weight, you don't get to say that any more." Sir Aaron sat down. "Okay, what now?"

The heavens opened.

Surrounded by his glittering array of Plates, Arceus himself descended to step lightly on Sekigahara field.

"_Impressive, Dad,"_ Giratina complimented.

_Thank you._ Arceus tapped a hoof. _Now, I was thinking about what we could do, and I had a few ideas. It'd be a shame to waste this place, it took a while to think up._

"You created it in thirty seconds," Sir Aaron pointed out.

_They were long seconds._ Arceus thought for a bit. _Okay, new plan._

His hooves slammed on the floor, and the world twisted itself through a four-dimensional knot and back out again-

-and Sir Aaron was standing in a field.

He looked down, puzzled. "What just happened?"

_I remodelled._ A map landed in front of him with a _thwap_.

Picking it up, Sir Aaron unrolled it. "This is a gigantic island shaped like you."

_Yes. It's called Ransei._ Arceus' mental tone contained no particular apology. _There's one region per plate. Collect them all!_

_This is the Normal-type region._

"...so...?" Aaron asked. "Does this mean I have to hit Pokémon very hard with my swords, or...?"

_No, you get a starter. Three, actually._

"_We are far too powerful for starter Pokémon,"_ Dialga observed. His siblings nodded beside him, Giratina toying with a Griseous Orb held in one pincer.

"Well." Sir Aaron rubbed his temples. "This should be interesting."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

This chapter skips over a few episodes which are character interaction filler (Bayleef is not jealous of Pikachu any more), Team Rocket's fault (someone stole a tank of theirs) or the like... but it also does still look at others.

In particular... sayonara, Charizard, you big awesome dragon you. It won't be the same without you.

(And no, no memory restore for Charla. Some things don't have a simple solution.)

In other news, Stantler gets his baptism of illusion, and Arceus switched to Pokémon Conquest.


	52. Johto 6

"We're off the map, aren't we?" Brock asked, looking down at it and then around at their path.

"Yep." Ash tapped his pocket. "Blame 'dex, he's been giving me the turnings."

For good reason, Dexter confirmed. We do still have to go some places we got lost last time... and here's one reason.

"What?" Ash asked, glancing down.

"Hi!" someone said, running up. "Have you seen any Cyndaquil?"

"Oh, right." Ash switched his attention to the kid. "No, not seen any. Are they around here?"

"Yeah!" the boy replied. "But you're not getting one!"

"Why not?" Ash asked. "What's wrong with-"

"I'm getting a Cyndaquil, and I'll fight you to make sure you don't get one!" he snapped.

"Sounds good to me," Ash said promptly, and tapped Pikachu on the side. The little mouse looked up at him, then nodded and jumped down from Ash's shoulder. "Bayleef, want to give this a go?"

"_Sure,"_ the Grass-type said.

Koji blinked, a little thrown. "Uh... yeah!"

He released his Sandslash.

"Get that Bayleef!" he ordered.

Sandslash nodded, and charged forward. His claws glowed for a Slash.

Bayleef stepped back smartly, and used her vines to block the attack. _"Are you alright?"_

The Sandslash frowned at her, confused.

"Sand-attack!" Koji ordered.

Bayleef closed her eyes to block the sand.

"In front!" Ash said, switching smoothly to telling her where her foe was, and she sent her vines out in a wide circling motion to the front. One snagged on something.

"That's him!" Ash added, as the vine went taut.

"_Got it!"_

Razor Leaves whipped out, some of them connecting with the Sandslash. Bayleef opened her eyes again as she felt her vine break, and frowned.

"_I'm trying to be polite, believe it or not. I know it's a battle, but you could at least do me the courtesy of answering my question,"_ she admonished.

"_Battle is for battle. Talk has no place there,"_ Sandslash said.

Bayleef thought about how that had been said, as she whipped her head around to avoid a Poison Sting.

It had been... uncomfortably quick. Rote, almost.

"_What place _does_ talk have, then?"_ she asked. Her foreshortened right vine snapped out, threatening his left side, and he swiped at it with another Slash.

"_...I-"_ Sandslash began, then shook his head. _"That doesn't matter."_

"_Of course it does!"_ Bayleef replied. She winced as her remaining vine was shredded near the tip by a Fury Swipes, and began to release Sweet Scent.

Sandslash sniffed it, then sneezed, and backed a little way out of the cloud.

"_My trainer and I talk all the time. His other Pokemon talk all the time. Talking is important – I've learned that lesson, and it was a hard one..."_

She sighed, then used Razor Leaf to block a storm of Swift stars.

"_I guess my point is..."_ Another Fury Swipes came in, this time connecting and scoring long lines down her flank. She kicked out, knocking him away, and released Stun Spore to force the Sandslash to keep his distance. _"My point is, you remind me of some other Pokemon I've seen."_

"What's taking you so long?" Koji snapped. "Use your Fury Swipes _properly_, you stupid Pokemon!"

"_And now I'm sure."_ Bayleef used Power Whip, tripping Sandslash, and walked over while slowly healing herself with Synthesis. _"Sandslash... your trainer isn't a nice human."_

Sandslash glared up at her. _"Koji is a strong trainer!"_

"_That's not what I said," _Bayleef replied, as Sandslash rolled upright. _"Not all strong trainers are nice, not all nice trainers are strong."_

She glanced over at Ash. _"I'm lucky to have one who's both."_

Sandslash looked terribly sad for a moment. Then he slashed out, and Bayleef was forced to fall back or be hit.

* * *

><p>Pikachu ran along, sniffing the ground.<p>

Where was that familiar scent...

There!

He followed it as it grew more recent. At first, all he could tell was that there was a Cyndaquil... then, as he closed in, he could smell first that she was the right gender and finally that she was in fact his old ally.

"_Hello?"_ he called, looking around as he reached a clearing. _"Don't worry, I'm not trying to hurt you..."_

Another sniff. _"Cyndaquil?"_

"_What do you want?"_

The voice didn't quite come from anywhere.

"_Cyndaquil,"_ Pikachu began, then stopped. He took a breath. _"This is going to sound strange, but I know you. I know you don't know me – not yet."_

There was no reply.

"_I can prove it. You were hatched with a brother and a sister, about... two miles south of here."_

"_Anyone from nearby would know that."_

Pikachu flipped an ear. _"True. But I'm from Kanto. Anyway... you're not very active at the moment. You tire easily. You've got a lot of trouble using fire attacks, at the moment... and, for some reason, you know Agility. Your goal in life is to be able to use fire-type attacks when you need to, and... I think you also once said to have a safe home, with good friends."_

A pause.

"_Assuming I believe you, how do you know me?"_

"_I will know you – in the future."_ Pikachu winced. _"I know. It sounds ridiculous. And I don't have proof with me, but I know where there is some."_

Another long pause. Then Cyndaquil emerged from behind her tree.

"_Where is this proof, then?"_

"_My trainer. Ash."_ Pikachu shrugged. _"He's currently battling to make sure a rather horrible trainer doesn't get you. Since he knew you in the future-"_ Pikachu noticed Cyndaquil about to ask a question, _"-please don't ask, the tenses are a nightmare – he can... sort of remind you. It will be as though you lived both lives."_

"_If it helps..."_ Pikachu hesitated, then went on. _"When you are reminded, you will be able to use fire attacks with ease – and you will be a Quilava. I hope you'll agree to follow us – he was your trainer, back in the future – but if you say no to either this or that then both Ash and I will respect that."_

"_...I see."_ Cyndaquil considered that. _"So long as he does not capture me against my will, then."_

* * *

><p>Both panting, Sandslash and Bayleef stood across from one another in the road.<p>

"You're _useless!"_ Koji ranted. "You'd better win this, Sandslash, or..."

His voice trailed off.

"_Or what?"_ Bayleef asked.

"_No food,"_ Sandslash answered without thinking. Then he flinched, as if that had been the wrong thing to say.

"_Your trainer is horrible,"_ Bayleef concluded.

"Hey, wait..." Koji looked up from the battle. "Where's the Bayleef's trainer?"

"I give in!" Ash said brightly, from where he was sitting behind Brock, Misty and Lucario. "Mind you, I haven't seen any Cyndaquil."

He stood. "Just this Quilava."

Quilava's mouth quirked in a smile as she looked at the boy who had intended to catch her.

Then stuck out her tongue.

"What? But... Sandslash! Get them!"

Sandslash gave his trainer an incredulous look. _"I'm exhausted!"_

"Don't give me that look!" Koji scowled, and took out his net. "Fine! I'll catch it myself!"

Misty blinked. "Wow. Obsessed much?"

"_It seems to be a theme with Ash and Fire starters,"_ Pikachu mused. _"Remember Charmander? We may have saved Quilava from a similar fate."_

Koji swung his net at the unconcerned Ash.

The net promptly snapped in half.

"_I would not advise that,"_ Lucario advised, lowering his glowing palm. _"Perhaps you should go, and treat your Sandslash better. Maybe then, you will be a trainer worthy of him."_

Koji gaped. Then, with fumbling fingers, he returned his Sandslash and fled.

"_I don't think I've ever thanked you before for making sure he didn't catch me,"_ Quilava said. _"So... thanks."_

Ash let her down. "No problem."

Then he sighed. "Hopefully he'll improve, though... that poor Sandslash..."

* * *

><p>That night, Ash called his Pokemon together for a talk.<p>

"Okay, guys," he began. "And girls."

Quilava smirked slightly. Bayleef glanced over at the Fire-type, then smiled as well.

"First – one of the things I want to make sure happens is that you're all trained as well as you want to be." Ash nodded over at Lucario and Pikachu. "I mean, these two are already ridiculously good."

"_Thank you for the compliment,"_ Lucario said.

"_What about me?"_ Heracross asked, frowning. _"I thought I was alright..."_

"Oh, you are," Ash agreed readily. "It's just... Pokemon like Pidgeot, Charizard and Pikachu have fought actual Legendaries in the past, and Lucario probably could."

"_Thank you for the reasonably confident estimation,"_ Lucario almost-repeated, in the same tone of voice as his first comment had been.

There were scattered chuckles at his deadpan tone.

"Anyway." Ash shrugged. "I'm probably not going to use them in most Gym battles, for example – make sure the rest of you get a fighting style developed with good depth, and also that I know what you can do... and can help you."

He nodded. "Heracross, for example – you're my first choice for some things, like fighting Darkrai..."

"_How did that fight go, actually?"_ Heracross asked. _"I was asleep for most of it..."_

"_You never saw the video?"_ Pikachu asked. He turned to Ivysaur. _"Why didn't you show him the video?"_

"_I was too busy trying not to have my sap drunk, that's what!"_ Ivysaur replied.

"_Oh, man..."_ Pikachu shook his head. _"Ash, we _need_ to find some way to show everyone that."_

"_What's this?"_ Quilava asked. _"I heard about it, but I don't see what's so-"_

"We're getting off topic," Ash interrupted. "Basically, there was a guy called Tobias at the Sinnoh League who had a Darkrai and was using him _first_."

"_And you wouldn't?"_ Pikachu teased.

"No – if I had his team, I'd use the Latios first." Ash shrugged. "Or whatever else he has, I don't know what there was. Anyway – Pikachu and Lucario don't need as much training."

Quilava raised a paw. _"What should be my style? I've not battled much since evolving."_

"Hmmm..." Ash thought back. "What moves do you have that have changed since last time I used you in battle?"

"_Well..."_ She thought. _"Not many... but Flame Wheel is different now."_

"Cool!" Ash said. "Let's see!"

Quilava stood up, and her flames burst into life. One forefoot went down, under her body, and the other stretched out. Her back feet dug into the ground.

Then she pushed off. The moment her back feet were off the ground, she rolled into a ball, and her flames blazed up brighter. For a few seconds, she rolled slowly forwards...

Then spun in place for a second, and went rocketing off.

Bending into the turns, she accelerated, and did three laps of the group before skidding to a stop... overbalancing, and flopping over onto her back.

"Not bad," Ash said, helping her up. "You okay?"

"_Still a bit dizzy..."_ Quilava admitted, shaking her head. _"I need to work on that."_

"Quilava!" Misty called, from the other side of the clearing. "Oh, well... hey, Kabuto? Want to practice water gun?"

The fossil clicked, and fired water from its concealed mouth. The stream extinguished some of the smouldering grass.

"Nice work – now, do it again!"

Ash and the others watched for a bit as Misty followed her newest Pokemon around letting it put out the nascent fires.

"Okay, cool, we can work with that," Ash said, getting back to the topic. "Bayleef?"

"_Well... I'm not all that good at fighting, not really,"_ Bayleef admitted. _"I can do a good Slam, but most of my talent seems to be in healing."_

"That's fine, really," Ash said readily. "_Someone_ needs to be able to, the kind of scrapes we get into. But – still, I'd feel more comfortable if you could hold your own."

"_Got it. I'll try."_

"Heracross..." Ash shrugged. "I think the main thing that you need is experience – and possibly a few ranged attacks."

"_Right."_ Heracross nodded.

"And as for you, Dexter," Ash added.

Yes?

"You kind of need the opposite – close in attacks."

"_Um... Ash?"_ Quilava asked. _"Why are you talking to your Pokedex?"_

She blinked. _"For that matter, why is it talking back?"_

I'm a he, not an it. Now, anyway. Dexter materialized. Ta-dah.

"_Huh. Okay."_ Quilava shrugged. _"Fair enough, your Pokedex is now a Pokemon."_

"_What about Kingler and Muk?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Good point – I really need to use those two more," Ash agreed. "Kingler's best in and under the water, though... and I don't really know what to do with Muk."

"_Wonder what he's doing now,"_ Pikachu mused.

* * *

><p>Oak Labs:<p>

* * *

><p>"No!" Professor Oak cried, staring at the CCTV monitor. "Not the TMs!"<p>

Muk flowed over the box of new, freshly-recoded Technical Machines.

"Oh, why me?" Oak asked of the air.

Those are cracked, you know, Damos reported. They can still be used again.

"Are _you_ volunteering to clean them up?" Oak asked.

There was a crunch noise.

Is he... Damos' electronic voice took on a startled note. Eating them?

Muk mumbled something that sounded a lot like the Muk for "Cooookieeeeees..."

Oak sat back on the chair. "Do we have any Pokemon that could stop him?"

I already alerted Tracey, so yes.

On the screen, Scizor ran in and started trying to save as many TMs as possible from the ravenous Muk.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure he's doing fine," Ash said. "Right. Who's working with who?"<p>

Whom.

"That's what I said," Ash agreed. "Whom's working with who."

Ow. That was worse than the first time.

"_Perhaps I should work with Quilava,"_ Pikachu suggested. _"When I use Iron Tail, I often do a forward spin with it."_

"Sounds good." Ash stood. "Hey, Heracross, want to try to learn Aura Sphere?"

* * *

><p>"How curious..." Kurt said, looking the GS ball over. "It's remarkably strong, and an excellent example of the craft...but I don't know how or why it could be <em>this<em> strong. Or why it doesn't open, no matter how hard I try."

"We were kind of hoping you'd be able to help with that, yeah," Ash admitted. "No ideas at all?"

"Not really, no." Kurt shrugged. "Sorry. I can spend a few months studying it, that might turn something up.

"Go ahead," Ash said, though he had his doubts. It hadn't worked last time, after all.

"Hmmm..." The Pokeball maker frowned. "It seems a shame to send you away without any progress... perhaps we could do a deal? If you collect some Apricorns for me, I'll make you some Pokeballs."

"That'd be great!" Ash said. "Sure! How many do you want?"

"Well..." Kurt pondered. "For every three Apricorns, I'll give you each one speciality ball I've already made. That way you won't have to hang around here for weeks."

"Makes sense!" Ash shook his hand. "Let's go get some Apricorns, guys!"

"What's this _we_ business?" Misty asked after him.

"We'd better get going," Brock told her. "You know what he's going to-"

There was a loud explosion.

"Too late."

* * *

><p>When the friends reached him, Ash was underneath a Forretress, with a scorched tree next to him and a small circle of blackened grass around them both.<p>

"Hi, Brock!" he said, voice a bit muffled. "Can you get her off me, please? I can't breathe..."

Brock tapped Forretress on the carapace. "Is that you?"

"_Brock!"_ Forretress said, rolling off Ash (who turned out to also be quite scorched). _"How are you?"_

"I'm okay, I guess," Brock said. "Did you fall out of the tree onto Ash?"

"_I did, yes,"_ she agreed. _"Fortunately, I was just a Pineco at the time, so I didn't crush him... sorry about that, by the way."_

She paused.

"_Wait. Did you just understand me?"_

"We'll explain later," Brock said. "Right now, we've got some Apricorns to pick."

"_Apricorns to pick? That I can help with!"_ Forretress headed over to a nearby tree. _"How big an explosion do you want?"_

"Let's start with 'tiny' and work up from there," Misty suggested.

* * *

><p>"Well, there we go," Brock said, looking at their prizes. "One Fast Ball, one Lure Ball and one Level Ball each."<p>

"Actually, guys," Ash said, glancing between his friends. "Want to swap?"

"What for what?" Misty asked.

"I'd kind of prefer the Fast Balls," Ash admitted. "Because – you know."

"Right." Misty nodded. "Well, I don't see any reason why not... which would you rather have, Brock?"

"I guess the Level Ball," Brock decided.

"Sounds good to me."

The exchange thus made, Ash shrunk down the three Fast Balls and stowed them carefully away.

"_One day, huh, Ash?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Here's hoping."

* * *

><p>A huge container ship shivered, as its engines swung it round to point west.<p>

Laden with hundreds upon hundreds of containers, it was one of the links in the chains of world commerce. Carrying cargoes far too large for Pokemon transit, it served industries across the world.

For a long, winding hour, it nosed slowly up a muddy river estuary. Past first the sweeping tidal flats where Water- and Ground-Types lived, then into the villages and towns which dotted the estuary.

Eventually, and after a voyage which had totalled a little over four days, the ship came to rest alongside a vast pier, nearly forty kilometres upriver and almost into the city proper for which many of the goods were intended.

* * *

><p>"<em>The engines have stopped,"<em> Virizion said. _"Finally."_

"_Does that mean we're there?"_ Terrakion asked.

He looked around at the games of battleships, chess and the like which were scratched all over the floor and walls.

"_Why did we have to go this way, Keldeo?"_ he added.

"_Because I could only get so much money,"_ Keldeo replied. _"Air freight costs too much."_

"_An impressive effort, nevertheless,"_ Cobalion stated. _"Now, we should make our way to the location as fast as possible. How far is it from here to Johto?"_

Keldeo checked the atlas. _"Uhh... a bit further than we were before."_

"_Say what!?"_ Terrakion yelped. _"Did we just go directly _away_ from Johto?"_

"_Kinda, yeah,"_ Keldeo agreed. _"But – look, I looked up how much it would cost for us to get shipped to Johto, and it was way too much. Plus, it'd mean more like three weeks in a box."_

"_I... had not expected that,"_ Cobalion admitted. _"What do we do now?"_

Keldeo laid out the atlas, and the others crowded around it. _"We walk."_

"_How far?"_ Virizion squinted at the maps.

"_Six thousand miles,"_ Keldeo stated. _"But at least it's not across the pole."_

There was a grating sound outside.

"_Sounds like they just took away the one next to us,"_ Keldeo added. _"Ready?"_

The Swords of Justice nodded.

Keldeo paused.

It felt _so cool_ to be telling the Swords of Justice what to do – even if it was just because he was the one who'd done the research.

"_Now!"_

* * *

><p>The big crane smoothly lowered a yellow standard container, belaying the cables holding it up, and then released it once it was sitting on the pile of other containers.<p>

"Good work," the foreman radioed. "Now, get the green one next to it."

"Got it, sir-"

There was a loud _screeeech_ of tearing metal.

The end of the green container burst open, and four blurs shot out. They stopped just long enough for the astounded foreman to see they were a lot like Ponyta or Rapidash – and then vanished at such a speed that he didn't even see which direction they went.

"...well," the foreman muttered. "That happened."

"What was that?" asked the man on the other end of the radio.

"Got no bloody idea," the foreman admitted.

* * *

><p>"<em>Which way now?"<em> Cobalion asked, some minutes later in a small copse.

A Pidgey flew down, and he absently shook his head to prevent it landing on him.

"_This way," _Keldeo said confidently, gesturing south. _"There's a tunnel to Kalos. From there, we head east."_

"_And this is the quickest way to Johto?"_ Terrakion asked, as they began to canter towards the white cliffs.

"_No, it's the most affordable way,"_ Keldeo answered him. _"It was hard enough to get the money for one ship journey... you three can run on water, right? Otherwise it might be tricky to get across the Sea of Japan..."_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Well, Ash was without a Fire type for not very long.

There really is quite a trend of the Fire starters Ash gets being trained by abusive trainers. Cyndaquil is the only one to escape this, but not by much.

And yes, I made Cyndaquil/Quilava female. Partly to get a better gender spread than there was in Kanto. Forretress, on the other hand, is female in the games.

As for the Swords of Justice and Keldeo – they just landed in London Docks, and are headed for the Chunnel.


	53. Johto 7

"Welcome to my gym, Ash Ketchum," Bugsy greeted. "I saw you coming, so I hope you don't mind if we do this outdoors."

"Yeah, for some reason Falkner was kind of jumpy as well," Ash said, frowning. "Wonder why..."

"You have a reputation," Misty told him. "My sisters complained about you – and so did I! - and you kind of reinforced the stereotype since then."

"Everything went fine with my gym..." Brock said.

"You're the exception," Misty replied. "Besides, didn't Pikachu punch your Steelix across the room?"

"...I had tried to forget that," Brock admitted.

"Right." Bugsy picked up a box of Pokéballs. "This match will be four Pokémon per person, with two out at a time. Only the challenger is allowed to switch out. Do you have your Pokémon for this fight chosen?"

"Yep!" Ash replied promptly. He turned to Pikachu and Lucario. "Like I said last night, guys."

"_Understood."_

* * *

><p>"Begin!"<p>

Ash held out two 'balls. "Okay! Heracross, Bayleef, time for battle!"

Bayleef nodded. _"Got it."_

"_I'll do my best," _Heracross added, taking a stance.

Bugsy released his first two Pokémon, who materialized next to one another.

"That's a Venonat and a Pineco, right?" Brock asked, as the former picked up the latter.

"That's right." Bugsy nodded. "Bugs are varied, which is one of their strengths."

Bayleef frowned. _"Okay, let's see... Grass moves aren't great against bugs."_

She glanced across at Heracross. _"You go for the Pineco."_

"_Got it."_ Heracross lumbered forwards.

Bugsy pointed. "Venonat, use Skill Swap!"

Venonat clicked, eyes glowing, and a light passed between it and Pineco. The utility power had just finished when Bayleef's Razor Leaf attack arrived.

The furry Bug was barely inconvenienced at all by the attack, and released Poisonpowder before jumping out of the way as Bayleef tried to Body Slam it.

"_Ugh!"_ Bayleef said, shaking her head as the clouds of poison washed over her. She grimaced, then closed her eyes and concentrated for a bit.

Her bulbs opened slightly, and a soothing scent washed out of them. It countered the purplish poison in the air, and then burned it out of her body as well.

"_There,"_ she said, pleased. Then jumped out of the way as Venonat launched a Fury Cutter attack, clipping her foreleg.

"_That could be a problem,"_ she observed.

A loud explosion resounded from the other side of the battlefield.

"_Are you doing okay?"_ she called.

"_Just fine!"_ Heracross replied. _"I think... this thing keeps exploding!"_

He pointed his horn down again, and managed to flip Pineco into the air. _"Aha!"_

"Gyro Ball!" Bugsy instructed.

Pineco began rotating at blurring speed as it rose, reached the apex, and fell.

"_Whoa!"_ Heracross stumbled, just about managing to avoid contacting the spinning Pokémon, and rolled over until he was standing back upright. _"Sneaky!"_

Pineco replied by showering spikes in all directions.

"_Okay, let's try this!"_ Heracross brought his forelegs together, and concentrated.

Glowing faintly, a ball of blue energy formed as he brought them apart, then destabilized.

"_Oh, dear... okay, second time lucky?"_

As Heracross tried to get his Aura Sphere working, Bayleef backed across the battlefield using her vines to deflect attacks from Venonat.

His complicated variety of status attacks weren't doing him any favours, as by now Bayleef was in a constant haze of healing honeysuckle scent from her Aromatherapy, but the odd Signal Beam was a significant threat that had to be stopped with dense showers of leaves or by physically getting in the way of them with her vines.

"_Aha!"_ she said, as she finally managed to get a vine past the mess of conflicting attacks and grab him around the middle. _"Now let's see if you-"_

Her foot landed on one of the spikes.

"_Aagh!"_ she cried, her grip loosening a bit, and Venonat nearly wiggled free before she got the other vine in to strengthen her grip. _"Right!"_

She began swinging him into trees and the floor with her vines, producing an interesting array of squeak noises.

"_Finally!"_ Heracross announced, as he got the Aura Sphere working. _"Take this!"_

The wobbly, poorly stabilized Sphere crossed a now very spike-strewn battlefield, and blew a divot out of the ground underneath Pineco.

"Rapid Spin!" Bugsy ordered.

Pineco spun faster, taking off into the air. It tilted, and began to head for Heracross at high speed.

"Now, use Explosion!"

Heracross dove for cover as the ballistic pine cone went off.

"_Does this mean I win?"_ he asked, once Pineco rolled to a stop – clearly out of it.

Bugsy held out two Pokéballs. "Your turn, Durant!"

"Aren't they from Unova?" Ash asked.

"I know Burgh, he lives there," Bugsy replied. "Good eye, though."

The Bug/Steel type clicked his pincers.

"_Finally, something I can hit!"_ Heracross advanced, and promptly stepped on a spike. _"Ow... okay, this could take a while."_

Bayleef, meanwhile, was looking curiously at Venonat. _"Shouldn't you have been knocked out by now?"_

Venonat replied by firing a Psybeam.

Bayleef dodged – and only then realized who was just behind her.

"_Sorry!"_ she called back at Heracross, who'd taken the attack in the side and was visibly staggering. _"Try to get over here so I can help protect you!"_

Venonat used the distraction to bite his way out of her vines, and then fired a beam of light at Durant – a second Skill Swap.

Heracross lumbered over to Bayleef. _"How is this going to work?"_

Another Psybeam came in, and got blocked by Bayleef's carefully aimed Razor Leaf. _"Like that. Try and use Aura Sphere, I'll keep us both safe."_

"Venonat!"Bugsy called. "Use U-turn!"

Venonat shook his antenna, and then launched himself forwards. Heracross blocked the attack with a punch, and knocked it out.

"_That was easy,"_ Heracross said. He brought his rear leg up to his horn and tried to pull out a Spike. _"Two down, two to go. What now?"_

Bugsy released his final Pokémon.

"_Oh, neat!"_ Heracross added. _"They're from Hoenn, right?"_

"Durant, Entrainment!" Bugsy snapped, pointing at his newly-released Shedinja.

Uh-oh... Dexter observed.

"What?" Ash asked, taking his Pokédex out of his pocket.

I've been keeping track – Bugsy's been passing Sturdy around like a baseball defence. We're in trouble.

"_I'll handle this!"_ Heracross called, charging forwards through the Spikes. He reached Shedinja – and passed through.

"_What?"_ he asked, shaking his head.

"Shedinja's immune to attacks that aren't super effective!" Ash called.

All attacks, Dexter corrected.

"What?" Ash blinked. "What do you mean, _all_ attacks?"

That one just picked up Sturdy instead of Wonder Guard.

Ash worked it out. "Oh."

"What happened?" Misty asked. "I forget how that works."

Shedinja has an extremely small amount of life force, Dexter explained. And the ability Sturdy lets a Pokémon naturally use Endure, retaining at least a small amount of life force so long as it has as much as it can. And for Shedinja, the two thresholds are the same.

"Which means that Shedinja can't actually be hurt by attacks," Ash finished.

He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Heracross! Just get the Durant!"

"_Got it!"_ Heracross replied, dodging a Shadow Ball from the now essentially invincible Shedinja. _"Take this!"_

Durant scuttled backwards out of the way of a Focus Punch, and an X-Scissor hit him from behind.

"Are you okay, Heracross?" Ash called, worried.

"_Yeah!"_ Heracross replied, as a shower of leaves from Bayleef prevented another attack from reaching him. _"I can do this!"_

He lunged forwards, crushing Spikes under him, and this time his Focus Punch connected. Durant clicked, then used Guillotine and finally knocked Heracross out.

* * *

><p>"Nice work, Heracross," Ash said. "It was a bad matchup, but you did good work."<p>

He took up another Pokéball. "Okay, Quilava!"

* * *

><p>Quilava landed between two fields of spikes, and nearly got a Shadow Ball to the face.<p>

Jumping out of the way, she Flamethrowered both her opponents. This had very little effect on Shedinja – protected by Sturdy – but Durant screeched in pain.

Shedinja zoomed in, and hit her in the side as he passed through her.

"_Ow!"_ Quilava said, dancing a half-step sideways.

Her quills flared up again, and she sent out shots of fire. Shedinja dodged them, and hovered back to the centre of the spike field.

"_Over here!"_ Bayleef called. _"Hurry!"_

"_What?"_ Quilava replied. _"Why? I'm – ow!"_

"_What you are is poisoned!"_ Bayleef pumped out more Aromatherapy. _"You need to get over here so I can heal you!"_

Quilava nodded, and launched herself into a somersault. Her quills flashed with flame and dug into the ground, and she spun off – caroming off Spikes and nearly hitting a low hanging tree branch, before skidding to a halt next to Bayleef and coming back out of her Flame Wheel.

She took a breath, and sighed. _"Thank you _so _much, that's much better."_

The two female mid-level starters exchanged wary glances with their insectoid opponents.

"_What now?"_ Quilava asked.

"_First – you get rid of that Durant,"_ Bayleef decided. _"Come over here if you feel any attacks hit at all, they might be Toxic."_

Quilava shuddered. _"Got it."_

Taking another breath of the sweet honeysuckle, she curled up again and reactivated Flame Wheel.

* * *

><p>"Your Pokémon are quite good at teamwork," Bugsy observed, as Quilava came in on a Flame Wheel attack. She skidded across a patch of harder ground, leaving embers behind her, and then launched herself at Durant.<p>

The Bug/Steel Type scuttled out of the way, then Shedinja came in and stung her with Toxic again.

Quilava's path became a little more erratic, but she canted around and took a wide, high speed return journey to come to a halt within the Aromatherapy cloud. A few seconds of steady, soothing breath, and she set off again.

"Quilava!" Ash called suddenly. "The Durant used Rock Polish, it's dodging your attacks that way!"

"_What do I do, then?"_ Quilava asked, as she crushed a Spike under her rapidly spinning body and accelerated. _"I've got to go faster, right?"_

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "Jump into the air while spinning, and then use Aerial Ace!"

"_Got it!"_

"Durant!" Bugsy said, realizing what that meant. "Look out!"

Quilava ramped off a tree, spinning up it in a trail of fire and then uncurling and spinning off. In mid-air she rolled back into a ball, spun up again – seemed to hang in mid-air for a moment, and then shot straight at Durant at blurring speed.

"Yes!" Ash called, as the Fire attack connected and knocked Durant out. "Now, keep it up! Use it again, and attack Shedinja as often as you can!"

"That won't work," Bugsy informed him.

"Won't it?" Ash replied, grinning.

* * *

><p>Panting, Quilava spun to a halt next to Bayleef. <em>"I'm getting really dizzy now..."<em>

Another breath of honeysuckle, and she smiled. _"And that always makes me feel better."_

"_Just make sure you don't get _too_ dizzy,"_ Bayleef cautioned. _"I can't cure everything."_

"_Right."_ Quilava took up her stance. _"Do you think this is going to work?"_

"_Eh?"_ Bayleef blinked. _"You mean the battle?"_

"_Yeah."_ Quilava shrugged, not taking her eyes off the Shedinja. _"I mean... I don't see how this is going to work."_

Bayleef nodded. _"True. But Ash does, and that's good enough for me."_

Quilava observed her out of the corner of one eye. _"Did you tell him?"_

"_...oh, you knew."_ Bayleef pursed her lips.

"_I worked it out."_

"_Well..."_ Bayleef shrugged. _"He found out. He was quite sympathetic, though... his answer was no."_

Quilava nodded solemnly. _"I'm sorry."_

Then she shot off in another trail of fire, launched herself into the air, and went hurtling forwards in another of those unerring mid-air attacks.

This time, when she hit, there was a flash of orange fire around her target as she passed through. It flinched, and promptly fainted.

* * *

><p>"Yes!" Ash said, as Shedinja fell to the floor. "I thought so!"<p>

"...what?" Bugsy asked, watching as Quilava skidded to a stop and flopped on her back, chest heaving. "How did you-?"

"Sometimes – very rarely – Fire type attacks set their target on fire," Ash replied. "I guessed that would still work!"

It seems you were right, Dexter said – a little startled. The progressive injury from the burn bypassed its Sturdy ability. Do you always guess in battle?

"Not _always,"_ Ash replied. "Usually."

"Well." Bugsy returned his Shedinja. "I'm kind of glad we held this outside."

Ash took another look at the battlefield.

It was, frankly, a wreck.

Spikes were strewn everywhere, the ground was torn up in long furrows from Razor Leaves, missed Whips and the odd attack from Heracross, a huge pile of broken Spikes covered the centre of the battlefield, Toxic residue hissed on the ground, and most of it was smouldering from dozens upon dozens of Flame Wheel tracks.

And there were the craters from the repeated explosions, too.

"Well done, Ash," Bugsy admitted, shaking his hand. "Your Pokémon are good at adapting to impossible situations, and they work well together – which earns them, and you, the Hive badge."

Ash accepted it, and beamed. "Great!"

He collected Quilava from the battlefield, stepping carefully over the Spikes. "Nice work, Quilava. I think we'll have to remember that attack."

Quilava nodded, yawned, and tapped her Pokéball to return herself.

"Don't you usually use a Scyther, though?" Ash asked, as Bayleef walked over to him with equal care.

"Against _you?_" Bugsy snorted. "Don't make me laugh. I say the Scyther's my best, but really he's my best against people who haven't won _Leagues_ before."

"...huh," Ash said. "Suppose I'm a victim of my own success, then."

* * *

><p>"I know you two are having trouble," Ash said, looking between Sylvester and his duck. "But a lot of new trainers have trouble. Pikachu and I had trouble to begin with!"<p>

Pikachu nodded, and gave Ash a demonstrative zap.

"Think that, but all day," Ash went on, unfazed. "We pretty much hated one another. But then we got into danger, and from then on we were great friends.

"_You bet!"_ Pikachu agreed with a cheerful nod.

"How?" Sylvester asked. "I mean – I'm no good..."

"It's not easy, no," Ash continued. "But that's how you get better – practice."

He changed his gaze to Farfetch'd. "I know it sometimes feels like you know a lot more than your trainer. And that might be true! But... I work _with_ my Pokémon."

Pikachu took over. _"He does. Ash keeps an eye out for things we don't notice, and if we have trouble with something he gets us through it."_

"Just give him a bit of a chance, okay?" Ash asked.

Farfetch'd considered that, then nodded reluctantly.

"Besides," Ash added. "You know what he _means_ when he says 'Cutting attack'. I'm sure you can work it out."

"_Right,"_ Farfetch'd quacked.

"Think that'll work?" Brock asked, as they continued through Ilex.

"I've got no idea," Ash admitted. "Hope it does, though."

He held up the block of sweet-smelling wood they'd been given. "This is probably a good sign, though."

* * *

><p>"Hi, guys!" Brock said, waving. "Long time no see!"<p>

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "It feels kind of strange."

"Well, we're glad you're missing us," James said jovially.

"No, more in the sense of peaceful," Misty amended.

"That's cold," Meowth muttered, mock-shivering.

"Anyway, what brings you here?" Ash asked.

"Well." Jessie shrugged. "Lickitung is alright, but you never restored him. And I have to admit, we're missing the big doofus."

"Wobbuffet, right?" Ash shook his head. "How long did you have that guy, anyway?"

"Well, I'd'a said long enough," Meowth groused. Then he shrugged. "Eh, at least we ain't bein' hit by attacks as often when he's around."

"How's everyone?" Ash asked, as they fell into step.

"Well..." James sighed. "Abra's still as lazy as ever."

"He's got an actual book where he works out how ta optimize his sleep regime," Meowth contributed. "O' course, he only works in it five minutes a week..."

"Arbok and Weezing are fine," Jessie said. "I've been training them for contests, and they work well together. Weezing has this lovely line in stage mist, which had everyone applauding."

Meowth sniggered. "And all the other contestants passed out."

"Contests?" Ash asked, then nodded. "That's right, you did those..."

"And I think we did well," Jessie agreed.

"Gyarados gets exercised once a week around the Seafoam Islands," James took up the list. "I don't ask, but he usually comes back looking a bit bruised and quite smug."

"And Victreebell?"

James couldn't answer, because there was a plant on his face.

With calm efficiency, Jessie and Meowth hauled the Victreebell off.

"This," James summarized.

"Wow," Ash said. "He really does just _keep_ latching on, doesn't he..."

"I'm sure Ninetales told you about Growlie," James resumed, returning his Grass-type.

Ninetales nodded, with a small smile.

"And Cubone..."

"She's..." Jessie searched for a tactful way to put it. "Listless."

"We kinda hope da latest mission's gonna perk her up," Meowth added. "We're competin' in da Pokéathlon!"

Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Lucario and Ninetales all stopped in their tracks.

"You're doing _what?_" Ash spoke for all of them.

"Why not?" Meowth asked, shrugging. "What's so wrong with dat concept?"

"...well, now I feel kind of silly," Ash admitted. "Because all I've got is "That's stupid..."

* * *

><p>"Thanks!" Benny said, clutching the Pokéball. "And I hope you get on well with Wobbuffet, too!"<p>

"I'm sure we will," Jessie replied.

When he'd left, she promptly passed the Pokéball to Ash. "All right, you should definitely be able to restore him, he's been around you for longer than just about any of _your_ companions."

"Not continuously, but yeah." Ash opened the 'ball and gave Wobbuffet a tap.

This didn't change his expression.

"Uh..." Jessie tapped him as well, making him bob gently back and forth. "You awake?"

Wob-wob-wob.

"Alive?"

Finally, Wobbuffet stirred. He looked down at Meowth. _"What just happened? Where did the birdie go?"_

"Dat was a Woobat, ya doofus," Meowth sighed. "An' welcome back in time."

"_Right."_ Wobbuffet turned to Jessie, and saluted. _"Reporting for duty!"_

"Is _that_ what he was saying all this time?" Ash asked. "Huh."

"Actually, it ain't," Meowth shrugged. "About half of it was puns. Jessie an' James are lucky I wasn't translatin' them."

"_You think it would be _pun_ishment?"_ Wobbuffet asked.

"Ow." Ash winced. "Right, we're getting out of here before we hear too many of those. Where next?"

There's the Fire and Rescue Grand Prix. There is, however, a problem.

"I think we'd be pre-emptively banned, knowing Squirtle..." Misty joked.

That's the thing. We are.

"...oh."

After that, the next major event is a riverside a few days travel away. Both you and Ash have a Pokémon to catch there.

"That sounds better," Misty perked up. "Let's go, then."

* * *

><p>Once the friends had left, and the Rockets were themselves well out of town, Wobbuffet turned to Jessie. <em>"Time travel?"<em>

"That's right," Jessie agreed, once translated. "Pretty much all of us."

"_Why?"_

"Dat's what your pre-evolution says..." Meowth muttered. "Anyway, it ain't all da same stuff again. Meet da new guys!"

Jessie and James started opening Pokéballs.

Wobbuffet bent over the snoozing Abra. _"He seems quite a good psydekick."_

"Oh, shaddup..." Meowth said. "An 'dis is Growlie."

"_Named after his younger self? I see an old dog can learn new tricks."_

Meowth threw a coin at him. It bounced off with a _boing_ noise, and smacked Meowth in the cheek.

"Okay, dat wasn't da best choice..."

Gyarados waved a tail.

Wobbuffet seemed about to come up with another pun, but backed off at a glare from Meowth.

"_And her?"_

Cubone looked up. _"I've heard of you."_

A bone formed in her paw. It bounced off the floor a couple of times, then went flying directly at Wobbuffet.

Boi-i-ing!

She blocked it with an identical bone, and both shattered.

Her expression became considering. _"Interesting. How many times can you do that?"_

"_I don't understand the question."_

"_Good."_ Cubone produced a pair of bonemerangs. _"I request your help with training."_

"Wait a sec," Meowth said, raising a paw. "Remember dat fing we talked about?"

"_...you are correct."_ Cubone nodded. _"I will limit my practice to four hours per day, for reasons of health."_

"Dat's better." Meowth gingerly patted her on the shoulder. "I know, ya threw yourself into it. But it ain't normal, even Ash spends a lotta time havin' fun."

* * *

><p>"Thanks again, Quilava," Brock said. "Without Charizard, it's a little harder to cook enough food when everyone's out."<p>

"_Think nothing of it,"_ Quilava yawned, and pushed up the heat from her quills again. _"My flames feel a little tingly..."_

"That's fine, I think," Brock reassured her. "It's the same thing as when muscles hurt a bit after they're used for a long time."

"_Good to know."_

"_What are we having?"_ Stantler asked, peering closer. _"That looks strange..."_

"It's a risotto," Brock explained. "I've done some bacon, as well, so the Pokémon and people who want to can add some, but the main meal is just lots of risotto – which is fine for everyone."

"_I see. That's clever." _Stantler nodded, absorbing the information. _"I suppose you have to think like that, when there's a lot of different kinds of diet. Everyone back with my herd ate the same things, because they're all Stantler."_

"That's right." Brock rubbed Stantler's ears. "How are your illusions coming?"

"_I'm working on learning how to make an illusion of Ninetales."_ Stantler bobbed his head. _"It's harder than I was expecting to get her right – especially making sure the walk is convincing. At the moment the illusion is sort of... static."_

"Practice makes perfect." Brock swirled the meal around. "Okay, this looks about ready."

He raised his voice. "Ash! Can you get the bacon?"

"Where is it?" Ash called back.

"I left the plate on that tree stump!"

"Oh." Ash walked over, holding a plate. "I think I just remembered where we are."

He put it down, revealing it to be completely empty.

"...oh, _right_, I remember!" Brock said. "The Houndour, right?"

"Yeah." Ash looked around. "Where was it they lived..."

"Ash..." Brock asked, concerned. "You're not going to try to get the bacon back, are you?"

"What!? No!" Ash shook his head emphatically. "No, there's an injured one somewhere, that's why they stole the food. I'm gonna find it and bring it to the Pokémon centre to get healed!"

"...sure." Brock sighed. "I know better than to try and stop you. Just – have some food, first, please?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Ash!"<em> Pikachu called, panting. _"Slow down!"_

Ash kept running. "I may have stopped long enough to get food, but that Pokémon needs my help – and I'm not going to let it be hurt by my being late!"

Lucario looked down at his teammate. _"Do you need a lift?"_

"_Yeah, yeah... sure."_ Pikachu nodded, and jumped up and along Lucario's proffered arm. _"I'm a lot smaller than you, you know... and I'm running on a full stomach."_

"_I'm sure."_ Lucario accelerated again, until he was running alongside Ash and matching him stride for stride.

"_Thanks,"_ Pikachu said.

"_Think nothing of it."_

It wasn't much longer before they came out onto a cliffside overlooking a cave, and beheld a dramatic scene.

Half-a-dozen Houndour stood in a defensive pattern outside the cave mouth, with two flanking a clearly badly injured fellow who was no longer able to stand.

Before them, grumbling and growling, was a Golem.

Lucario halted. _"Ash, what should we-"_

Pikachu interrupted him. _"Ash!"_

Lucario glanced to his side.

Ash was no longer there. In fact, he was in mid-air over the Golem and descending fast, his palms glowing blue.

"_Did he even slow down!?"_ Lucario asked, exasperated, just before his trainer delivered a Force Palm attack to the big Rock-type.

The blow knocked Golem off its feet, and it rolled over before coming back upright. Ash, for his part, landed lightly – the attack having negated most of his momentum from falling – and unslung his staff, which began to crackle with blue light.

"_Well, he's got a sense of showmanship..."_ Pikachu said weakly.

"_Who cares, let's help him!"_ Lucario stepped forwards and went down the steep cliff edge sideways, with one foot leading at full extension and one crouched up behind.

Before they reached the bottom, Ash had already blocked a Rock Throw attack with another burst of palm-delivered Aura and used his staff for a stunning overarm blow, and was winding up for an Aura Sphere with his free hand.

Lucario landed on bended knees, waited a moment to let Pikachu jump free, and then darted forwards with one foot glowing. He planted the free foot, pivoted on it, and slammed a kick into the Golem's left knee just as the Aura Sphere arrived.

"_Seriously, Ash,"_ Lucario said, as the Golem hurtled off into the distance. _"You should have waited for us."_

Ash shrugged. "Are you guys okay?" he asked the Houndour.

They were mostly too busy staring at him.

"_That was awesome!"_ one said, before being glared at by the leader and going silent with a whimper.

"All fine?" Ash checked. "Good. Now – one of you is hurt, right?"

There was a round of growls, as the reminder shook the Houndour out of their astonishment and back into pack mode.

"No, I don't want to hurt him!" Ash denied. "He needs help – there's a Pokémon centre a few miles away."

The alpha cocked his head on one side, then turned away to glance between the others.

Ash heard the faint muttering that resulted.

"_-he's in a bad way, we should-"_

"_-can't trust any of-"_

"_-that's a Lucario, boss. Lucario are-"_

"_-...I'll say yes. If it means he'll be fine."_

As the alpha turned back, Ash nodded. "Don't worry. He will be."

The leader stopped. _"You speak Pokémon?"_

"Yeah, I keep forgetting that's not normal," Ash admitted. "Aura, basically."

"_So cool!"_ one of the pack said, and got glared at again.

"Okay, I need to pick him up," Ash said. "Can I come through?"

After a moment, the leader barked an order, and the pack split in two – leaving a path to the injured one.

Ash crouched down, and gathered the ill Pokémon into his arms. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

The Dark-type coughed weakly.

"Dexter!" Ash called. "Which way to the Pokémon centre?"

Start. Straight on for four hundred yards, then take the first left at the bottom of the hill.

Ash got moving again, Lucario padding alongside – with Pikachu – and the pack falling into formation around him as a kind of honour guard.

Five miles or so was a fairly long run, especially over broken terrain... but someone was counting on him. So Ash didn't care much how far it was.

* * *

><p>"It's a good thing you got him here when you did," Nurse Joy said, scanning the Houndour. "It looks like an injury got infected, so Antidotes wouldn't have done much. Not even berries are very good at coping with an infection – they just help with the symptoms."<p>

She shrugged. "But he should be fine in the morning."

Ash nodded his thanks, still a bit winded. "Thank you."

"Recently caught?"

"Not caught at all," Ash corrected. "He's wild – so are the others."

Joy peered over her counter, and spotted the half-dozen or so other wild Houndour dotted around the waiting room. "Oh. Are they... safe?"

"I'm sure they are," Ash told her, sitting down. "They were worried for their packmate, that's all."

"Quite understandable."

As Ash got his breath back, the pack leader walked over.

It coughed lightly to get his attention.

"Yes?" Ash asked, mopping his forehead with a towel.

"_We owe you,"_ the alpha said bluntly. _"I don't like having an unpaid debt."_

"Don't worry," Ash replied. "Really. Helping an injured Pokémon like that is its own reward."

"_You're a really strange human."_

"I get that," Ash agreed.

"_I would say we'll be here when you need us, but... you're clearly a traveller."_ The alpha thought something over. _"Where do you live?"_

"Uh... I kinda plan to spend the next several years on the road," Ash said. "But I grew up in Pallet town, in Kanto."

"_I see."_ The alpha frowned, tail wagging slowly. _"Hypothetically speaking, if we turned up there, what would happen?"_

"I guess Professor Oak would probably want to study you," Ash frowned. "He doesn't get to work with wild Pokémon often, especially not groups of several of them."

"_Interesting."_

* * *

><p>The next morning, Ash set off back south to find his friends.<p>

The Houndour pack – back to full strength – were about to head in the same direction, but their leader raised a paw.

"_Wait."_

"_What is it, boss?"_ one asked.

The leader padded over to a corner, and came back with a piece of paper. Dropping it, he spread it out – a map of southern Honshu.

"_I spoke to his Quilava last night,"_ the alpha explained. _"She said this Professor provides food – if the Pokémon can't get enough themselves."_

He tapped the map. _"It sounds like a better deal to me than what we have around here. We get studied, yes, but studied doing what we do anyway – and in return, we get security from hunger and ready medical attention."_

For a moment, the alpha fixed his gaze on his newly-healthy son, then looked between his sons, daughters and mate, as well as his brother. _"I don't want to lose any of you before I have to."_

Folding the map up again, he turned. _"We're going east."_

* * *

><p>"Ignis will never be defeated!" Hideyoshi exclaimed. "For Ignis! Monferno, attack!"<p>

Sir Aaron rubbed his temples. "Hey, Arceus?" he called into the sky, as Monferno beat up Palkia's ankle. "These antagonists aren't exactly the most intelligent in history."

_I was in a great hurry. I'm still working on designing the rest._

The huge Dragon/Water Type lifted his foot, inspecting the small scratch marks. _"This is not much of a challenge. Hydro Pump."_

Squeaking in alarm, the Monferno was carried away by a colossal torrent of water.

"Do you yield?" Sir Aaron asked, pointing one of his swords straight at Hideyoshi.

"I-" Hideyoshi stopped talking, freezing in place.

_There we go!_ Arceus said, pleased. _Right, you wanted a challenge?_

"A bit of one, yeah," Aaron agreed.

_Good._

Hideyoshi unfroze. "-most certainly do not! Infernape!"

Pakika kicked the Infernape into the middle distance as it charged.

"What about now?" Sir Aaron queried.

"I've still not sent out my champion! Reshiram, get them!"

"_...wait."_ Dialga pointed. _"Did he just say-"_

Blue Flare hit Palkia directly in the face.

Reshiram keened to the sky, flames skirling out of its tail turbine, and followed up its first attack with a colossal Dragonbreath.

"_Okay, that hurt!"_ the Space Pokémon roared, claws sliding out and smashing away the remains of the attack. _"Aaron, orb me!"_

"Got it!" Aaron replied, throwing the Lustrous Orb.

Palkia caught it, and grinned.

"_Here we go! This is gonna be _fun_! Spacial Rend!"_

Reality twisted in half, and fired itself at Reshiram.

As the explosions started, Giratina floated down to Aaron's level. _"When's our turn?"_

"Dunno," Aaron admitted. "Any elemental locations you'd prefer?"

"_Psychic would be nice. I'm good at Psychic."_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Shedinja with Sturdy – yes, that does technically work. The result is a Pokémon that can only be KOed by multi-hit moves (and not Normal or Fighting ones), or status conditions, or recoil or weather. (There's probably a few more things too – but the important bit is that Ash's team only had a very short list of them.)

Wobbuffet's back, and Ash came close to recruiting a Houndour or six. No dice for now, but mainly because he didn't ask... (By the way, the Houndour pack structure here is mimicking real world wolves. Their packs are family – mother, father, the odd uncle or aunt, and the kids.

As for the events in the pocket dimension... well, they're not going to be bored, that's for sure


	54. Johto 8

Ash laughed, as Totodile licked his face. "Yeah, I've missed you too!"

"_You did? Hurrah!"_ Totodile let himself be plucked off Ash's front, and bounced from foot to foot once he was set down. _"It's been a long time since we journeyed together, Ash!"_

"Yeah..." Ash rubbed the back of his neck, wincing. "Sorry about that."

"_That's okay!"_ Totodile nodded, irrepressible. _"It means I got a lot of time to practice my juggling!"_

He peered around. _"Ooh, new friends! You're big!"_

Lucario nodded.

"_And you're not quite as big!"_ Totodile cocked his head, looking at Togekiss. _"Where's Togepi, is she hiding behind you?"_

"_No,"_ Togekiss replied. _"I _am_ Togepi."_

"_...you used to be shorter."_ Totodile shrugged, and looked around again. _"Who else is new?"_

"_Me?"_ Stantler asked. _"I don't think we've met."_

"_Nice to meet you." _Totodile offered a claw to shake, and Stantler lifted his hoof to match. _"You've got huge antlers!"_

"_They're quite small, really..."_ Stantler replied, shaking his head. _"I'm still young."_

"_So am I,"_ Totodile shrugged. _"What's your thing?"_

Stantler concentrated, and a Ninetales shimmered into place next to him. It stood completely still, not even breathing.

"_Whoa!"_ Totodile said, gaping. _"That's so cool!"_

Brock's actual Ninetales padded around them, inspecting her doppelgänger. _"Not bad, though I see you still have trouble making it move."_

"_Yeah."_ Stantler let the illusion collapse. _"I'm still trying to get that working."_

"_This one's much better, though!"_ Totodile said, pointing at Ninetales. _"This one moves and everything!"_

Ninetales thwapped him lightly on the nose with a tail. _"I'm the real one."_

"_Oh!"_ Totodile nodded sagely. _"That explains it."_

He ran back over to Ash. _"Let's go!"_

"Someone's enthusiastic!" Ash smiled. "All right, come on."

* * *

><p>"Come one, come all!" announced a female trainer. "Come and use a Fire-type Pokémon against my Skarmory!"<p>

Jessie blinked. "That's not normal, is it?"

James shrugged. "Maybe she wants it to learn how to lose with dignity. Well, I've got a Fire-type. Growlie!"

The Arcanine burst into existence, and James gave him a scratch. "Okay, go!"

Growlie looked at the Skarmory, lip curling... then sniffed, and his attitude changed completely. He went from battle-ready to suddenly very happy, and he bounded off over a nearby hill.

"...that doesn't usually happen," James made clear. "Actually, that must mean-"

Growlie bounded back over the hill again, Ninetales running alongside.

"Hi!" Brock called, cresting the ridge, as his Pokémon and Growlie curvetted around one another. "I didn't realize we were so close!"

"Nor did I," James admitted. "Your Pokémon seems to have distracted my Pokémon."

Now reacquainted, the two ran up to James. _"Hey, James?"_ Growlie asked. _"Can we fight together?"_

"What about it?" Brock said, putting the question to the Skarmory's trainer. "Want to give your Skarmory a real challenge? Two-on-one?"

The young woman – Miki – thought about that. "What do you think, Skarmory?"

Skarmory looked between the two Fire-types. "Skaar," it said after a moment, and took off.

"Right!" Miki pointed. "Iron Defence!"

Skarmory's feathers sheened with silvery light, and it cawed.

Growlie glanced over at Ninetales. _"Shall I lead?"_

"_Go ahead,"_ Ninetales replied.

Then they began to pace forwards, side-by-side.

"Fury attack!" Miki ordered.

Skarmory cawed, and swooped down on Growlie. Its beak glowed.

Growlie waited a few seconds, until the Skarmory was almost on top of him. _"Now!"_ he said, jumping to his left – away from Ninetales – and drawing the Skarmory to alter course to deliver the attack.

Ninetales' fur crackled with tiny sparks. Five of her tails came up to her mouth, touched an orb of fire, and drew out five long arms from it.

Then the Fire Blast went off.

Skarmory heard the attack coming, and left off his attack on Growlie before more than a few blows had actually hit home. Climbing frantically, he got out of the fire blast basket with no more than a singed tail.

For his part, Growlie let the attack wash over him. _"Nice,"_ he said, once it ended. A Flamethrower returned the favour, and Ninetales' Flash Fire absorbed it just like his had.

"_Thanks,"_ Ninetales nodded, and returned her gaze to the Skarmory overhead.

She inhaled, and fired off a Flamethrower.

Skarmory dodged it, sliding to the side and out of the way, and another burst of flame from Growlie made him slip lower still.

The two streams of fire curved around, sustained by the loping canines, and intersected just as Skarmory ran out of sky room.

The Steel-type rapidly heated to a dull red, then launched Swift stars at the duo and forced them to break off.

"Iron defence again!" Miki said, and Skarmory nodded. As it cooled, silver-sheen flashed on its wings, and it flew back up into the sky.

* * *

><p>"What just happened?" Ash asked.<p>

"Fire damages steel by making it weaker," Miki explained. "My Skarmory has learned to use Iron Defence to reverse the process, so single blasts of heat can't knock him out!"

"Right." Brock exchanged a look with James. "Uh... which one of us is in charge here?"

"I think _they_ are," James replied, pointing at the two conversing Pokémon.

* * *

><p>"<em>Right."<em> Growlie nodded his assent. _"Okay, here we go!"_

He blurred into motion, running off to the other side of the hill, and left Ninetales alone.

Skarmory took the opportunity, making an attack run. Ninetales shot flame at him, and he dodged with easy speed.

Growlie came bounding back over the hilltop, and jumped off. Skarmory aborted his attack run, rising up and out of danger.

Ninetales threw her head back, and launched off a Fire Blast. It rose into the sky, reaching up for Growlie's form on an intercept course – and exploded.

Her boyfriend put it to good use. Using the soft pillow of overpressure, he gained enough purchase for an Extremespeed and rocketed further into the air – abruptly looking _down_ at Skarmory.

Before the startled Steel-type could react, Growlie released his _own_ Fire Blast. The attack hit Skarmory, driving him down from overhead, and Growlie controlled his fall with the jet of flame to keep himself over Skarmory for the whole descent.

The sustained heat was bad enough, but then Ninetales – pacing them on the ground – leapt atop Skarmory as soon as he crashed to the ground and placed flame-enshrouded teeth near his throat.

"_Yield."_

Skarmory nodded.

"Good match!" Miki said, releasing another Pokémon. "Vaporeon, soak Skarmory for me as soon as that Ninetales gets off?"

Her Vaporeon did so, producing a huge cloud of steam and cooling Skarmory from an orange-yellow heat back to something much more safe. (It also extinguished the grass, which had been burning merrily.

* * *

><p>"They work well together," Brock observed, as Growlie and Ninetales padded back over with heads held high.<p>

"You're right," James agreed. "Well, that was fun."

Wobbuffet emerged from his Poké ball. _"That was fighting flyer with fire!"_

Several humans and Pokémon groaned.

_It's been done,_ Psyduck remarked critically.

"_Really?"_ Wobbuffet asked. _"When?"_

_...never you mind._

* * *

><p>"Okay, this could be tricky," Ash said, looking around. "Somewhere, there's a shiny Noctowl – and remember, he's clever."<p>

"_Yeah,"_ Pikachu agreed. His cheeks sparked, and he started delivering a continuous light tingle of electricity into Ash's shoulder. _"That should keep you from being caught in an illusion."_

"Thanks," Ash replied. "Now, if I was Noctowl, where would I be..."

There was a loud thwack.

"_Over there?"_ Lucario suggested. _"It's as good a lead as any."_

They pushed through the brush, and found a man flailing away at a – normal – Noctowl with a big branch.

"Go away!" he said. "This isn't for you!"

He turned, and saw the friends. "Aha!"

"Who are you?" Misty asked.

"I am Doctor Wiseman," the man replied. "I'm trying to catch an oddly coloured Noctowl which flies around here. It's very clever."

There was a hoot.

Wiseman turned, and saw an oddly coloured Noctowl flying around there. "Aha!"

He picked up a long pole, with some berries hung on the end. "Here you go!"

"Doctor?" Ash asked. "Why are you trying to lure a normal Noctowl?"

"No, this is the shiny one!" Wiseman said, looking at Ash with confusion. He then looked up at the Noctowl, which was eating the berries at high speed.

As he looked, it flashed, and reverted to brown in colour.

"Damn it!" he raged, snatching the berries back out of reach. "This always happens! I swear this Noctowl keeps outsmarting me!"

"Sounds like a smart Pokémon," Ash observed.

"_Rather,"_ Noctowl said, landing on a branch overhead.

"Aha!"

Wiseman ran over to the tree and started climbing it. The third branch he grabbed for was another illusion, and he fell unceremoniously back down the tree.

"_Better luck next time,"_ Noctowl observed, taking flight. _"Know your enemy and know yourself, and all that."_

As he went past, he helped himself to a berry from the stick.

"This could be tricky," Ash muttered.

* * *

><p>"I challenge you!" Ash called.<p>

"_You do? Who are you?"_ Noctowl asked, flying around in a circle.

Ash grinned. "I'm Ash Ketchum! And I want to earn your respect!"

"_Good luck with that, quite honestly."_ Noctowl bobbed his wings. _"Very well, let's see if you can impress me."_

"You got it!" Ash sent out Ivysaur. "Okay, Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!"

"_Ash-"_ Ivysaur began.

"None of that!" Ash cut him off. "Just do what I tell you."

"_...sure."_ Ivysaur's whips lashed out. Noctowl blocked one with a quick wing-flap, but the other wrapped around him just as he came down to land on a branch.

"_I've got a good grip,"_ Ivysaur said, dubiously. _"But it doesn't-"_

"Doesn't matter!" Ash interrupted. "Now, bring him over here so I can catch him!"

Looking even more concerned, Ivysaur reeled his vines back in.

-and Ash threw a Poké ball over his shoulder.

There was the unmistakeable sound of the 'ball connecting, a surprised screech, and then a dull _thwap_ on the ground.

"_...oh, right,"_ Ivysaur said, as the illusion he was holding collapsed to reveal a bunch of berries and part of a tree branch in an elaborate decoy. _"So you knew he was using an illusion."_

"That's right!" Ash said, picking up the 'ball. "That do you?"

"_...rather. Absolutely top hole, old chap."_ Noctowl shook his head, and perched on Ash's outstretched arm. _"But really, Ash, did you have to hit me on the beak? That stung."_

"I hit you with a Poké ball I was throwing over my shoulder," Ash reminded him. "I'm glad it worked at _all."_

"_Well, I suppose it's lovely to be back. Why are we in the past?"_

"Remember when we met a horde of Unown?" Ash asked. "And Mewtwo? And Celebi? And Latios and Latias?"

"_I do."_ Noctowl's head went round in a circle. _"Do you mean to say one of those was responsible?"_

"No, it was Arceus and Dialga." Ash shrugged. "It's just that saying that straight off sounds like I'm insane."

"_You are, at the very least, eccentric._" Ivysaur waddled over. _"Hi, Noctowl."_

"_Are you alright, old chap?"_ Noctowl asked, frowning. _"You seem to have put on a beastly amount of weight."_

"_I evolved."_

"_Is that what they're calling it?"_ Noctowl flared his wings. _"Well, to each his own. I can't have any business whatsoever with evolving. I evolved once – never again."_

Ash sniggered.

"_I must say, it's nice that you understand me now."_ Noctowl hooted, then took flight again. _"Well, shall we go see the other chaps and chapesses?"_

"_Why are you talking like that?"_ Ivysaur asked, as he and Ash headed back to the clearing. _"You're from Johto."_

"_So?"_ Noctowl flew around him, this time with a small illusion perched on his crown.

A top hat.

"_A gent can dream, can't he?"_

"_Am I seriously the only one of your Pokémon who isn't strange, Ash?"_ Ivysaur asked.

"That's not fair, Ivysaur!" Ash said, shaking his head. "Admittedly, I can't think of anyone..."

He glanced down at his waist. "It's a compliment, really."

* * *

><p>Near Viridian Forest, dark shapes moved on silent feet.<p>

"_Nearly there,"_ one Houndour reported. _"I found a road sign which mentions Pallet Town. It's just a few miles south."_

"_Good work."_ The alpha consulted the map one more time, then set it ablaze. _"Now, follow my lead."_

For the third time, there was a series of scratches at the door.

"All right, all right.." Oak yawned, pulling on a dressing gown. "I swear, getting an innocent researcher up at the dead of night... what do I pay Tracey for..."

He opened the door. "Who's there?"

The answer appeared to be that no-one and nothing was there.

Then there was a soft growl, and about eight pairs of eyes opened. White markings gleamed faintly in the night, and Oak abruptly realized what he was looking at – eight Houndour.

"Hello there," he said, crouching down – and feeling a little silly, in Buneary slippers and a striped dressing gown.

One of the Houndour stepped forwards, and barked something.

"Oh, dear..." Oak looked up. "Damos?"

He said hello.

"Oh! Hello, then." He held out a hand, and the Houndour looked at it.

I don't think they understand the concept of handshakes, Professor, Damos observed quietly.

"Right, right. Sorry." Oak withdrew his hand. "What brings you here?"

The Houndour – presumably the leader – began to bark again, tail wagging back and forth slowly as he explained.

Let's see... Damos said. They're here because they heard about Oak Ranch from... should have guessed. Ash did it.

"You're right, that doesn't surprise me." Oak nodded to the alpha to keep speaking.

It seems that Ash saved his son – the one third from the right, back row. The Houndour weren't sure how to take that, but they've decided to come here while they make up their minds.. Damos paused. The alpha also offers to let you study pack behaviour in Pokémon.

"That's actually quite an interesting idea," Oak admitted. "I learned a lot from studying the Tauros, and not just how to repair fences quickly."

The alpha had said his piece, and stood in front of the doorstep with calm patience.

"How is the funding situation?" the Professor asked.

We are swimming in money, Damos replied. Even without the royalties from your radio program, when it starts, the sheer amount of grant and prize money earned from the completed Home Islands Pokédex is immense.

"There's still a couple of missing entries," Oak protested.

Yes. Two. And that will reduce to one as soon as the good Doctor Akihabara manages to complete his UpGrade package.

"Well, that's me told." Oak shook his head. "It looks like there's no problems here, then. Go ahead – it's around the back."

The alpha held his gaze for a moment, then nodded to him. He barked, and the pack set off for the ranch.

* * *

><p><em>This Pokéathlon thing sounds like a lot of effort,<em> Abra said.

"Yeah, it kinda is," Meowth admitted. "But-"

Abra Returned himself.

"Lazy so-and-so," Meowth muttered. "Okay, there's five kinds'a contest, with events spread out among 'em."

He scanned down the brochure. "Where was it... aha! There's Speed, Power, Skill, Stamina, an' Jump."

Arbok raised a tail. _"Jump?"_

"Yeah, not all of you are gonna be good at all of 'em," Meowth agreed. "There's ten events. Let's go down 'em all."

Weezing frowned. _"Can I just float?"_

"...dunno. Anyway. First event, Hurdle Dash. It's in the Speed an' Jump contests, and it's basically the hurdles. Faster is better."

"_Why don't they just call it the hurdles?"_ Wobbuffet asked.

"'cause-" Meowth stopped. "Let me tink about dat one-"

"_Dashed if I know!"_ Wobbuffet finished, laughing.

Gyarados gave him a whack with his tail, sending him wobbling back and forth.

"Right." Meowth looked down the list. "Next up is Ring Drop – 's kinda like sumo wrestling, but not really."

He glanced back up. "Remember, da thing here is teamwork – it's all groups of three. 'an this is a Stamina event."

Gyarados blinked. _"Does that mean I can compete?"_

For a moment, they all thought about what that would look like.

"We'll certainly try ta get you in," Meowth decided. "Let's see. Snow Throw?"

"_Snowball fight!"_ Wobbuffet cheered. _"Cool!"_

More groans, and another tail-to-the-face.

"Basically. Dat's skill. Then there's one which is Jump, which is da Lamp Jump. Da more lamps you get in one jump, da better."

"_I will dominate that,"_ Weezing proclaimed. _"I can float!"_

"We're gonna need to check da rulebook, ain't we..." Meowth grinned. "Right. Then we got Relay Run."

Growlie looked smug.

"Yeah, ya big bad Arcanine." Meowth shrugged. "But it's a relay, so – like da rest – teamwork. That one's in Speed and Stamina."

The Scratch Cat scanned the rest of the list. "Running 'em off quickly – Block Smash... Circle Push which is another kind'a sumo... Disc Catch – guess what that one is... a flag capture game, 'an football."

"_What kind of football?"_ Victreebell asked.

"Football," Meowth reiterated. "This ain't Unova or Orre, ya know."

"_Fine."_

"_Question!"_ Wobbuffet raised an arm. _"Are we trying to win, or trying to look good?"_

"Ain't dey the same?" Meowth asked, confused.

"_No, they're not!"_ Wobbuffet shook his head emphatically. _"If we do badly but look funny doing it, that's going to make us look good. If we win after barely clawing our way back, that looks great! But easy victories are boring."_

"_...that's deep, that is,"_ Arbok stated, to general agreement.

"Where'd ya pick _that_ up?" Meowth asked.

"_Here and there."_ Wobbuffet tapped his tail on the floor. _"If we pay attention to that, victory is insight!"_

Meowth looked suspicious. "...did ya just tell another pun?"

"_Nope!"_ Wobbuffet told him.

"I'm watchin' you..." Meowth stated. He then turned to Cubone. "You okay? You ain't said a thing."

"_It feels like a bit of a waste,"_ Cubone said morosely. _"Using our abilities for this... especially if all we're doing is deliberately making mistakes."_

"I dunno," Meowth admitted. "Wanna talk about it?"

"_...no."_ Cubone walked off.

"By da way," Meowth said, once she was out of sight. "If any o' you got any ideas how to help her out of dat funk, lemme know."

None were immediately forthcoming.

* * *

><p>"<em>Where, exactly, are we?"<em> Cobalion asked.

Keldeo checked the map, then looked up at the signs. _"I'm... not sure. All the signs are in a different language."_

"_Let me see."_ Virizion stepped up and examined the sign. _"It says that the road we are on leads to Lumiose City to the north-west, and Santalune City to the south-east."_

"_Got it!"_ Keldeo looked at his map. _"Whoops..."_

He put his hoof on Santalune City, then slid it north-west. _"Here's where we are."_

The hoof then slid north. _"And here's where the tunnel was. We've gone in the wrong direction. Sorry, guys."_

"_Don't worry, kid!"_ Terrakion consoled him. _"Doing better than I would!"_

"_Thanks."_ Keldeo looked at the map again, and then his atlas. _"Right, I think we just need to head east from here. To the rising sun."_

Cobalion inspected his handiwork, and nodded.

Keldeo packed up the atlas, map and their small amount of spending money, and shrugged on the saddlebags he kept them in.

They were about to set off, when someone shouted for help.

"_Quick!"_ Virizion said, leaping into motion. Her fellow Swords followed behind her.

"_What about me?"_ Keldeo asked. There was no reply, so he shrugged and followed along behind.

* * *

><p>"<em>Come on, quickly!"<em> Virizion said, trotting alongside a large number of Bunnelby as she led them away from the brushfire.

Behind her, there was the clash of swords and the occasional roar as her two fellow Swords fended off the pride of Pyroar.

Virizion hoped they were doing all right. Certainly, Cobalion and Terrakion were strong – but, well. There were a _lot_ of Pyroar back there.

Certainly, they needed to be stopped – they were clearly causing fires without putting in the effort to be sure they wouldn't spread – but she was worried. For Cobalion, especially.

Finally, the Bunnelby reached a river, across which they hurried. Free from her obligation, Virizion drew her sword and charged back to help her comrades.

The fire had intensified even in the short time she'd been gone. In fact, it was starting to roar, and a breeze was freshening – drawing air in towards the dry vegetation.

This was probably going to result in a forest fire – maybe even a firestorm.

Then she was abruptly soaked.

"_Whoaaa!"_ Keldeo's voice drifted down from overhead.

"_Keldeo!"_ she called up. _"What are you doing?"_

"_Hydro Pump!"_ Keldeo replied. _"I've been working on it, but I can't steer great – whoa!"_

Water went everywhere, sluicing into the inferno and producing great clouds of steam.

"_Whatever you're doing, it's working!"_ Vizirion called. _"Keep it up!"_

Her reply was another soaking, and she caught sight of Keldeo rocketing across the path ahead... with water spraying from his _hooves_?

"_Are you flying by shooting water out of your hooves?"_ she asked, not quite believing her eyes.

"_Yea-aaaaah!"_ Keldeo disappeared off towards the fire, and then there was a loud _thump._

Waves of water sprayed out in all directions.

* * *

><p>"<em>That was close,"<em> Cobalion said, once the fire had gone out. _"Good work, Virizion, Terrakion... and Keldeo."_

Keldeo beamed.

Then he glanced towards his back – his _bare_ back. _"Oh no! I lost the map – and our money!"_

"_Eh, no problem!"_ Terrakion announced. _"We know which way to go, we'll get on without! We head east, right?"_

"_I..."_ Keldeo looked downcast, but then nodded. _"Yes, that's right."_

"_Then that's all we need."_ Terrakion nodded firmly.

Cobalion gave his assent, and Virizion made it unanimous.

"_Let's go, then!"_ Terrakion added, lumbering into motion.

* * *

><p>"I wonder who they were," Gary said, as the four strange Pokémon disappeared before he could get close.<p>

I know.

Umbreon blinked. _"You know, Dee? How? I thought Dexter never got to Kalos."_

He didn't. But those are Unovan.

Gary took out his 'dex, and watched as she cycled through images.

They're Legendaries from Unova.

Dee cut to one particular image – the wounded Keldeo, being fed back to health alongside Ash and his Unovan friends.

Ash helped them. Keldeo especially.

"You already said that, when you mentioned they were Legendary Pokémon." Gary sighed, and hefted the bag he'd found. "Maybe this saddlebag is theirs, then... it's got Unova-printed money and books in."

Umbreon laughed. _"Send it to Ash when you get the chance, he'll run into them sometime."_

"True."

* * *

><p>"...so, anyway," Ash finished. "The Unown thing is pretty soon, Dexter says. So be ready, okay, Charizard?"<p>

He took his finger off the record button. "Done."

Sent. Dexter's lights flashed. Pretty soon is right – we're only a mile or so away, and on schedule.

Brock nodded firmly, and unclipped his crowbar from his belt. He hefted it, and gave a few practice swings. "I'm ready."

"That poor girl," Misty said. "I hope we can help her quicker this time."

"So do I," Ash agreed. "She's not getting my Mom, though."

(Actually, Delia Ketchum had stated her intent to stay over a hundred miles away until the whole thing was thoroughly solved.)

"Do you want to call on anyone else?" Brock asked. "Now you've got the chance, I mean."

"Yeah, actually." Ash frowned, then flipped Dexter open again. "Professor?"

A moment of static, then Oak appeared. "Yes, Ash? You're near the Hale manor?"

"That's right, Professor," Ash agreed. "I might need reinforcements in a hurry. Can you get everyone ready?"

"I certainly can, my boy," Oak agreed. "I'll let everyone know. Oh – do you want me to ask the Houndour pack?"

"...so _that's_ why they asked where I lived!" Ash said, pleased to have worked it out. "Please ask them, yes."

"Okay." Oak turned away, then back to the screen. "Be safe, Ash."

The link cut off.

* * *

><p>Molly Hale lay back against the furred bulk of her papa.<p>

"Papa?" she said, raising her voice.

_Yes, Molly?_ replied the Entei. _What is your wish?_

"I love you, Papa," she said, nestling a little further into the warm fur. "But I want mama as well."

Invisibly, the Unown considered how to interpret her request. Thoughts and concepts flashed between them like lightning within a thundercloud, invisible except by their consequence.

Molly's favourite Legendary Pokémon was Entei. But she liked all three of the Beasts.

A consensus was reached.

Hidden Power, given strength by endless hordes of Unown and form by the wishes and desires of a heartbroken young girl, crested and solidified.

_You will have a mother, Molly,_ Entei told her. _I, your father, to protect you; a mother, to nurture you; an older brother, to fight for you._

"Really?" Molly said, smiling. "Can I see mama now?"

_You can,_ said her mother.

"Mama!" Molly said, getting up and running forwards. Entei rose and padded behind, alert for any danger.

"I missed you, mama," Molly said, hugging her mama's cool blue leg. "I'm glad we're a family again."

_For you, anything,_ the Suicune said, nuzzling her.

_Anything at all,_ echoed the Raikou who had followed her in.

"Who are you?" Molly asked, curious.

_I am your older brother,_ Raikou informed her. _You will never be in danger again, not while I keep you safe._

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Here we go. M03.

I've also... rather amped up the challenge level.

Looking at the rest of the events... Totodile and Noctowl are back. Totodile was easy, Noctowl I had a bit more trouble with. And there's the Pokéathlon – Wobbuffet has a good point here.

Meanwhile, the Swords of Justice got lost, and Gary is Still In Kalos.

Oh, and a bit of working together from Growlie and Ninetales.


	55. Spell of the Unown 1

This is the first of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>"Are any of you guys Pokémon trainers?"<p>

"Yeah," Ash said – stating the obvious, given that no fewer than four Pokémon accompanied the trio. "But we're kind of in a hurry, sorry – we don't have time to battle."

Lisa frowned. "Oh, that's a pity. Maybe later?"

"I'll let you know," Ash said, and kept going.

Lisa watched them go out of sight. "Well, that wasn't very polite."

Her Aipom clambered down from her shoulder and rummaged in her bag. Finding what it was looking for, it produced an old leaflet.

"Eeh?" it asked, pointing at the paper.

Lisa examined it.

"You're right..." She blinked. "Oh. Maybe it's a good thing we didn't get to fight, I can't imagine I'd have done well against Ash Ketchum..."

Aipom shrugged, and jumped back up to her shoulder.

* * *

><p>The friends rounded the final bend, and their objective – a broad valley – came into view.<p>

"Looks like we were right," Ash said softly, looking over the gigantic crystal edifice covering half the valley floor.

"What now?" Brock asked.

"Well..." Ash shaded his eyes. "I think we should use the river. It got us in without being noticed, so it should work again."

"_What about teams?"_ Lucario asked.

"As soon as we're in, I'm going to want you on alert," Ash confirmed. "But the fewer of us there are, the easier it's going to be to sneak in. I think we should return everyone – and Pikachu, you should get in my backpack."

"Can I just check what we're doing?" Misty asked, as Togekiss returned to her 'ball.

"Well..." Ash trailed off, putting Pokéballs into his pockets and zipping up his bag with Pikachu in it. "The girl – Molly – she was... I don't know exactly how to put it. She was in a bad way, I guess. And I'm kind of hoping we can make sure she's okay."

He pulled his gloves tighter, feeling his Aura sing through them. "If I can get to her, I can try the same thing I did to you and Sabrina, Misty."

"Right."

"What do you need us to do?" Brock asked.

"I guess... help me through?" Ash suggested. "We don't know exactly what's going to happen in there. We'll have to decide at the time."

The others nodded.

* * *

><p>"Okay, here goes."<p>

Brock looked across the stretch of clear ground to the stream tunnel. "Didn't we do this at night last time?"

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "But we should be as quick as possible – the longer we wait, the worse things could get."

He winced. "I don't want someone else to be kidnapped like Mom was."

"Good point," Misty said, softly. "But how are we going to be sure we're not seen?"

Ash rummaged in his pockets, the movement making the bush they were hiding in rustle. "Noctowl, you ready for this?"

The shiny Pokémon formed in a flash of white light, ringed with sparkles. _"Indubitably."_

"Think you can disguise all of us?"

"_Well, it'll be a little bit of a challenge, but I'm sure I can manage."_ Noctowl flared his wings, and took flight. As he did so, a faint shimmer covered his wings, and he faded to the normal brown colour of most of his species.

"_No sense drawing one whit more attention than is absolutely necessary,"_ he muttered, and circled a few times. _"I have it. Onwards!"_

Ash, Brock and Misty walked out into the open, a faint prickling sensation going up their spines at the thought of being ambushed by the illusory Entei.

"_Do stay slow, there's good chaps,"_ Noctowl added softly. His circling path lowered until his wingtips were barely above their heads, occasionally brushing with a feather. _"There we go... theeeere we go... and done."_

Ash sighed with relief as they made it into the crystalline tunnel roof.

"Thanks, Noctowl," he said.

"_A pleasure."_ Noctowl did another circuit, then alighted on Ash's shoulder. _"Hmm, I can most definitely see why Pikachu prefers it here."_

"Do we need your help any more?" Ash asked.

"_I believe not – we're now no longer in line of sight with the manor."_ Noctowl hooted softly.

"Okay. Thanks." Ash held up the Pokéball, and Noctowl disappeared into it with a pulse of red light.

"So far so good," Misty observed.

* * *

><p>"Are we ready?"<p>

"Three... two... one... rolling."

"I'm here outside the town of Greenfield," Roxy explained, a practiced sweep of her arm taking in the whole vale behind her – much of it covered with the expanding crystalline substance which had appeared so suddenly a few hours ago. "Experts from across Japan are being contacted, but as yet no hard information has come to light."

She pressed a finger into her ear. "Excuse me, I'm getting an update from one Professor Felina Ivy from the Orange Islands. Professor, can we-"

Another pause.

"Okay, we are going to have Professor Ivy on the line shortly." Roxy looked back into the camera. "We can all hope that her expertise on the subject allows us to get a speedy resolution to this crisis. Professor Samuel Oak has also been contacted, and he has informed us he is monitoring the situation from his home base in Kanto."

"Hey, Roxy?" her cameraman said, looking up from the viewfinder.

"What is it, Oli?" she asked, lowering her microphone. "We're live!"

"I know, Rox, but..." Oli pointed, and she turned to look.

"Goodness!"

Roxy took a moment to squint closer, trying to make out more details, and then turned back to the camera. "It appears that a number of trainers are making their way into the structure. I am not certain from this distance-" the camera panned off her, and zoomed in, "-but it appears one of them is the young Champion of the most recent Indigo Conference, Ash Ketchum. I'm not sure what he's doing in Johto, but he seems to know what he's doing."

Her support staff spoke in her ear again, and she turned back to the camera as it focused back in on her. "I've just been informed that Professor Ivy is now available. Professor, what can you tell us?"

Ivy cleared her throat, invisible to the reporter but being broadcast across the country. "Well – Roxy, is it?"

"That's correct, Professor."

"Well. My most recent area of study was on dimensional analysis, and I encountered a form of strange Pokémon called the Unown. This isn't quite what we saw last time, but it's quite close."

"Unown," Roxy repeated. "What do we know about these Unown?"

"Not a lot," Felina admitted. "They're powerfully psychic, we know that much, and they have a strange form of hidden energy. We think they work together in hundreds and thousands to produce the larger effects we see – individually they're not very powerful, but together they're so impressive some have misidentified them as a single, Legendary, Pokémon."

"That's chilling stuff," Roxy said. "Is there any good news?"

"Unown can be dealt with," Felina said, smiling. "As I say, individually they're not very powerful, and their ability to harmonize and produce such large effects can be disrupted with relative ease once close."

"So – can we focus in on those trainers again?" Roxy waited a moment. "Thank you. So, Professor, what do you think the chances are of these trainers doing what you suggest?"

"Well, I-" Ivy's voice broke off. "Is that Brock?"

"Professor?" Roxy asked, concerned.

Other voices came down Ivy's video link. Those watching at home could see three nearly-identical assistants crowded around Professor Ivy's computer.

"That_ is_ Brock!" one of them said.

"He'll be fine!" another added, sounding relieved.

"Excuse me!" Ivy said, quite sharply. "Sorry about that. I know one of the trainers quite well – Brock of Pewter. He's a Gym Leader who stayed with me for a couple of months."

"...well, it is a small world," Roxy commented. "Professor, thank you for the help. Can we rely on you for further analysis as this crisis unfolds?"

"Of course."

* * *

><p>"You guys doing okay?" Ash asked, looking back.<p>

"Kind of," Brock replied, wobbling as one foot sank into the water. He sighed, and there was a quiet _splash_ as he gave up trying to stand on the surface. "I'll just wade, Ash."

"Okay," Ash nodded. "Misty?"

"I think I'm doing okay," Misty confirmed. Her foot clipped a ripple and produced a tiny spray of water. "Whoops – uh, sorry, Ash."

"Nah, it's fine." Ash brushed the water off his clothes. "You're doing fine, yeah."

"Thanks." Misty nodded.

For another couple of minutes, there was no sound except the creaking and groaning of the crystalline landscape as it expanded, and the occasional slosh as Brock trudged through the shin-deep water.

"Here we are," Ash commented, eventually.

"First hurdle," Brock agreed, looking up at the waterfall. "What should we do?"

He reached for a Pokéball. "Steelix is long enough."

"No, don't," Misty said, shaking her head. "You'll make too much noise. I think Seadra can carry me up, and we can probably- where'd Ash go?"

Brock was staring upwards. "He just jumped up the waterfall, that's where."

"That works, too," Misty admitted.

"Hey, guys!" Ash called down softly. "Grab on!"

There was the sound of two Pokéballs opening.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ready?"<em> Ivysaur asked.

Bayleef nodded.

She extended her vines, letting them reach down the waterfall. A glance to the side showed her that Ivysaur was doing the same – and as she watched, roots extended from his feet, digging into cracks in the stone surface.

"_Is that Ingrain?"_ she asked.

Ivysaur's reply turned into a grunt as he took Brock's weight. _"Hup – that's right. Do you know how to-"_

"_No."_ Bayleef looked at his feet again, then down at hers. She concentrated, and a few wispy roots emerged from her own to worm into the flagstones.

Misty grabbed hold of her vines, and she lifted with a wince. Fortunately, Misty was quite light, and so the rather poorly executed Ingrain wasn't necessary.

"Got them?" Ash asked, and both Grass-types nodded. "Good! Now – guys?"

"Yeah?" Brock called back.

"Start walking up the side, okay? Ivysaur, Bayleef, reel them in to help!"

"_Got it."_ Bayleef retracted her vines, bracing herself and leaning back to aid her balance.

Misty didn't come up in one smooth motion. There were fits and starts, moments when she came up very easily followed by moments when her entire weight was on the vines and Bayleef was forced to slow down to a crawl.

"You're doing fine," Ash said, watching carefully for any sign either Pokémon was starting to lose their grip.

"_Are you sure?"_ Bayleef grunted. _"I- gah!"_

There was a crackle as the roots securing her forelegs gave way. She started to skid forwards on the slick, wet stone-

-and Ash grabbed her tail, arresting her movement.

"Ivysaur, you holding up okay?" he asked, keeping the pressure up and moving around to Bayleef's side to get a better (and more comfortable) grip.

"_I'm fine,"_ Ivysaur replied. The stones under him creaked slightly as he strengthened his grip.

"Okay, Bayleef, we're fine," he reassured her, shifting to using her legs for grip.

Bayleef nodded, and reeled in Misty faster – with Ash bracing her like this, she felt it was the better choice.

* * *

><p>"Look, momma!" Molly said, pointing at the TV. "That's that boy they said was a Pokémon League Champion! What's he doing trying to get into our house?"<p>

Suicune tilted her head. _I do not know, dear. Perhaps he wants to meet you._

"The TV said they don't know how he did that bit where he jumped up the waterfall," Molly said, thoughtfully. "What do you think that means?"

_It may mean he is dangerous,_ Raikou said. _You should stay away from him._

"I don't know..." Molly frowned. "If he's a Pokémon League Champion, that must mean he's a trainer. I didn't know boys that young could be trainers."

She looked at Entei. "Papa, can I be a trainer?"

_You can be whatever you want to be, Molly,_ Entei replied.

"That's nice. But..." Molly frowned. "Aren't I too young?"

_You can be _whatever_ you want to be,_ Entei repeated.

"Wow..." Molly said.

As she watched, the boy and his friends reached the top of the waterfall. Inaudible on the screen, he recalled both Pokémon, and then they headed further into the mansion.

_I will make sure they do not make it any further,_ Raikou said.

"No, wait," Molly told him – not noticing how he treated it as an incontrovertible order.

She sat watching the screen, as – bereft of further footage – the anchorwoman started to talk about what was known of Ash Ketchum.

Prominent among this short feature was footage from his League battles at Indigo Plateau some months before.

"Wow!" Molly enthused, as the highlights reel wound on – ignoring the commentary, which included phrases like 'Shouldn't be possible', 'What was he feeding that Butterfree' and 'Oh, I remember this, it blew my hat off'.

"His Pokémon are really strong!" she said.

The Unown-created beasts exchanged a silent look. Then, Entei stood.

_Your mother and brother will watch over you,_ he said, and Molly yawned – suddenly feeling very tired.

As she drifted off to sleep, Entei's voice cut in again. _Dream of being a trainer, Molly. Your dream will come true._

* * *

><p>Two floors down, in the anteroom, a sphere of at least four hundred Unown chanted in unison as they maintained the spell granting Molly's wishes.<p>

She wanted to be a Pokémon trainer. She would have Pokémon.

Creating Pokémon was something the Unown could do. Without the spark of her active imagination to give them life, they would just be duplications without any initiative... but that was adequate.

_U~nown..._

* * *

><p>"Okay, here we are," Ash said. "That's the way into the manor itself."<p>

He grinned. "Does Ninetales want to do the honours?"

Brock nodded, releasing her onto one of the crystal flowers. "Ninetales!"

"_Ah, this place."_ Ninetales took a breath. _"Let's see if I can finesse this... Flamethrower!"_

A horizontal blast of roaring flame erupted from her mouth, sparks showering from her tails and hissing in the water. The crystal wall shattered under the impact, and melted for at least an inch around her attack in all directions.

"Show-off," Brock teased.

Her tails flicked off small balls of purple-blue fire, which spiralled forwards and girdled her flamethrower in a continuous ring. The ring of deep flame moved forwards, still spinning, and aligned with the crystal wall – ringing off the open section of the wall from the crystal attempting to regrow it.

"_I'll do it how I like, thank you very much,"_ she retorted ending the flamethrower. _"Will that do?"_

"That's great, thanks!" Brock said. He approached the hole, and stepped carefully through it – making sure to avoid the flames.

Misty went through next, then Ash – being careful to make sure his cape didn't touch the Will-o-wisp either.

That done, Brock held out his Pokéball and returned Ninetales.

"That was easy," Misty said, as the hole healed up behind them.

"Yeah," Brock agreed. "But this is where it gets tough. Ash, you still want to do what we did last time?"

"Right." Ash nodded. "Guys – if there's any of my Pokémon you could use to help slow her down, let me know, I can get them from Oak."

"Is Charizard on offer?" Brock asked.

"Ha ha," Ash deadpanned, and his friends laughed. "You know what I mean."

"I do, you're right." Brock frowned. "Well, I'm guessing you'll want Lucario and Pikachu with you, they're the toughest Pokémon you've got on you."

"I'll take Totodile, if he's willing," Misty suggested. "And Kingler, and..." she sighed. "Squirtle. I guess."

"Heracross and Quilava?" Brock suggested.

"Sure." Ash pulled Dexter out of his pocket. "You heard?"

I did. Sending.

There was a click.

"Ash?" Oak asked. "We saw you on the television. Are you alright?"

"Just fine, Professor," Ash replied. Then blinked. "Wait. When were we on TV?"

"The bit where you climbed the waterfall," Oak informed him. "Professor Ivy was talking about you on the television – you and Brock."

Misty waited, then fumed. "Not me?"

"She only knew Brock because he's her boyfriend," Oak explained. "Oh, that's right, you wanted some Pokémon. Hold on a moment."

Transferring.

Two Pokéballs bounced to the floor.

"Okay, guys!" Ash said, opening the two new Pokéballs and those of his other selected team members for a moment. "You three ready to work with Misty?"

Kingler nodded. _"I am indeed."_

"_Yes!"_ Totodile gave an enthusiastic – and toothy – grin. _"This will be fun!"_

Squirtle waited until they were done, then took a deep breath. Out came his sunglasses. _"In this time of greatest need, Water Pokémon shall stand together as one! I, the great Squirtle, will lead them in their hour of true brotherhood alongside Misty of the Cerulean Gym, the Watery Gym Leader of the Kanto Plain! Together we will forge a new path which-"_

Misty grabbed the Pokéball off Ash and returned him.

"I know it's impolite, but we need to get moving _today,"_ she said with a sigh.

"_Don't worry, he'll just give the speech to the inside of the Pokéball,"_ Kingler observed. _"He'll call it another rehearsal speech."_

"...right." Misty nodded uncertainly. "I'll take what I can get."

Ash passed her the other two Pokéballs, and she returned them. "Don't worry, Ash," she added. "I'll take good care of them."

"What about you two?" Brock asked Quilava and Heracross. "You ready for this?"

Heracross cracked his knuckle-chitin. _"Of course!"_

Quilava nodded, shaking her quills out. _"I may not be much of a Rock type, but since when have you been a Rock type trainer any more anyway?"_

"That's not true!" Brock said. "There's..."

He trailed off, blinking.

"That's a good point, actually," Ash agreed. "Ninetales, Steelix, Geodude, Stantler, Forretress and Crobat. Only one of those even _is_ a Rock type."

"I'll get Sudowoodo eventually," Brock replied. "Shut up."

* * *

><p>"<em>Where are you going?"<em>

Charizard looked back, poised to spring into the air. _"My trainer's going to be in trouble. I need to be there in case he needs help."_

Charla blinked. _"That's... unusual. Most of the Charizard here are very independent."_

"_You're not,"_ Charizard replied, then blinked and groaned. _"I didn't mean it like – not in a bad... ergh, whatever."_

The female Charizard shook her head. _"You are absolutely terrible at this."_

"_Yeah."_ Charizard accepted that assessment, and then leapt into the air.

Charla followed, wings pumping as hard as possible to keep up. _"What kind of trouble?"_

"_Legendary trouble."_ Charizard growled, and a lick of flame escaped his lips. _"Some kind of super-powerful Entei. We fought it."_

Charla gaped for a moment. _"You fought Entei?"_

"An_ Entei,"_ Charizard corrected. _"Not the real one."_

He banked smoothly, driving directly for the Hale manor, and accelerated further.

Charla fell behind a little, then gave up the chase.

"_...well,"_ she muttered. _"I suppose I'll hear about it on the news."_

* * *

><p>"I've still got no idea how this even works," Ash said, looking around the gigantic open field which had replaced some of the manor interior. "This is way too big to fit."<p>

"Well, Ash, we don't know how much of this is real and how much is an illusion," Brock pointed out. "But since the Unown have their own dimension, and can create portals, it might actually be this big on the inside now."

Ash had another look, this time with his eyes closed, and did a double take. "Wow – you're right. It really is this big."

"Guess that answers that question," Brock said.

"Uh oh," Ash added, as they approached the stairs – free standing in the middle of the field. "Here we go."

Down the stairs came Entei, with a twelve-year-old Molly Hale on his back. When he reached about ten feet from the base of the stairs, he took a long floating leap and landed in front of the friends.

Molly got off his back. "You're Pokémon trainers, right?"

Ash made ready to head forwards, then stopped and checked with aura sight – and blinked. "Guys," he said, quietly but urgently. "I can't do the Aura thing here, this isn't the real her."

"Right." Brock stepped forwards. "I'm a Pokémon trainer. Brock of Pewter, Gym Leader!"

"They said you were a gym leader on the TV," Molly agreed, looking him up and down.

She glanced back at Entei, who nodded silently – leaving it up to her.

"All right, I'll battle you!" she decided. "For the Boulderbadge!"

Brock patted his pockets for a moment, and confirmed he did indeed have some Boulderbadges with him.

"As the Gym Leader," he said, selecting Pokéballs as Ash and Misty continued on towards the stairs, "I set the conditions of the match. It is to be a six on six match, with each Pokémon only fighting once. All six matches will be fought, even if the winner is clear before that."

"Right!" Molly nodded, and got back up on Entei. The artificial Pokémon jumped away – a hundred metres or more – and the space between her and Brock glowed, transforming into a Pokémon battlefield.

"Steelix, go!" Brock called, throwing his first Pokéball.

"Wow," Molly said, as the big Steel-type materialized. "That's a big Pokémon."

She held out her hand, and a clear blue Pokéball appeared in it from nowhere. "I prefer cuter ones! Aron!"

"Earthquake!" Brock ordered.

Steelix wasted no time, slamming his tail into the ground in a powerful Earthquake.

"Jump!" Molly said, and the virtual Aron bounced into the air and avoided the shaking underneath.

"Now return it! Bulldoze!"

Brock winced, as the Aron produced its own intense shaking. Steelix went sliding backwards, growling, with his skin dinged and dented.

"Her Pokémon are much stronger than real ones," Brock muttered – he'd remembered that detail, abstractly, but not the reality of it. "Keep it up, Steelix! Use Rock Polish to help you dodge the next attack! Now – Earthquake again!"

Molly pointed, thoroughly enjoying herself. "Aron, you can take it! Now, use Metal Burst!"

A ball of energy built between Aron's pincers.

"Oh, no!" Brock concentrated, watching it build. "Steelix – dig now!"

The attack fired. Faster than normal, it rocketed across the arena and hit Steelix as he dug into the ground.

There was a blast of air which knocked both Brock and Molly staggering backwards a few steps.

When it faded, Steelix was clearly unconscious.

"Not bad, Steelix," Brock said, returning him. "Okay, challenger!"

Molly giggled, then stood up straight. "Yes, Gym Leader?"

"You have to return your Aron now. He's won, so he can't fight again."

"Got it!" Molly agreed, and the Steel/Rock type dissolved in a cloud of blue light. She conjured another Pokéball, and waited as Brock sent out Ninetales.

The nine-tailed fox took a deep breath. _"I'll do my best, Brock."_

"That's all we need to do, Ninetales," Brock agreed.

"That's a cute Pokémon," Molly said. "Mine's cute too! Eevee!"

"Careful," Brock warned, as the Eevee appeared. "Don't get complacent."

"_I know."_ Ninetales paced back and forth, then wheeled on one paw and charged in.

"Okay, Eevee!" Molly instructed. "Use Take Down!"

"Vee!" the Eevee said – no words, just noise – and charged in return.

When she was about a second away from contact, Ninetales dug in her paws and sprung backwards-and-up, into the air. Flame built at her muzzle, and she launched a Fire Blast straight down.

"Eevee!" Molly cried, just before the attack hit.

Ninetales landed on dainty feet, back where she'd started... and blinked.

Rather than a scorched and damaged Eevee, an immaculate _Flareon_ stood there in the middle of the five-pointed star of scorched ground.

Molly jumped, and the scorch mark healed up. "Good work, Flareon!"

"_But..."_ Ninetales said, pointing. _"That was an Eevee."_

"What just happened?" Brock asked. "Did your Pokémon just evolve out of nowhere?"

"Of course she did!" Molly replied. "That's allowed!"

"Well... I guess," Brock admitted. "Usually it takes a fire stone, though..."

"_Well."_ Ninetales began to walk again, then to run – accelerating and multiplying herself with double team until there were nine-tailed foxes running around Flareon in a continuous circle.

"Flamethrower!" Molly instructed.

Just as with Ninetales' fire blast, Flareon's flamethrower did nothing at all, and Molly frowned.

She was about to give an order, but then stopped and gaped as Flareon rose into the air.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Extrasensory!" Brock replied, recognizing it. "It's a Psychic move my Ninetales knows!"

"Psychic type," Molly said, nodding. "So a Dark-type is immune to it!"

Ninetales prepared to send Flareon slamming back to the floor, and then abruptly lost her grip.

"_What!?"_

_Umbr_eon landed on the floor on gentle feet. "Umbreon," it said, and fired a Dark Pulse.

"How does that make sense?" Brock asked, as Ninetales jumped out of the way of the first Dark-type attack and countered the second with a blast of Flamethrower.

"Eevee evolve into lots of different Pokémon!" Molly replied.

"That doesn't even-" Brock winced as an attack hit home on Ninetales' flank. "Okay, Ninetales – Fire Blast!"

Ninetales nodded, spinning flames off her tail to speed the charging process on another Fire Blast. She launched it, sending it volleying out at Umbreon, and growled as she turned into a Flareon and absorbed the attack. _"That is getting on my nerves... my fire stone wasn't cheap..."_

"Worth it, though," Brock replied, and she smiled.

"_Right!"_

This time, Ninetales fired a Dark Pulse.

Rather than reverting to an Umbreon, though, Molly's peculiar Eevee glowed – and changed into something neither of them had ever heard of.

The Dark Pulse crackled across her pink fur, mostly dissipating, and then the Pokémon smiled at them.

"Sylveon!" it announced, shaking out its long furry tendrils.

"What's that?" Brock asked.

"Do you like her?" Molly asked. "That's a Sylveon! It's a really pretty evolution of Eevee!"

"_Okay, that's ridiculous,"_ Ninetales said, tilting her head. _"Did she just come up with this?"_

"I don't know," Brock replied. "Dark-type attacks didn't work... maybe fire will! Flare Blitz!"

"_Got it!"_ Ninetales loped forwards, flame crackling over her fur.

Sylveon charged forwards herself.

"Use Moonblast!" Molly said, pointing.

Just as the two Pokémon met, Ninetales opened her mouth and fired a fully charged Flamethrower. Sylveon fired her own Moonblast – an attack neither Ninetales nor Brock had encountered before – and the resultant explosion sent both Pokémon flying, clearly out of it.

Entei leapt into the air and caught the unconscious Sylveon, who reverted to an Eevee, and Brock returned Ninetales before she landed.

"A draw," he said. "That was an interesting Pokémon you had there."

"Thanks!" Molly beamed. "Your Ninetales was amazing!"

She pulled a third Pokéball out of thin air. "Spinda!"

As the perpetually-dizzy little bear formed, Brock took one of the ones Ash had lent him. "Quilava!"

* * *

><p>"You're kidding," Gary said. "<em>Again?"<em>

"I'm afraid so, Gary," Oak said with a sigh.

As his grandfather spoke, Gary yawned. One of his Pokéballs opened, and Umbreon padded across to the hotel room TV and tuned it to a news channel.

"Thanks, Umbreon," he muttered. "Sorry, Gramps. Umbreon was setting up the TV for me. Wow, that looks bizarre..."

"Yes, Ash does have a habit of getting into this kind of mess," Oak agreed.

"You're telling me." Gary yawned again, and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry, Gramps, it's about two in the morning here."

"I understand." The Professor sighed. "I don't expect help, not really – I know you're still looking for a Pokémon that can teleport – but... I thought you should know."

"Yeah." Another yawn. "Thanks for letting me know, Gramps. Did this happen last time too?"

"It did," Oak confirmed.

"Right." Gary rubbed his temples. "Okay... well, keep me posted. I'm going to go get some coffee, and postpone my appointments this morning."

"I will," grandfather assured grandson, and rang off.

"_Mocha for me,"_ Umbreon said flippantly, knowing Gary's ear-bud link to Dee would translate for her, then sobered. _"I hope they're alright."_

"So do I," Gary said. Umbreon hopped onto his lap, and he scratched her for a moment, watching the news reports from Japan. "So do I."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Into the Unown tower...

Since things went differently in Shamouti, this is the first time Ash and co. are saving the world on television. Molly, meanwhile, loves cute Pokémon - and, having seen that highlight reel of Ash's League battles, knows they can be _really, really_ strong.

And Gary Oak Is Still In Kalos.


	56. Spell of the Unown 2

This is the second of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>"That was cool!" Molly said, as her Spinda dissolved back into a sparkle of light. "Your Quilava's strong – and cute, too!"<p>

Quilava ruffled her quills, standing on her hind legs, and smiled. Then fell over, the Dizzy Punches finally taking their toll.

"Actually, she's not mine," Brock revealed, returning the Fire-type. "I borrowed her off Ash."

"The Pokémon League Champion?" Molly asked. "He was only eleven, right?"

"Yeah, he was," Brock agreed. "Quilava's one of his new Pokémon."

He switched 'balls. "Okay, Stantler, give it your best shot!"

Stantler nodded, dancing back and forth a bit on his hooves.

"Oh, that's cute too!" Molly enthused. "Are Stantlers normally like that?"

"He's still a fawn," Brock explained.

"Wow." Molly beamed. "You've got good taste in Pokémon, Brock! Beautifly!"

Stantler looked up at Beautifly, and shook his horns. _"Okay... let's see..."_

"Use Stun Spore!" Molly instructed.

Beautifly flew overhead, spores dropping from its wings, and coated Stantler. He stumbled for a moment, then nearly froze and began visibly struggling to move.

"Great!" Molly said. "Now, use Mega Drain!"

Brock frowned. "Stantler, jump and then use Stomp!"

The Mega Drain attack focused in on the paralyzed Stantler – and did nothing.

Stantler sprang into the air, suddenly moving as agilely as ever, and slammed in a Stomp attack on Beautifly before coming back to the ground.

"What was that?" Molly asked, blinking.

"Stantler's ability, Sap Sipper," Brock explained. "Grass type attacks don't work on him!"

Stantler licked his lips, tasting the Stun Spores. _"They're kind of tingly..."_

"Okay!" Molly said, frowning. "If I can't use Grass attacks, I'll use Bug ones! Use Bug Buzz!"

The attack lanced down from Beautifly, hitting Stantler, and revealing him to be an illusion.

"Stantler can make illusions from their horns," Brock explained, as Stantler melted back into visibility... possibly. "He's good at it!"

Molly pointed. "Enough playing around! Use Silver Wind on the whole battlefield!"

The attack built and focussed – then spread out, covering every square inch in dusty, energized scales.

Stantler cried out, his illusion fading and revealing his location.

"Get him now!" Molly told her imagined Beautifly. "Hurry!"

Beautifly produced a Gust of wind, which knocked Stantler over, and then hit him with an Aerial Ace as he tried to get up.

"You win that one," Brock said, returning Stantler. "Good job, Stantler."

He picked up the other ball he'd been lent. "Heracross!"

"Hmmm..." Molly considered, as Beautifly shattered back into sparkles. "Ponyta!"

With a flash of blue and white light, a Ponyta appeared – one with blue flames crackling from its mane and tail, not red/orange.

"A Shiny Pokémon?" Brock asked. "Interesting."

"Flame Charge!" Molly called.

Blue flames swirled around Ponyta's hooves, and he whinnied before charging forward in a shower of sparks.

Heracross stood in a wide stance, awaiting Ponyta's arrival, and then nodded his head forwards. His big horn dug into the ground, lifting up a slab of the arena floor, and he brought his head up in a sharp movement – heaving the slab into the air, and knocking Ponyta back.

"That's clever!" Molly grinned. "But why don't you give some Pokémon orders, mister Brock?"

Brock kept one eye on the Ponyta as it regained its footing, and began to canter in a wide circle to build up speed. "Some Pokémon are well trained enough to fight mostly on their own. Heracross is one – he's another of Ash's new Pokémon."

Ponyta came back in, hooves striking sparks on the floor as he accelerated into a Quick Attack.

Heracross blocked, crossing his arms across his chest, with some success. He then jumped into the air and opened his wing cases, fluttering up into the air with the wings usually concealed beneath.

"Good move!" Brock called up. "Keep your distance! Can you use Aura Sphere from up there?"

Heracross' reply was to put his arms together and concentrate. Slowly, a ball of blue energy began to form.

"Don't let him finish it!" Molly ordered. "Bounce!"

Ponyta reared up, giving another whinny, and pranced forwards. After three steps, he crouched down, nearly to the floor... and leapt.

"Look out!" Brock called.

Heracross was already moving. He closed his wings with a _clack_, dropping down even as Ponyta reached his top height, and fired the Aura Sphere.

It hit Ponyta's glowing hooves, out in front as he dropped, and produced a cloud of smoke. The smoke-cloud hid the results, but the subsequent impact produced a shockwave which tugged at hair and fur all around the battlefield.

When it faded, Ponyta was coming to his feet – and Heracross was unconscious, half-buried in a crater at least four feet deep.

"...wow," Brock said, blinking.

"Shiny Pokémon are the best!" Molly said, stroking the Ponyta as it came over to her and then dissolved. "Ready for the final match?"

She winked. "I've already won, but you did say it was going to be all six!"

"Yeah, that's right." Brock produced a Pokéball. "Crobat!"

"Ooh, a Crobat." Molly looked contemplative, then conjured her last Pokémon. "Pachirisu!"

Brock raised a hand. "Can I switch to Geodude, please?"

"Nope!" Molly giggled. "You're a gym leader, you should know these things!"

"It was worth a try... Crobat! Poison Fang!"

"Dodge it!"

Pachirisu bounced from paw to paw, then jumped in the air over Crobat.

"Thunder wave!"

"Air Slash!" Brock said quickly, hoping to deflect the electric attack.

Molly turned to Entei with shining eyes. "This is so much fun, papa!"

The Pokémon nodded gravely. _I am happy, because you are happy._

* * *

><p>"Okay, here we are," Ash said, as they reached a sandy beachfront. "Second floor."<p>

He glanced over at his friend. "You ready, Misty?"

"You bet!" Misty gave thumbs-up. "If Molly wants a fight, she's not getting a Cascade badge easily!"

"You've got a full team, right?" Ash checked.

"Of course I have." Misty ticked off on her fingers. "Kingler, Totodile, Squirtle, Staryu, Gyarados and Seadra. They're the strongest, pretty much."

"Why is Staryu stronger than Starmie?" he asked.

"Starmie is basically a specialist," Misty replied. "It works best with Psychic attacks. Staryu is a general combatant, and better at underwater battles."

"Right."

They were interrupted by a blue flash, as Molly appeared in front of them – Entei beside her.

"That still seems weird," Ash muttered. "I mean, I know this is kind of her dream or something, but..."

Molly had a shiny Boulderbadge pinned to her clothes. "Hi! I beat Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader – so who's next?"

"I'll battle you!" Misty said. "The rules for my fight are that it's six one-on-one battles, and that I'll only use Water type Pokémon!"

"Right!" Molly nodded. "I'll only use Water Pokémon too!"

She gestured, a smile on her face, and the sea rose in a colossal wave that broke over the shore and kept rising.

Ready this time, Ash and Misty took deep breaths. They waited until the water had come over their heads, and then – not without some trepidation – started breathing normally.

"Hee, do you like it?" Molly asked.

"It's pretty cool," Misty agreed. "I've used a rebreather before, but this is a lot closer to being a Water Pokémon myself."

Ash tapped Misty's shoulder, then swam off towards the stairs. Misty took out a Pokéball as he did, and spoke up. "Right! It's time for the first battle of your Cascade badge challenge, Molly! Go, Totodile!"

Totodile materialized, and looked around. _"Hey, an underwater battle!"_

"That's right," Misty agreed.

"That's another cute Pokémon!" Molly said, smiling. "I'll face it with a Spheal!"

"_Hiya!"_ Totodile said, waving.

The Spheal looked a bit blank.

"Spheal!" Molly called, swimming up a bit. "Use Ice Ball!"

Spheal bounced up and down. "Spheal!"

It rolled into a ball, and started trundling along the floor. As it moved, ice started to form around it, gradually increasing in thickness.

"Uh-oh..." Misty said. "Totodile, start by swimming out of the way!"

Totodile nodded, and swam upwards, beating his tail to add to his momentum.

"Don't think you can get away that easily!" Molly pointed. "Spheal, keep using Ice Ball, and use the ground to bounce up!"

"Spheal!" the pudgy Water-type said, accelerating. It ramped up on a small hill, and began churning the water as its ice coating grew.

"Uh..." Misty frowned. "Do you know Scald, Totodile?"

Totodile shook his head.

"Right. Get above it and use Water Gun!"

Totodile swam upwards again, as fast as he could, and just managed to clear the oncoming Spheal. His Water Gun was visible as a stream of distortion, and in the way that the Spheal's icy layer went rapidly down towards the floor again.

"Follow it and keep using Water Gun!" Misty ordered. "Then use Headbutt as it hits the beach!"

"_Got mmf,"_ Totodile mumbled. He let up his water gun for a moment to speed up, then fired the 'gun again.

Spheal's ice hit the sand of the beach, and cracked slightly as it found a rock underneath. Then Totodile's headbutt hit, and the cracks widened.

"Oh no!" Molly said, as the Ice Ball shattered. "Quick, use Bubblebeam!"

"Bite!" Misty called. "Wait a second – Spheal don't learn Bubblebeam-"

Totodile clamped onto Spheal's tail.

The Ice/Water type thrashed about to try to get him off, but he hung on grimly.

As it turned out, however, Molly's imagined Spheal _did_ know Bubblebeam. Totodile was pummelled badly by the stream of white bubbles, and his grip started to loosen.

"Totodile, hang in there!" Misty called. "Slash!"

"Aurora Beam!"

The Ice attack froze Totodile in place, and Spheal managed to break free.

Misty sent out her next Pokémon - Gyarados. "Can I thaw out Totodile first?" she asked.

"Sure!" Molly nodded, as Spheal dissolved.

"Okay, Gyarados," Misty ordered. "Flamethrower!"

Underwater, this basically resulted in Scald.

Once Totodile was thawed and returned, Molly sent her own Pokémon out. "Mudkip!"

Gyarados gave voice to a loud moan.

"Okay, Gyarados, you've got the advantage," Misty said. "Use Dragon Rage!"

Gyarados produced a blast of multicoloured flames.

"Mudkip!" Molly shouted. "Dig!"

Down Mudkip went, burrowing into the sandy bottom with ease.

"Stay on alert, Gyarados..." Misty swam up, looking around for where Mudkip was going to come back out. "You don't want to be caught by surprise."

"Mudkip!" Molly called. "Use Hydro Cannon!"

The seafloor erupted in a colossal geyser of water which barely missed Misty and sent Gyarados rocketing off into the distance.

"Two for zero!" Molly said, making a V-sign. "What's next, Misty?"

Misty scowled, returning Gyarados. "Staryu!"

"Mantine!" Molly's Mudkip dissolved, replaced by a Mantine. "Use Whirlpool!"

The Mantine came swimming smoothly forwards, and circled Staryu at speed. Faster and faster, it produced a swirling underwater twister (not Twister) which imprisoned Staryu.

"Rapid Spin!" Misty ordered in return – this bit, at least, was familiar.

The Whirlpool fragmented and then burst apart under the counter-rotation of Staryu's attack.

"Wow," Molly said. "I didn't know there was an attack that did that."

She looked determined. "Okay, Mantine, use Take Down!"

Misty waited until Mantine was close. "Thunder wave, Staryu!"

"What?" Molly asked, then winced as the electric attack crackled into the water and made her fingers tingle.

"Thunderbolt!" Misty added, as Mantine was caught and paralyzed by the crackling electricity.

"You're strong, Misty!" Molly said, her Mantine falling apart in a cloud of sparkles. "Milotic!"

"Seadra!" Misty said, throwing the Pokéball in a backspin.

Seadra looked at the Milotic, and rolled his head around a bit. _"Right!"_

* * *

><p>"Still no news from the ongoing situation in Greenfield," Roxy said to camera. "We've been hearing analysis from Professor Ivy on the likely situation, but it is all just speculation I'm afraid. Professor Samuel Oak has been contacted about the presence of the latest Indigo champion, a trainer from Pallet, at the scene – however, he has declined to comment."<p>

"Roxy," her cameraman said, interrupting her. "Look!"

He tilted the camera, and Roxy followed his gaze. "Oh, my!" After a moment, she composed herself, and turned back to the camera. "It appears that new developments are indeed taking place here outside the Hale mansion. A large Charizard has just flown overhead and is taking up a position over the mansion. It's circling quite high, but is definitely orbiting the mansion directly."

She pressed a finger into her ear. "What's that?"

Pause.

"I see. I've just been reminded that the champion, Ash Ketchum, is known to have a Charizard. As of yet we don't know if this is his Charizard, but it can't be ruled out."

* * *

><p>Charla stuck her head out of the window. <em>"Hey, everyone! You should see this!"<em>

"Wait..." Liza said, as Charizard flew in from all over the valley. "That _is_ the kid's Charizard, right?"

"_It is,"_ Charla agreed. _"He flew off about half an hour ago."_

"Huh."

* * *

><p>"Hang in there, Seadra!" Misty called, wincing. "Bubblebeam!"<p>

"Water Pulse, Milotic!" Molly replied.

The attacks hit one another, producing an explosion.

"Now use Wrap!" Molly said quickly.

Seadra tried to evade, but was caught by Milotic's long body.

"Oh, no..." Misty said as Seadra was squeezed. "You can do it, Seadra! Come on!"

Seadra struggled. _"I... can... do this!"_

He thrashed about, fins working hard, and energy swirled around them.

"That's a Dragon Dance!" Misty said, recognizing it. "Good! Keep it up!"

Milotic squeezed tighter. "Milo-tic!"

The energy of the Dragon Dance built in intensity, growing until it was painful to look at.

"_Twister!"_

There was a stream of multicoloured energy, which swirled around like a tornado. Then it suddenly intensified, and exploded outwards.

Misty sculled the water, steadying herself, and blinked.

"What was that?" Molly asked, looking towards the battle. Then a Dragon Pulse hit her Milotic, and it passed out.

_King_dra swam over to Misty as the shock waves died away. _"I did it!"_

"You certainly did!" Misty swam out to meet him, and rubbed his neck. "Good work!"

Kingdra nodded, leaning into the rub.

"Well done," she added. "Time to get a well earned rest."

She returned him with a flash of light.

"Two each," she said. "Let's see who wins!"

She then realized what she had to do, and sighed. "Okay, here we go... Squirtle!"

Molly blinked at the glasses-wearing Squirtle. "Is that another of the Pokémon that boy Ash has?"

"That's right," Misty confirmed. "Worse luck."

"Then I'll send out my Eevee!"

Misty waited for the flash of blue light.

It didn't come. Instead, an Eevee swam over from the direction of Entei, and turned into a Vaporeon in a flash of white light.

"Vaporeon," it announced.

"_Right!"_ Squirtle took his sunglasses off, and flourished them._ "In case you haven't met me, I'm the badass Squirtle who's the leader of the Squirtle Squad! In case you haven't met them, I'm the Pokémon who runs the most awesome group of Pokémon this side of Sinnoh! And in case you're so strange that you don't even care about all that, then you should still know I'm the most awesome Pokémon you're going to meet in this – you're not even understanding this, are you."_

By the time he reached the end of his patter, he was looking a bit downcast.

"Vaporeon."

"What was he saying?" Molly asked Entei.

_I didn't understand it. All the words made sense, except 'badass', but I don't understand how he fit them together._

"_Whatever!"_ Squirtle crossed his arms. _"Since you're a Water type, I'll handle you the badass Squirtle way!"_

He pulled off his shades and threw them.

"Acid armour!" Molly ordered quickly.

Vaporeon faded to the transparency of the water itself, and the shades passed right through her without connecting.

Squirtle's expression as he silently caught the returning shades was a picture.

"_Fine,"_ he said eventually, as Vaporeon's head reformed. _"Be that way."_

With that, he pointed to the heavens.

Water began to swirl around his arm.

"What attack's that?" Molly asked.

"I have absolutely no idea," Misty confided.

Vaporeon tilted her head. "Vaporeon?"

The swirling intensified, and began to build into a current that tugged at the feet of the battlers. Misty swam quickly over to a rock, and Entei bounded forwards to give Molly a place to grip.

"What are you doing?" Misty asked, then looked up.

She gaped. "You're draining the whole battlefield!?"

Squinting, she spotted Vaporeon resolidifying next to Molly. A moment later, the water level dropped past the former beach they were on, and left them all high and dry.

Then Squirtle launched the attack skywards as a tiny blue drill of water.

"_Gotcha!"_ he announced, using his free hand to throw his shades again.

Startled, Vaporon was hit by the pair of sunglasses, and they pinned her to the floor.

Squirtle sat back on his tail, and grinned. _"Three, two, one-"_

The tiny blue drill of water arrived back down again.

Directly on top of Vaporeon.

And exploded.

* * *

><p>"That was weird," Ash said.<p>

Pikachu stuck his head out of the bag. _"Yeah. What happened to the water?"_

"Squirtle, I think," Ash replied, looking down.

Then he yelped. "Ack! Here it comes again!"

Pikachu stuck his head back in the bag, and Ash started to take the steps four at a time.

* * *

><p>"<em>I win,"<em> Squirtle concluded, pointing at the concussed Vaporeon.

No-one answered him.

About twenty seconds later, Misty finished swimming back over. "Explain."

"_It was awesome!"_

Misty recalled him, unable to come up with a meaningful counter using words.

Then she looked over at Molly, who was coming back over on Entei. "I think that means I win."

Molly's lip quivered. "Not if I win this last one!" she said. "Then it's a draw!"

"Okay, fine." Misty nodded. "Kingler!"

Molly glanced back uncertainly at Entei, who nodded.

"Uh... um... Mom!"

Misty blinked. _Pardon?_

There was a silver-and-blue blur, and a Suicune stood next to Molly. She hugged it, and it nuzzled her gently before turning to face Misty.

"Wait. That's your mom?" Misty asked, thrown.

_Molly is my daughter. If she loses, she will not be happy. So I will make sure she is happy._

Misty took that in. If Molly had not only created an Entei as her father but also a Suicune as her mother...

"Ash, I hope you're okay," she whispered. Then, as Molly retrieved her Vaporeon (which reverted to an Eevee as she picked it up), she took a deep breath of the breathable water. "Okay, Kingler, think you can do this?"

"_I can certainly try."_

* * *

><p>Ash finally reached the top of the long stairs, legs aching a little.<p>

"Nearly there," he said, and Pikachu made a wordless sound of agreement. "Let's hope we can sort this out quickly..."

"_Amen to that."_ Pikachu unzipped the bag. _"Who are you going to want with you?"_

"That's why I didn't lend out you or Lucario. You need to be ready." Ash looked around the bedroom, and saw a sleeping Molly Hale – the real one – on the bed. "Okay." He took a steadying breath. "Here goes."

Ash walked forwards, towards the sleeping girl. "Molly?" he said.

A growl came from his left, from the other side of the bed.

"Huh?" he asked, turning. "What's-"

Raikou tackled him, moving _very_ fast. His paws swiped at Ash, achieving only glancing blows, but the sheer weight and speed of the imagined Legendary Beast sent him tumbling backwards towards the window.

_Leave us ALONE!_

Raikou roared, sounding like thunder rolling directly overhead, and electricity crackled from his fangs. A Thunder attack shot towards Ash as he charged towards the trainer again.

Pikachu pulled his top half over the lip of the backpack's zipper, and fired a thunderbolt of his own. It intercepted Raikou's thunder, and the attack crackled down it into Pikachu – absorbed harmlessly, though the force of it made Pikachu gasp and his cheeks snap and crackle.

Pikachu couldn't do anything about the second body-check, though. That hit Ash as he tried to reach Lucario's Pokéball, and sent boy, bag and Pokémon smashing out the thin crystal of the bedroom window.

"Brother?" Molly asked, blinking and rubbing her eyes. "What just happened?"

Raikou was about to answer, when an earsplitting roar came from outside accompanied by an orange blur and a rush of wind.

* * *

><p>"<em>I've got you,"<em> Charizard said, cradling Ash in his forearms. _"Lucky I got here in time."_

"Yeah." Ash nodded, glancing back to make sure Pikachu was okay. "Thanks, Charizard."

"_Pleasure."_

"We've got trouble, though," Ash added, as Charizard lifted him to dragonback. "That wasn't Entei, it was a Raikou."

"_That could be a problem,"_ Charizard admitted. _"My attacks work a bit better, but his work a _lot_ better."_

"_How are we going to do this?"_ Pikachu asked. _"Lucario needs solid ground, he's wasted up here, and he weighs a lot as well."_

Ash replied by retrieving Lucario's Pokéball, expanding it, and pointing it. "Go!"

The Aura Pokémon materialized on the side of the tower. Taking in the situation at a glance, he ran up on blue-glowing paws towards the window.

With a creaking rumble, a crystalline shard grew from the base of the window. Raikou ran out onto it, and launched a powerful Electric attack at Charizard.

It knifed in, then curved towards Pikachu and dissipated. In reply, Charizard exhaled a Flamethrower, and Raikou jumped nimbly aside.

At that point, Lucario reached him, and threw an Aura Sphere which connected with the surprised Pokémon. It didn't look like it had done much, though – as Charizard banked around for another run, Ash could see Raikou kicking out at Lucario with undiminished ferocity and charging a second Thunderbolt at the same time.

"_This is gonna feel weird, Charizard,"_ Pikachu warned. _"Thunder armour!"_

Electricity snapped and crackled out from him, running up Charizard's wings and along his body without causing any pain or damage.

"_Tingly,"_ was Charizard's main reaction. He aimed carefully, and Flamethrowered into the melee – just missing Lucario, and scoring a hit on Raikou.

"_They're too close together,"_ he reported, speeding past, his wings producing faint _snap_ sounds as the thunder armour equalized charges. _"I can't hit Raikou with anything big for fear of getting Lucario as well."_

"Just use Dragon attacks?" Ash suggested.

"_Worth a try."_

Charizard pulled up, rolling in a wingover, and then dove again on the battle. Halfway down, a second Legendary joined the fight on the window platform.

"_That's Entei!"_ Charizard said in surprise. _"Does this-"_

"I've no idea where the Raikou came from!" Ash called back. "We saw Entei first!"

Charizard didn't reply, too busy retargeting.

With Lucario engaged in a close-quarters fist-and-aura fight with Entei, Raikou was free to lope much further out on the platform and attack him.

By the same token, _he_ was free to attack _Raikou_ without worrying about friendly Fire. A Fire Blast roared out, the five-pointed explosion clipping Raikou as he dodged and blowing him off the platform – though the Electric-type Beast simply landed on a second platform which snapped out from the tower to catch him, and resumed attacking Charizard.

One attack was caught by the thunder armour, the second one – stronger or just better aimed – strained it to the point that Charizard's wing took a hit, and he winced.

"How are you doing?" Ash asked.

"_Fine,"_ Charizard assured them, banking wide. _"Any ideas?"_

"_You could try blowing up the ground they're standing on?"_ Pikachu suggested, cheeks glowing as he maintained the armour.

"Sounds good," Ash agreed. "Charizard?"

"_Worth a try."_ Charizard angled down slightly, and fired. This time, his attack was aimed not for Raikou, but for his support.

The crystal exploded into fragments, sending the Beast falling, but within seconds another grew. Then a bolt of lightning crackled out at Charizard, who was forced to roll to snatch his wing away from the danger zone.

Ash clung on. "Whoa – wait!" His voice took on an urgent tone. "Look out, Charizard!"

Charizard let out an _ulp_ of surprise as more crystal shards grew from the side of the tower. Racing along them was a determined-looking Suicune, who opened her mouth and blew a barrage of Bubblebeam at the flying Pokémon.

"_All three?!"_ Charizard snarled, indignant. _"This is not what-"_

A Hydro Pump went just overhead, forcing him lower. The quick-footed Suicune kept the attack up, maintaining it over Charizard and driving him towards the ground in an attempt to force him to crash or take the hit.

Frowning in concentration, Pikachu jumped from the backpack to Ash's shoulder. Clinging on with all four paws, he launched a Thunderbolt from his tail at Suicune, giving her a shock and forcing her to give up the hydro pump for now.

Wings hammering, Charizard gained enough height to get over the former greenhouse which stood in his path, and a dodge to the side avoided a spike of greenish-purple crystal as it tried to impale him.

Snorting, he banked wide and began to charge a Dragon Rage.

* * *

><p>Lucario fought with one eye open and one eye closed. Mixing aura sense and eyesight, he ducked around the more powerful Fire attacks and endured the less powerful ones with quick shields of Protect. The physical blows, he was mostly forced to allow to hit and merely roll with them or tough them out.<p>

Entei lunged, paw ready to bat him aside. Lucario countered by reversing his left hand and hitting the forepaw with the back of his wrist – deliberately making the sharp spike there dig in, and producing a surprised and pained roar like the sound of an erupting volcano.

"Papa!" the girl, Molly, shouted.

Entei stepped back two paces, and spat a Flamethrower at Lucario. The Fighting-type dove out of the way, landing on one outstretched hand. Pivoting on it, he formed an aura sphere with his feet and kicked it back at Entei, who jinked to one side to ensure it missed.

Lucario kept on the move, jumping to the wall and sticking there briefly before kicking off as a Fire Blast shot towards him. The blast from the explosion buffeted him, but he stuck a three-point landing behind Entei and kicked out viciously as the Legendary turned.

Entei _whoofed_ as air was driven from his lungs by the blow, snarled, and leapt forward with a spark-strewing Flame Charge. Lucario used a Protect shield to help mitigate it and dropped low for a leg sweep, trading blows with the result he rolled once before coming back to his feet.

A Fire Blast rumbled in as he stood, and Lucario fired a hasty Aura Sphere to break it up enough he could dive through the flame and ride it out. Unable to gather his bearings, Lucario elected to jump as high as possible the moment his feet hit the ground on the other side, and the follow-up Flamethrower attack only singed his tail.

Forming two Aura Spheres, one in each hand, Lucario rammed them together to create a cloud of smaller ones which went in all directions before homing back in on Entei. The big Fire-type jumped clear, but the spheres changed direction to follow him and hit in a series of tiny explosions.

Lucario was by this point breathing heavily – close quarters combat at this kind of a disadvantage was making him spend Aura like water to avoid taking a heavy hit, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could last.

He jumped back down again, the push and gravity combining to add force to his Mach Punch, and Entei leaped aside once more. Lucario cancelled the attack, turning his momentum into a forward roll, and found his way to Entei blocked by a crystalline spire which had risen out of the ground.

Entei rounded the spire, mouth glowing orange as he used Fire Fang, and Lucario readied a Force Palm to knock Entei's head to the side and ward off the attack.

The tower shook slightly as something exploded outside.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

As part of my desire to make the movies have permanent consequences, Misty's former Horsea has achieved his goal of turning into a Kingdra. (Turns out a gigantic string of Dragon Dance and a load of Unown bending reality can substitute for a dragon scale.)

Onto the enormous battle!

I did say I'd turned up the threat level a few steps.


	57. Spell of the Unown 3

This is the third of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>"Tell me we're getting this!" Roxy begged, her microphone prudently turned off for her check.<p>

"Every moment," her cameraman replied, tracking the Charizard as fire, water and lightning attacks shot back and forth between it and two moving points on the ground.

Roxy nodded, and turned her microphone back on. "Incredible scenes here from Greenfield, where the Charizard we observed previously is battling with what appear to be two of the three Legendary Beasts of Johto! A third Beast has been glimpsed occasionally inside the large tower, from which blue and orange flashes are periodically seen."

A low, almost subsonic rumble came from the direction of the main battle.

"That sound you can hear – if our cameras can record it – appears to be the roars of the three Beasts – Suicune, Entei and Raikou. We do not know why they are battling the champion and his Charizard and Pikachu, indeed we can only speculate – but it may be that it has something to do with the reason behind this strange crystal formation."

* * *

><p>"How are you doing, Pikachu?" Ash asked, concerned.<p>

Charizard twisted in mid-air, and he had to double-check his grip on the Fire-type's back as they dodged another instant spire.

Pikachu panted. _"It's not easy keeping this Thunder Armour up – every time Suicune hits, it discharges, and they've noticed."_ He pushed out another layer of electricity, replenishing the armour. _"They're trying to knock Charizard's protection off and then shock him, and..."_

"It's okay, Pikachu. We'll be fine," Ash said, with more confidence than he felt. He channelled Aura through his hands into Pikachu, boosting his endurance a little, and the Electric-type smiled back up at him.

"_We'll be fine,"_ he repeated. Then turned, and launched off another attack at Suicune. This one barely missed, but she had to dodge awkwardly to make sure that was true and nearly fell – until another spire of crystal came up, restoring her footing on what was an increasingly crowded battlefield. Charizard managed to score on Raikou at about the same moment, but the Beast seemed only lightly injured.

A flash of rose-coloured light drew Ash's eye. "Is that-"

Charizard gained height, allowing Ash to see clearer.

Entei was unleashing a continuous, rolling stream of Sacred Fire. Lucario's paws were up, sustaining a Protect, but his energy was clearly waning rapidly under the stress of so many Fire attacks.

The stream ran out only a moment before Lucario, pushed beyond endurance, collapsed.

"Lucario..." Ash said, wincing both at the loss and what it would mean. Even as he did so, Entei jumped out of the open window, ran along three spires, and joined in the melee.

* * *

><p>Molly stared out the window, wincing at every crash and explosion and stream of water.<p>

Then she glanced down at the unconscious Lucario lying on the ledge, and then towards the television – where the reporter sounded worried that the champion and his Pokémon were losing.

But...

They were in her house. Weren't they the bad ones?

She looked again at how far the crystalline landscape had spread, and then at the repose Lucario, and wondered.

They'd been worried about whether she was alright...

It was all so confusing.

"Molly?"

Brock and Misty reached the top floor, legs burning. Neither paused for more than a couple of seconds before running over to her.

"Are you alright?" Brock asked. "Where's Ash?"

Molly pointed out the window, and both Gym Leaders followed her gaze – then gasped, seeing both Lucario and the hammer-and-tongs battle outside.

"I don't get it," Molly said suddenly.

"What?" Misty asked, tearing her gaze from the fight.

"Why doesn't everyone leave me alone?" Molly asked. "Me and mama and papa and big brother?"

"We want to help you," Misty tried to explain. "To make sure you get help."

"I don't need help!" Molly snapped. "I'm just fine!"

The tower shook, and the colour the walls were glowing changed.

"Calm down," Misty soothed. "You're going to-"

All three beasts roared at the same time, and the humans looked out the window in unison.

* * *

><p>Raikou used Thunder. Suicune used Hydro Pump, and Entei used Fire Blast.<p>

The three attacks bracketed Charizard, forcing him to stop or run into the Hydro Pump, and then swept in towards him all at once.

Ash charged and fired a hasty Aura Sphere, trying to block the attacks, and the resultant explosion blew him and Pikachu entirely off Charizard's back and sent the Fire-type tumbling towards the floor, out of control.

Ash grabbed Pikachu in one arm as soon as the two were close enough. As he fell, Ash looked down – there seemed to be a flat enough surface, so if he used enough Aura to soften the blow he should be able to land softly.

"Charizard, go!" Ash shouted, seeing him starting to stabilize his tumble. "I can land safely!"

"_Ash!"_ Pikachu called urgently.

Ash looked up, right towards the sight of Entei charging an Eruption. One aimed directly at him.

Then a beam of red light hit Entei hard enough to powderize the rock he was standing on, smashing his Fire attack and sending him hurtling downwards.

Smashing through two more crystals, he finally came to rest on a new one which grew out of the tower especially for the purpose.

Pidgeot swooped past, headed for Ash. At a wave from him, she pulled up instead of catching him, and sent a Gust hammering at Suicune as she ran to try and attack Charizard from above.

Ash finally hit the ground. He went down to one knee, using his free hand to slow the fall as well, and panted for a moment.

"That wasn't much fun..." he muttered.

A satchel thwapped to the ground next to him.

Pikachu examined it. _"Isn't this Pidgeot's?"_

"Yeah, it is," Ash agreed. He opened it, taking her Pokéball and putting it on his belt ready to hand. "Hey, what's this?"

He picked it up and held it to the light. It was a smooth, white feather – barely three or four inches long, smooth and somehow rubbery to the touch.

Running along his arm, Pikachu sniffed it. _"Smells like Lugia."_

"Maybe it's one of his feathers." Ash shrugged. "Interesting."

Putting the satchel across his back – empty, it didn't weigh much, and Pidgeot would probably want it back – he jogged over to the side of the tower.

A moment's thought, and he released Noctowl.

"Can you try and make sure I can't be seen by the Pokémon fighting overhead?" he asked.

"_I can certainly do what I can, old boy."_ Noctowl landed on his hat. _"What are you planning?"_

Ash started to climb the smooth, sheer crystal of the tower wall, using Aura-glowing hands and feet to stick to it like flypaper.

"_That works. I was going to say, I can't exactly _lift_ you, but..."_ Noctowl hooted. _"You're invisible, as it happens. A little something from the box of tricks."_

* * *

><p>"Oh, dear..." Professor Oak said, watching the conflict. "This keeps getting worse."<p>

"-his Pidgeot," the anchor said. "She's known to be a skilled specimen, but this attack is one which none of us either at Greenfield or in the studio recognize. It didn't look like a Hyper Beam. Professor Ivy?"

"I just don't know, Roxy," Ivy admitted.

"I should have gone."

Oak turned to his friend. "Delia, don't beat yourself up over it. None of us could have known this was going to happen."

"I know," Delia sighed. "But I should have gone."

* * *

><p>Ash clung on to the tower as a sudden wash of wind threatened to blow him off. "Ugh..."<p>

"_Are you okay?"_ Pikachu asked, concerned. _"Sorry I can't help, but I'm pretty close to drained – about all I can do is use my light ball, and that puts my throughput down a lot."_

"Yeah, I understand." Ash steadied himself, and started climbing again. "You've done a lot already."

Pidgeot came into view around the side of the tower, closely pursued by Entei and Raikou. They fired Flamethrower and Thunderbolt at her, barely missing and snatching at her feathers, and she rolled to snatch them away from the reaching attacks.

Charizard tried using a Fire Blast, but Suicune intercepted it with a Hydro Pump, producing an explosion and a cloud of steam. Unable to turn aside enough, Charizard flew through the cloud with a hiss of pain.

Then Suicune switched her attention to Pidgeot. A Hydro Pump briefly connected with Pidgeot, soaking her tail feathers and fouling her ability to manoeuvre slightly.

That slight difference turned out to be crucial, as Raikou finally caught her with a Thunder. She screamed with pain, wobbled in the air, and hit one of the crystal spires.

Ash watched, heart in his mouth, as Pidgeot bounced between four or five more crystalline spikes with juddering impacts, and finally slid to a halt on the surface of the crystal landscape.

"Pidgeot!"

* * *

><p>Molly gasped. "I didn't..."<p>

She shook her head. "I don't want this! Why is everyone fighting? Why is everyone being hurt!"

The tower trembled in reaction to her words.

"Molly, you need to calm down," Misty said urgently. "Getting upset won't help."

"But that-and..." Molly's hand went to her forehead. "My head hurts... what's going on?"

Brock looked up from where he was examining Lucario. "Molly, please-"

"No!" Molly stamped her foot, tears coming to her eyes. "Stop treating me like a child! I-I..."

The floor shook again, stronger this time.

* * *

><p>Below her feet, in what had been the lounge room of the mansion, an entire alphabet of Unown were becoming confused.<p>

They could no longer tell what Molly wanted. Some parts of her desires were still clear – she wanted mama and papa and brother to do well – but everything else was unclear. And even the former crystalline certainty of her wish for the Beasts to win... that was becoming uncertain and frayed.

The strength of her emotions demanded that they put out more power. But the lack of direction meant that power had nowhere to go.

Some of it spontaneously formed crystal spikes and flowers in random, unconnected places. The rest just leaked into the air, seeking a place to earth out.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked, clinging onto the crystal tower surface with one hand. "Pikachu – can you see, is Pidgeot okay?"<p>

"_I... think so."_

Ash rummaged in his pocket with his free hand. "Dexter, can you get over and look?"

Are you sure, Ash? I thought you were going to save me for Molly's mind.

"I have to know Pidgeot's okay," Ash insisted. "Hurry."

Will do. Set up: Sonic Form.

Dexter's body materialized around his projector, and he sped off towards the stricken Flying-type.

Ash turned his gaze upwards, to Charizard. By now, he was once again under the sustained attentions of all three Beasts, and having to counter-shield almost continuously while he was in their line of sight to avoid taking an easy hit.

He closed his eyes for a moment. "Come on, Charizard."

Unnoticed in his pouch, the feather of a Rainbow Pokémon began to glow.

Unnoticed, in Pidgeot's satchel, the feather of a Diving Pokémon began to glow.

And, most certainly noticed by Pikachu, the orb topping Sir Aaron's staff began to glow.

"_Uh... Ash?"_ Pikachu said, uncertainly. _"Why is-"_

Silver Wing, Rainbow Wing, and staff dropped into resonance. All three were now locked onto exactly the same frequency – that of Ash's own aura – and began to energize one another.

There was one thing Ash wanted, right now. For his big, powerful bruiser of a Fire-type to win this.

The power-saturated air provided an energy source. Ash provided a location. The feathers and staff, put together, provided a conduit.

Orange light shone in the heavens.

* * *

><p>Charizard beat his wings as hard as possible, and launched down a potent Overheat at Raikou.<p>

As he'd hoped, the attack knocked Raikou off kilter – and did some clear damage, the first time that had been so evident in the whole battle.

But he couldn't repeat it, unfortunately. Overheat was a once-off, as was Draco Meteor – a move he was still saving.

Growling in frustration, he looked down – and noticed that Suicune was far enough away from the tower that he could, finally, do what Ash had released him to.

Fire and aura built in his throat, sending warmth through his entire body, and he unleashed them downwards in a Blast Burn.

Suicune's supporting crystal more or less exploded. The Water-type herself wasn't too badly injured, thanks to a last-moment spherical eruption of water, but he'd clearly scored on her _despite_ the type difference.

Charizard backwinged, avoiding a flamethrower from Entei, and noticed something really strange about his wings just before a Thunderbolt from Raikou hit him.

It didn't hurt as much as he was expecting, actually...

Swooping around a spire, Charizard took the respite to inspect himself.

His scales had gone black, with blue highlighting. His wings were saw-toothed on the trailing edge, though that hadn't impacted his flight capabilities. His arms were much stronger, more muscled, and he could feel he was carrying himself lighter – more easily for the same weight. And bright blue flames streamed from his tail and the sides of his mouth.

Actually, they reminded him of Dragonbreath.

Had he evolved? Again? But... that was impossible...

Charizard decided to ignore it for now, and curved back around the spire.

Flames gouting from the side of his mouth, Charizard charged down and unleashed a roaring Dragonbreath on Entei, then followed it up with a rake by claws glowing with draconic energy and slammed his similarly-empowered tail into the Fire-type beast's side.

Wings slamming, he climbed a little, and looked back at his handiwork. Entei was actually staggered by the succession of Dragon-typed blows, confirming Charizard's suspicion that his type had indeed changed.

Charizard performed a forward half-loop around a convenient crystal spire, smashing aside the smaller one which tried to entrap him, and fired his long-hoarded Draco Meteor at Suicune.

He was about to follow that up with close-in attacks, but as the meteor fragments rained down on Suicune he saw an incoming Raikou and climbed to avoid him. He beat his wings harder, and another rush of warmth went through him.

Glancing back at the Electric-type beast, he did a double-take.

He had changed again. His body colour was back to normal, his tail was longer, and two small winglets were present at his arms. His wings were also different again, being more ragged and less sawtoothed.

He was also, he noticed as his attention went back to the battle, _far_ faster-flying now.

Putting it to good use, he snatched himself away from a Thunder attack, and replied with a colossal Fire Blast – even bigger than usual.

Overhead, the sun blazed brighter than normal, lending further force to his fire attacks and weakening Suicune's water ones.

* * *

><p>In Liza's house, over a dozen draconic jaws had dropped.<p>

"What?" asked the dragon tamer, blinking at the screen. "What in Groudon's name is _that?_"

None of the Charizard answered her, too busy watching with astonishment as Ash's Charizard shifted more-or-less randomly between a faster Y-state and a more burly X-state, trading blows with three legendaries at once and clearly doing relatively well out of it.

Charla spoke up first. _"Dibs."_

"_What?"_ One of the other Charizard looked over at her. _"Didn't you-"_

"_I said dibs,"_ Charla reiterated. _"I know, we're still working out what to think, but right now I want to make something clear. I get the right of first refusal."_

"_Because of some ridiculous story he made up about time travel?" _Another Charizard, a female this time, looked vaguely upset. _"That doesn't seem fair."_

"_Don't care."_ Charla shrugged.

Something exploded on the television, and they all turned back to it to avoid missing anything else.

* * *

><p>"What the actual-" Gary stared at the screen, rubbing his eyes. "That's a mega-evolution. It's got to be."<p>

Even as he spoke, Charizard flashed orange and went from Y back to X, then landed a punishing Flare Blitz on Raikou.

"_But..." _Umbreon blinked, uncertain. _"Surely... we only recently found out about it ourselves? How can Ash possibly have a Mega Stone? A Key Stone?"_

"How else do you explain _that?_" Gary's gesture took in the screen. "It's a change of shape in an orange flash which is reversible and which clearly involved a _heck_ of a lot of extra firepower."

Putting action to the words spoken in far-off Kalos, Charizard took chose that moment to employ another Blast Burn and sent Entei hurtling into a crystalline wall, cracking it.

* * *

><p>The studio analysis of Charizard's feat was... there was no studio analysis.<p>

Everyone involved, from the Orange Islands to a studio in Johto, had been entirely struck dumb.

* * *

><p>"You're awesome, Charizard," Ash said, climbing with his head craned around to follow the battle.<p>

He could see Charizard was still tiring – whatever the staff was doing, it wasn't erasing his fatigue – but the Beasts were having a much tougher time of it than they'd been expecting.

It would be touch-and-go if Ash reached the window before Charizard hit exhaustion, but that would be enough.

* * *

><p>With another flash of light, Charizard went from Y to X, and body-slammed Suicune into the floor.<p>

Snarling, he whirled, spitting dragonfire at the approaching Entei and Raikou, and tried to disguise how tired he was feeling. Several minutes of full-capacity combat had him down to the dregs, and he had to give Ash more time.

At this point, even a bluff could help.

Suicune came slowly to her feet, also panting, and glared at him. _Why won't you leave us alone?_

"_Your... Molly... isn't well,"_ Charizard stated. _"She needs help, and Ash is here to give it to her."_

_Why should we trust you?_ Entei snorted, dismissing that out of hand. _She doesn't need help. She doesn't want help. If you are gone, she will be happy. That is all we wish._

Charizard flashed again, and went back down to just plain non-mega-evolved Charizard. Stumbling, he caught himself on a broken-off spire, and clung to it for support.

_You're too tired to fight,_ Raikou said, triumph simmering in his mental tone. _Leave, before we make you._

Charizard was about to tell them what he thought of that, when three blurs flashed across his vision and the beasts vanished.

"_Wha?"_ he blinked, and looked to his right.

What he saw made him want to rub his eyes.

Entei fighting Suicune. Suicune fighting Raikou. And Raikou clashing with Entei.

"_What the heck?"_ he asked.

"_We got here as soon as we could, once we heard!"_ Suicune told him, Bubblebeaming the illusory Entei and knocking him back. _"Well done for holding them off so long!"_

Feeling strangely vindicated, Charizard decided it was time to take a bit of a nap, and slumped forwards.

* * *

><p>Ash reached up, and got his fingers over the lip of the crystalline ledge protruding below Molly's window.<p>

Grunting, he swung himself up onto the shard itself.

"Thanks, Noctowl," he said.

Brock looked up from Lucario's unconscious form at the voice coming from nowhere. "Ash?"

Noctowl took flight, and the illusion lapsed. _"Well, that was thrilling. I think I'll go have a bit of a sit down, now. Anyone got a kettle?"_

Ash gave Lucario a worried glance. "Yeah, it's me. Is he okay?"

"Just exhausted, I think," Brock said. "He needs a rest, but he'll be fine."

"I kind of wish _I_ could have a rest, right now," Ash agreed ruefully. "Who do we have who can help me?"

"Not a lot," Brock admitted. "Misty said she didn't use Togekiss, but she might have to do."

Ash considered it. "Yeah, that'll.. wait a second. Do you still have your crowbar?"

Brock nodded, tapping it. It clinked against the crystal. "If I knew where the Unown were, I'd go try and stop this."

"Well..." Ash nodded to himself. "Okay, Brock, you're coming with me as well. With this few team members, I need all the help I can get."

"Got it." Brock stood. "Lucario should be okay. How's Pidgeot?"

"Don't know," Ash admitted. "I sent Dexter off to make sure she's okay."

"Right." Brock fell in behind as they walked in, approaching Molly.

"Molly?" Ash asked, softly.

The girl looked up, her cheeks faintly tear-streaked. "What do you want?"

"I want to help," Ash said. "You know the crystals and stuff?"

Molly nodded. "Yeah..."

"They're because of the Unown. They're trying to help you, but they're confused. They don't know what you want." Ash tried to think what to say. "I know a way to help sort that out."

"You do?" Molly looked dubious.

"I do. It's why we came in here." Ash waved a hand around at the crystalline castle. "Please."

Molly frowned. She looked out the window, at the devastated landscape and the ongoing battle, and remembered the Pokémon who'd battled so hard today.

She glanced across at the television, which showed another view of the fight – focusing in on the downed Pidgeot, and a Light Screen which sprang up to protect her from a wayward Flamethrower attack.

Then she looked quickly up at Brock, who smiled, and back to Ash.

"How can you help?" she asked, curious.

"Take my hand," Ash replied, holding it out. A faint blue glow shimmered along it.

Molly bit her lip, and nodded. She reached out, and the aura flashed across to her.

Both she and Ash slumped slightly. Brock took Ash's shoulder, and then Misty released Togekiss who reached out to touch Brock in turn.

* * *

><p>The two humans and the Pokémon appeared in an ornate entrance hall. No lights were on, and they could only see by the faint beams filtering in through the heavy curtains across all the windows.<p>

"Where's this?" Brock asked, looking around as Togekiss used Safeguard to emit a faint glow.

"Oh, right, you've not done this before," Ash remembered. "This is Molly's inner world – kind of a representation of her mind. Remember, like happened with Larvitar?"

Brock nodded, and unlooped his crowbar from his belt. "Look!"

Ash squinted into the darkness of the corners. "Is that... are they Unown?"

Straining his ears, he heard a faint chanting. _U~nown, U~nown..._

One floated over to them, still chanting harmoniously, and then others started to follow.

Brock tossed his crowbar a few inches into the air, adjusting his grip, and then thwacked the Unown with a one-handed blow.

The H-Unown went flying, bounced off a pillar, and fled. Other nearby Unown turned to look in surprise, then backed off.

"Wow," Ash said. "You really got a good swing on that."

"I used to play baseball in school," Brock replied with a grin.

"Where should we go?" Togekiss asked, her voice not needing translation in this mental realm.

"I guess... upstairs?" Ash suggested, pointing at the stairs leading up into the manor.

* * *

><p>For some reason, the stairs seemed longer than they should have been. Ash and Brock ran up three full turns in near silence, Togekiss floating alongside and Brock occasionally crowbarring another Unown which got too close.<p>

Then they rounded a bend, and saw a huge shaggy Pokémon standing patiently on the final flight of the stairwell.

"Entei?" Ash asked.

Togekiss floated up to speak to him. "Ash, he's not attacking, but if he does I don't think I can-"

Entei interrupted them. "Why are you here?"

Remembering how Entei had behaved last time, Ash thought hard about his response.

"I'm here to help Molly," he began.

"I, too, am helping Molly. I am the one who is her father, now her true father is gone."

"He's not gone," Ash said. "Well, he is gone, but he's not dead. He fell into the Unown's dimension."

As if on cue, Brock hit another Unown for a home run, and turned. "The Unown pull people into their dimension, and it's easy to get the idea they're dead. It's happened to a friend before."

Entei tilted his head. "He's... not dead?" he asked, sounding uncertain.

"No," Ash replied. He considered, and decided to go for it. "My friends and I have come back in time from the future – that's how we know for sure. It's why we came here to help Molly."

Entei considered that. "If Molly has a father, then I am no longer needed," he said, and faded like a dream.

"...well, that was strange," Togekiss commented.

"Yeah, no kidding." Ash walked up through where Entei had been, and along a corridor. "I think there's stairs at the other end of this."

"Ash!" Brock called. "The lights downstairs just came on!"

"Really?" Ash looked back down the stairwell. "Oh yeah..."

He exchanged a glance with the other two. "Think that's good?"

"Probably."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

I did say the battle was huge. And yes, that was Charizard Mega-evolving. A lot. Over and over. For several minutes, until he could no longer hide his fatigue and lost the connection.

He won't be able to do it again for a while, though. He's not got the Mega Stones, though Ash does have a bodge-job of a workable Key Stone.

And the return of Aura Purge! Ideal for situations where you have someone with superpowers and severe mental problems.

This is a distressingly common situation.


	58. Spell of the Unown 4

This is the fourth of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>Misty watched the ongoing battle outside, Pikachu resting in her arms.<p>

She wished she could help, but her Pokémon were exhausted. Even the borrowed Squirtle, when questioned, admitted that he was pretty low on energy after hypercompressing several billion gallons of water and wouldn't be able to meaningfully contribute. And Pikachu was completely bushed.

As it was, the best she could do was to keep an eye on things, with the hope she could explain things to whichever Beast or Beasts won the chaotic battle outside.

It was an awe-inspiring sight. The ones which she thought were the real beasts were working together with the fluidity of long practice, keeping the illusory ones from using their greater strength and even occasionally using combination attacks or defences – even as she watched, real-Suicune soaked real-Raikou to prevent illusory-Entei's attack harming him too badly.

A high-pitched panting interrupted her.

Looking over to the stairs, she saw... an Eevee?

The Eevee, looking a bit bedraggled, shook her fur out and fluffed up. As Misty watched, confused, it briefly turned into a Flareon and hissed dry, then became an Eevee again.

"What the...?" she said, remembering the Vaporeon Molly had used in their battle.

And hadn't Brock said there was an Eevee in his fight as well?

Eevee looked around, then at Misty. Frowning, the Evolution Pokémon seemed to be thinking hard.

"_Where... is... Molly?"_ she asked, slowly and carefully.

Misty blinked. "Uh... right there," the Water trainer replied, pointing with her left hand after shifting the tired Electric-type to her right. "My friends are helping her, trying to make her well."

"_Can I... help?"_ The Eevee asked, looking over at Molly. _"She is not well."_

"Are you actually talking?" Misty asked. "Back in the battle you were just saying your name without any meaning to it."

"_I don't understand,"_ the Eevee said, already speaking a bit more fluently. _"I remember, but then I could not really think well..."_

Misty wondered about that.

"_Misty?"_ Pikachu reminded. _"She asked you..."_

"Oh!" she said, remembering. "Yes, you can help. Just touch Ash, Brock or Togekiss, and you'll be pulled into the Aura effect."

"_Thank you."_ Eevee loped over, tail wagging, and duly did so. Blue fire danced up her fur for a moment, and she went as limp as the others had.

Misty turned her attention back to the battle, mulling that exchange over in the back of her mind.

"_That was strange..."_ Pikachu said, and she nodded.

* * *

><p>"Molly's mother disappeared years ago," said Suicune, barring their way. "Why has she not come back, if she is not gone for good?"<p>

"Because she's trapped," Ash explained. "Doctor Hale was researching the Unown just like Professor Hale, and vanished in the Solaceon Ruins up in Sinnoh."

"She needs her real mother back," Brock added. He looked down. "I know having a surrogate parent is better than having no parent, but having your real parents is always the first choice. My mother's a bit... frilly... but I'd rather she was at home than gone like she was, and I didn't go a great job looking after my siblings."

"You did, Brock," Ash replied. "The best."

Brock shuffled his feet, cheeks heating.

Suicune considered that. "And you know this from the future?"

Ash blinked – he hadn't mentioned that detail to Suicune, only to Entei.

"Oh, right," he muttered. "Mental landscape. Yeah, Mom mentioned it once – she's Delia Ketchum, a friend of Professor Hale and Doctor Hale."

There was a faint _unown!_ as Brock sent an A-unown packing with a swift crowbar stroke.

"We want to help her," Togekiss pleaded. "That's the whole reason we came."

"A child needs a mother," Suicune agreed. "And if her true mother is available, I am no longer required."

She faded away, revealing a second corridor.

* * *

><p>Umbreon looked up as the lights in the corridor went on.<p>

She'd landed in a well-lit entrance hall, but the lights had become dimmer and dimmer as she'd climbed the stairs. Instinctively, she'd gone to Umbreon as a form which could see in the dark and light its own way... but now, it suddenly seemed unnecessary.

She shifted to Jolteon, and continued forwards.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe my eyes," Professor Ivy said, still glued to the screen. "Two each? Of all <em>three<em> Legendary Beasts?"

She shook her head, as a Flare Blitz met a Waterfall coming the other way and both Pokémon dodged out of the way of a Thunder. "The incident really must have been normal for you, Brock... I hope you're alright."

Her three assistants ran back into the room.

"Professor!" one said.

"We got coffee!" another announced.

"And popcorn!" the third finished.

The others glared at her.

"What?" She nodded towards the screen. "This is awesome, you can't deny that!"

Two Thunder attacks collided, and the screen fuzzed up for a second.

* * *

><p>"Molly is happy now," Raikou insisted. "She has a mother, and a father, and she has a brother."<p>

"But..." Ash began, and stopped.

Raikou was a hard one. Molly had a real mother, and a real father, but she didn't have a real brother.

"Did she want a brother?" Brock asked. "I mean... it's nice she has one, but I thought she didn't have one before."

"She did not," Raikou agreed. "But she has one now, and it is my duty to keep her safe."

"That's not all brothers do," Ash replied. "Gary and I grew up pretty close to brothers."

"And did he keep you safe? Did you keep him safe?"

"Neither," Ash and Brock said in unison. Ash gave Brock a mildly irritated look, then continued.

"We pretty much hated one another. Gary was a smug bastard, driving around in a car... for some reason," Ash frowned – he should really ask about that. "We met up only occasionally, and kept getting into fights..."

He shrugged. "But eventually we made up. Brothers are a lot like friends, really, just that they're related – and they have to live with one another even if they don't like one another. Same with sisters..."

Raikou considered that.

"How can you be sure she would be safe, without a brother?"

"Most people don't get in danger," Ash said. "Not the kind of danger I do, anyway."

"I looked after my little brothers and sisters, but I was several years older than the next youngest," Brock volunteered. "I was a bit more like a parent than anything, but we still had fun."

Togekiss rose up the centre of the stairwell, frowning. "Couldn't Ash be sort of like a brother? I mean, his mother knows her father."

Ash blinked. "Say what?"

"Hmmmm..." Raikou said non-committally.

"I guess..." Ash frowned, then nodded. "Well, I wouldn't mind, I mean."

Raikou growled. "You broke into her house, and wish to be her brother?"

"Well..." Ash shook his head. "I only wanted to help. And I mean I wouldn't mind – that's all. I guess... I think I'd probably like her, if I got more of a chance to know her properly."

Raikou nodded, and silently vanished.

"I guess you said the right thing," Brock observed.

* * *

><p>Suicune sprinted along a crystal spire, compensating with sure, practiced feet for the way it shifted under her.<p>

Jumping forward, she pushed off another spire and came back on herself. She fired a Hydro Pump – not at the artificial Entei, but at her own double.

Her brother Raikou caught the intent without any discussion. He whipped his tail around, launching a Thunder, and Suicune cut off the Water attack just before the electricity reached it.

Crackling lightning flashed down the stream and hit the Unown-created Suicune, who yelped in pain.

Suicune shivered slightly. It was so _strange_ to be fighting another 'mon so similar to yourself.

Other, non-Legendary, Pokémon did it all the time. But she and her siblings were the only Beasts on the entirety of Johto – and these new ones were created from a girl's dream based off _them_, to boot. So they were as similar to her as possible.

Both Entei ran past, exchanging firey blasts, and Suicune launched herself in pursuit.

The battle was drawing slowly but steadily further away from the downed Flying-types, which was all to the good.

Raikou barked a warning, and Suicune jumped away from a Thunderbolt which the other Raikou had sent to try and catch her off guard.

Seeing her brother tackling his double and engaging him at close quarters, Suicune went back to following Entei and Entei.

* * *

><p>The friends climbed the last few steps, and came to a door with an ornately painted sign on it. The sign read, simply, "<em>Molly".<em>

"Well, here we go," Ash said, and pushed the door open.

Molly lay on a bed, with an orb of Unown hovering over it chanting softly.

Ash hurried over, Brock and Togekiss behind him. "Molly?"

Molly yawned, and opened her eyes. They lit on Ash, and she smiled. "Big brother!"

"Uh..." Ash looked a little overwhelmed.

"Brother?" Molly's lip quivered. "You did mean what you said, didn't you?"

"You mean you heard-" Ash shook that off. "I did mean it, Molly. I don't know you well, but I think I'd like you if I did."

"Okay." Molly beamed, then sobered. "But... I don't know if I want to stop doing what I'm doing. I've got Pokémon now..."

"They're not real Pokémon," Ash said, softly. "They're just imagination..."

Molly looked mulish.

"But you can _have_ real Pokémon when you're a little older," Ash continued. "You don't have to wait until you're ten, not really."

"How much older?"

Ash glanced at Brock, who shrugged. "Pretty much now, actually, if her parents help to look after them."

They were interrupted by the sound of running feet.

An Espeon loped into the room from the open door, and transformed back into an Eevee. "Molly!" she said, running over and jumping on the bed.

"Eevee?" Molly asked, surprised. "But... how did you..."

"That's the same Eevee that Misty and I saw downstairs!" Brock noticed. "Why didn't she go away like the others?"

"I like her," Molly muttered, snuggling Eevee. "I don't want _her_ to go away, not one bit!"

"Molly," Eevee said, snuggling back. "I love you. But – I don't mind going."

"What?" Molly asked. "Really? But-"

"I never existed before," Eevee said. "I wish I could have more time with you, but if I have to go away when you're healthy... then I really don't mind. You being healthy matters more."

"Eevee," Molly sniffed, and embraced her.

Brock's voice interrupted them. "Uh... guys?"

Ash and Togekiss looked at him, then up where he was pointing.

The swirling sphere of Unown was pulsing more rapidly.

"What does that mean?" Ash asked.

"Well, given what happened last time..." Brock took his crowbar, and gave the sphere a hefty whack.

It froze, then burst into a cloud of hundreds of individual Unown.

"There we go," Brock said, pleased with himself. "They were about to reach critical mass. Now they're just annoyed. Ninetales, remember what... we..."

He paused.

"Oh. I knew I was forgetting something."

"Molly," Ash said, urgently. "You need to wake up."

_U~nown!_ The hundreds of Unown began to glow, and globes of Hidden Power swirled around them.

"I don't want Eevee to go!" Molly wailed.

Eevee wriggled out of her arms, shifted to Umbreon, and leapt off the bed.

"Umbreon!" Molly called. "Don't go!"

"I love you, Molly," Umbreon told her, and spat a Dark Pulse which knocked dozens of Unown flying.

Togekiss launched a stream of Sacred Fire, knocking more of them back, but they began to swarm up the stairs as well.

"Please, Molly!" Ash said.

"I... I..." Molly swallowed, and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>When she opened them, she was back in the crystal tower, with Ash, his friends and Eevee in the room.<p>

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, helping her up.

"I... think so," Molly said. "What do I do know?"

"We need to stop the Unown in the real world," Ash told her.

Molly looked at the TV, and saw the battle still going on. She ran to the window, her Eevee following her, and took a deep breath.

"Stop!" she shouted. "I want it all to go back to how it was!"

* * *

><p>The three pairs of battling beasts looked up, eyes locking on the tower window.<p>

Molly stood there, panting, and as they watched Ash moved to stand behind her.

The young Champion waved, then cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey, Suicune?"

Suicune moved so fast it was almost invisible. _"Yes?"_ she asked, landing gently on the ledge.

"Do you know how to stop a big load of Unown? Last time Molly's Entei sacrificed himself..."

_If Molly desires it,_ that Entei said, landing on the ledge himself. _I will do it._

_And if that is not enough,_ the artificial Suicune added, coming to his side. _I will join him._

_I, too,_ the dream Raikou said, as he and the final two beasts arrived. _Anything for Molly._

Molly sniffed. "I... if it's the only way..."

"But... isn't there another way to? You're all really powerful, so-?" Ash asked, looking between the six Legendary Pokémon on the ledge.

A flash of light interrupted everyone, and the beasts all looked up. Ash turned, following their gaze.

_Hello, Ash,_ Mewtwo said. _I trust this location is not on the television?_

Togekiss spoke up. _"Nope."_

_Excellent._ Mewtwo steepled his fingers, and his friend Mew orbited him giggling.

He sighed. _Please be a little more dignified, Mew, you're ruining my entrance._

_Where's the fun in that?_ Mew sat on the ground underneath him, bouncing gently.

_Right._ Mewtwo turned back to Ash. _As I was saying, it looks like it's time for me to sort everything out again. Just like I had to in Shamouti._

"You were at Shamouti?" Misty asked.

_I was why the storm wasn't too big._ Mewtwo shrugged. _It's a living. I seem to be the sort-everything-out-when-Ash-saves-the-world Legendary._

"That could work, actually," Ash said. "I mean, there was that time in Unova..."

_I've... never been to Unova. Either time._ Mewtwo paused. _We'll discuss that later._

He blinked out. There was a loud _crash_ sound, and the floor shook.

Mewtwo appeared again, and landed lightly on the throw rug._ Right, that's done._

"What?" Ash blinked. "That took ten seconds!"

_World's. Most. Powerful. Pokémon._ Mewtwo smiled thinly. _The Unown have been dissipated, and the crystal is slowly receding._

He snapped his fingers, and three Pokéballs bounced to the floor along with Dexter's projector. Ash recognized them as Charizard's, Pidgeot's and Lucario's.

_Just tidying up a few loose ends. Now – what was that about-_

Molly interrupted him. "Mister... Mewtwo?"

_Yes?_

She gathered the pale Eevee into her arms. "Does this mean Eevee doesn't have to go away? And... why is she shiny now?"

_Hm, didn't expect the shininess..._ Mewtwo glanced over at the Beasts, and everyone else – including the trio themselves – noticed that the ones Molly had called into being were now Shiny versions of themselves. _At least it makes it easier to tell them apart. Anyway. Molly, you may have been imagining things, but into Eevee and those three Pokémon over there you poured love and creativity and life. They're real now._

Molly sniffed, and tears started in her eyes. "Thank you!"

_I had very little to do with it,_ Mewtwo replied. He looked down. _Why are you hugging me? Stop. That is not dignified._

Mew fell over laughing.

"_So,"_ the shiny Entei asked, drawing all eyes back to him. _"What happens to us now?"_

Suicune smiled. _"You should probably come with us, at least for a while. We need to teach you a few things – it shouldn't take more than a month or so. After that... whatever you want to do."_

Shiny Suicune looked at shiny Entei, and shiny Entei to shiny Raikou.

"_Molly,"_ she said. _"We may not be your real mama, papa and brother, but we do still love you. We'll be back."_

Molly broke off hugging Mewtwo's leg, and ran over to hug each shiny Legend in turn. "I'll miss you..."

"_We'll all miss _you_, too,"_ the shiny Raikou nodded. _"But we will meet again, and soon."_

Mewtwo snapped his fingers, Teleporting out. After a moment, he appeared again and picked up the giggling Mew, and vanished.

"So," Brock said, looking confused. "What-"

Mewtwo appeared again. _Sorry, forgot something._ Another fingersnap, and two adults landed with twin _oof_s of surprise on Molly's bed.

Molly blinked, not believing her eyes. _"Mama? Papa?_ Is that you?"

Professor Hale turned to look at the woman beside him. "Martha? Molly?"

His wife shook her head to clear it, looked across the bed, and hugged him. "Spencer!"

Molly ran over, and they gathered her into their hug.

Several seconds later, they separated.

"Spencer," Martha asked. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure myself," Professor Hale admitted.

"Well."

They turned to look at Ash, who had spoken. He picked up his Pokéballs, and cleared his throat.

"This... could take a while."

* * *

><p>"Well," Oak said, sighing. "That's that."<p>

"Thank goodness, they sorted it all out," Delia said. She sat back on her chair. "I was so worried."

"So was I," Professor Oak agreed. "That was entirely too nerve-wracking."

He glanced at his computer, which was bursting with unread emails – including one from Gary which warned in the subject line to keep the contents under wraps.

He should probably get to work on them.

The phone rang, startling both him and Delia.

"I'll get it!" Delia said, picking it up. "Hello, Oak labs?"

Oak listened.

"Spencer?" Delia asked, shocked, and Oak blinked. Could that be-

"Oh... I see." Delia listened for a bit. "Is he-"

She covered the mouthpiece for a moment. "They're all fine," she told Oak. "Just tired."

Another pause.

"Hold on, can I get back to you?"

She laid the phone down on the worktop. "Samuel? Spencer wants to move here with his wife and daughter."

"His _wife_ is back?" Oak asked, shocked. "Didn't that take far longer last time?"

"He says Mewtwo was involved," Delia replied.

"Right," the Professor said, blinking. "I see. Well, that explains a few things... why does he want to move?"

"It's because the mansion is about to be _buried_ in reporters," Delia explained. "If they move, and quickly, they can hopefully escape some of the scrutiny."

"I see," Oak repeated. "Well, it's not as if I could stop them even if I wanted them out, and I'm fine with it."

Delia nodded thanks, and picked up the phone again.

"Spencer? ...oh, you heard. Well, we'll be glad to have you! Take care. I'm sure you can stay at my house until everything's sorted, if you really want to hurry."

Pause.

"Sure."

Pause.

"An Eevee? Oh, that sounds cute. Good luck, Molly. Tell your parents I'm glad they're safe. See you soon. Bye."

Delia put the phone down.

"They're going to arrive by tomorrow."

"That's... a little fast..." Oak said, reeling slightly.

"That house has some bad memories for them now," she reminded him.

* * *

><p>"Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was Ash Ketchum. Thank you for your time, young man. And for all you've done today."<p>

Ash shook the reporters' hand. "It was no problem! Actually, the interview was kind of scarier than the fight..."

Roxy chuckled. "Well, you're clearly braver than me." She turned back to the camera, and Ash took the implied dismissal.

He rejoined his friends, about fifty feet away. "Did that work?"

"I don't think you gave anything too important away," Misty said. "You didn't mention Mewtwo and Mew, and you kept the time travel thing and the aura purge thing secret too. It made sense, to me at least."

"That's good." Ash glanced up at the two Flying-types. "Okay, guys. You can head back to the valley now, Charizard – and Pidgeot, we discussed earlier. Oak's Lab or Shamouti, whichever you prefer."

"_Stay safe, Ash,"_ Charizard said, and Pidgeot nodded.

The bird took flight first, circled once, then shot off towards the east.

"_Ash,"_ Charizard said, softly. _"Do you have any idea what happened to me? I know you said you didn't, but..."_

"No, I've got no idea." Ash shrugged. "Sorry. Best I can guess is it had something to do with the Unown... hopefully the Professor will have an idea, though."

* * *

><p>"See you later," Professor Hale said, waving a little uncertainly to the half-dozen Beasts. "Well, three of you, anyway. Remember – Pallet town, not Greenfield."<p>

"_We will,"_ the shiny Entei said, nodding to him. _"May you have better luck there than here."_

"Thank you," Doctor Hale smiled – glad her daughter had such powerful protectors. "And the rest of you can visit any time."

"_We may do that anyway, sooner than you think,"_ the original Suicune said. Her brothers chuckled or groaned.

"What's that?" Spencer asked.

"_Suicune wants Ash to catch her, but she doesn't want it to be easy,"_ the normal Entei sighed. _"I can sort of see her point, but-"_

"_Come now, come now,"_ his brother chuckled. _"Might even be fun! I'm certainly going to let him take a good crack at it one of these days!"_

"That would be fun!" Molly agreed. "Please say yes, Entei – then all of you will be at Pallet town at once!"

Eevee nodded agreement, and poofed into a Leafeon. _"It would!"_

Entei looked between his siblings and the enthusiastic young girl. _"...I will think about it."_

"I didn't understand much of that," Spencer admitted. "Martha?"

"No clue."

His eyes widened. "Did you understand all of it, Molly?"

"Yep!" She nodded.

"...well." Spencer blinked. "I suppose there are worse side-effects..."

* * *

><p>Gary fired off the second email.<p>

"Right. That's done."

He yawned, and glanced out the window. It wasn't quite false-dawn yet, but it was getting there.

"Have I done everything?" he asked Dee, and yawned again.

Email to your grandfather, done. Email to Ash asking him to call you, done. And you asked him to call you _tomorrow_, which is good as well.

"Yeah," Gary agreed. "I need sleep... anything else?"

I don't think there's anything else, no. You rescheduled your morning appointments, as well.

"_Go ahead and get some sleep,"_ Umbreon told him.

"Right." Yawning once more, Gary got back into bed and closed his eyes.

He was out like a light in seconds.

* * *

><p>Charizard flared his wings, dropping below the lip of the steep-sided escarpments ringing the Charcific Valley.<p>

"_Hey!"_ a voice called from ahead. _"He's back!"_

Wings beat the air all over the canyon, as every single Charizard took flight and flew over.

Bemused, Charizard alighted, and watched as they charged up to him.

One big male took his foreleg and shook it. _"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"_

"_How did you do it?"_ another asked.

"_Um... I don't actually know..."_ Charizard admitted, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand.

"_Will you-"_ a female began, and subsided at a growl from Charla.

"_I said. First. Dibs."_

She looked up at him, and blushed slightly. _"I'm guessing you probably heard that, yeah?"_

"_I'm not complaining,"_ Charizard replied quickly, to general laughter.

"_So awesome,"_ another Charizard said. _"You went all blue and black, and woosh, and then you went super-fast, and-"_

"_-and was that all three Beasts? And you were fighting them? And not losing?"_

Charizard nodded, slowly. _"Yes, there were all three of them. They were super-powered as well, because of being created by Unown."_

There was a _thump_ noise as one of the big lizards swooned.

"_Seriously,"_ he added. _"Can I get some space here? Right now what I want is a really big meal, a really long bath, and probably about three days' sleep."_

"_I'll get the food!"_ one of the Charizard said quickly.

"_I'll get the towel!"_

Charla chuckled. _"They're going to be like this for a while,"_ she whispered.

Her droll tone made Charizard chuckle back.

* * *

><p>James stopped the projector.<p>

"Any questions?" Jessie asked.

"What the heck was that?" someone blurted.

"We don't know. As far as we can tell, _no-one_ knows," James said bluntly.

"This is now reason number one why you should not annoy Ash Ketchum," Jessie added. "One of his Pokémon just fought off an entire Legendary Trio for several minutes."

"Yeah!" Meowth confirmed. "'an dat kind of performance ain't what you'd get from even some other legendaries, ta boot!"

"...but... doesn't that mean his Pokémon are really powerful, and it would be good to steal them?"

Jessie and James facepalmed in unison.

"No," Meowth summed up. "It means dat he's got a Pokémon what could sink a battleship in two minutes. It means don't even bother fightin' im. An' it means even if we did steal 'is Pokémon, dey'd just blast dere way right out of any place we tried ta use 'em!"

"...oh," the grunt said in a small voice, and sat back down.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Pallet, Spencer," Delia said with a smile.<p>

"It looks lovely," Spencer Hale said, taking in the view. "Very peaceful."

The Mr. Mime next to her waved a mop, and she indicated him with a gesture. "This is Mimey, and Professor Oak is just tidying things up a bit in the lab – he says he's got some spare rooms. It's nice to see you again, Martha."

Martha Hale nodded back. "My pleasure, Delia. It's nice to be back in the real world."

"And how are _you_, Molly?" Delia asked, bending down.

"I'm fine," Molly said. "I'm glad mama and papa are back."

"I'm glad, too," Delia smiled. "Oh, your Eevee is gorgeous!"

Eevee beamed, and turned into a Flareon.

"...Ash didn't mention _that,_" Delia observed. "That's interesting. Can she do that a lot?"

Prancing around, Eevee switched between all her different forms on the trot before returning to Eevee and rubbing against Delia's leg.

"Lovely!" Delia praised. "I can see she's quite the beauty queen!"

"She's a great battler, too," Molly told her. "She helped me win the Boulderbadge!"

"I'm sure there's a story there," Delia smiled. "I'd love to hear it."

The ground started rumbling faintly.

"Oh, here come Ash's Pokémon to say hello!" Delia added. "This could take a while."

* * *

><p>"Huh," Ash said, looking at the Pokédex screen. "Gary emailed me. Says he knows what happened to Charizard, and to call him tomorrow."<p>

"Tomorrow?" Misty asked. "Why not today?"

"I think I know." Brock frowned, calculating in his head. "And you should probably call him tomorrow evening. Kalos is nine hours away. If he was up this early, it's because he was up in the middle of the night because of the situation here."

"Right," Ash said, nodding. "I get it."

He looked back down at Dexter. "Where next?"

Take the road north.

"Well, here goes," Ash said, smiling. "Off towards Goldenrod city!"

"Always ready for the next adventure, huh?" Misty smiled.

"Well... yeah," Ash agreed, in a voice that made it sound like Misty was being silly. "Of course I am!"

Brock chuckled. "Never change, Ash."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Phew!

Spell of the Unown, done.

That took a lot less time to write than I was expecting, to be honest.

Yes, this turned out rather differently to last time, didn't it... for one thing, the second appearance of Mewtwo as the sort-out-the-film-ending-mon. (Third if you count his own.) And he never did get back to Ash about that mention of Unova, did he...

Molly now has her mother _and_ father back straight off, instead of in the credits... her first Pokémon is an Eevee that can do the same kind of thing Vee can do in the manga, only more so... oh, and now there's three shiny legendary beasts knocking around. Among other things.

Hope everyone enjoyed this movie adaptation – do let me know what you thought of it.


	59. Johto 9

"Really?" Ash blinked. "Never heard of... mega-evolution, before."

He heard Gary sigh into the mouthpiece of his phone. "Yeah, I know. I hadn't either. It's apparently something which was a legend even here in Kalos – until it happened for the first time in centuries, which was a bit over a year ago – the spring before last."

"Right," Ash nodded, then stopped. "Wait, isn't that-"

"Within hours of your coming back in time, yeah," Gary confirmed. He chuckled. "Figures it'd be you who did it first on TV, Ashy-boy."

"...yeah, that's already been kind of awkward. Last time through, I guess it just seemed like I was in the right place at the right time-"

"-which you were," Gary interrupted.

"-which I was, kinda," Ash agreed. "But this time... not so much."

"Shows what winning the Indigo League gets you, Ash," Gary said gleefully. "Rethinking that idea of becoming a Pokémon Master?"

"Not really," Ash replied quickly. "Besides, a Pokémon Master is whatever I say it is!"

Gary laughed.

"Seriously, though," he went on. "There's some stuff you need to know about mega evolutions. Firstly, they usually work with two catalysts – a Key Stone, for the trainer, and a Mega Stone for the Pokémon."

There was the sound of moving objects on the other end of the phone, and Gary muttering to himself.

"There we are," he said. "Your staff was glowing the whole time Charizard was in Mega form – _both _Mega forms. So that might have been acting as a key stone, but I didn't see a mega stone."

"Dunno," Ash admitted. "Charizard wasn't carrying anything. I guess I assumed it was because of the Unown and stuff."

"Right." Gary could be heard shuffling through papers. "Okay, I think I can get an appointment back at the tower... I'll take it to the experts, see what they think. And Ash?"

"Yeah?" Ash returned.

"Don't tell anyone about this. It's still unpublished research."

"Don't tell anyone. Got it!"

Gary paused. "Oh, and don't end the world when I'm not looking, Ash. Smell you later."

"Does that include us?" Brock asked, as the call ended. "Who you're not supposed to tell anything?"

"Probably," Ash agreed. "And don't tell anyone yourselves, of course."

* * *

><p>"Well, hello," the woman at the day-care desk said. "Have you heard about our great deals for matching up trainers with their Pokémon personality... type..."<p>

She blinked.

"Oh, no."

Ash frowned. "What is it?"

"Uh... nothing!" The woman shook her head, a little frantically. "No problem at all! Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go... uh... get more copies of the book."

She vanished through a staff-only door.

Curious, Misty picked up a book off the huge pile at the counter. "Wonder why she needed more copies... huh, here I am. Gyarados."

She closed it with a _snap_. "Done. Already got that Pokémon."

"Doesn't that also mean your personality type is that of a Gyarados?" Ash asked.

"Well, Ash, you've got two possibilities, there," Brock pointed out. "Either the answer is no... or the answer's yes, in which case you're annoying someone who's got the personality type of a Gyarados."

"Point taken, shutting up."

Misty gave both of them suspicious looks.

Lucario raised a paw. _"You do know those were members of Team Rocket, right?"_

* * *

><p>"Butch! Butch!" the woman hissed.<p>

Her co-worker looked up from a pile of Pokéballs. "What is it?"

"That boy, Ash! The Indigo Champion! He's here!"

Butch gaped. "What? Here, here?"

"In the building!" Cassidy confirmed. "With that Pikachu, and that Lucario, and, and... we're doomed."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Butch reached for a Pokéball.

Cassidy picked up a clipboard and hit him on the head with it. "Idiot! We just saw one of his Pokémon fight three _legendaries_, what chance does your Primeape have?"

"So... what do we do?" Butch asked.

"Run for it, that's what!" Cassidy pointed to the fire exit. "Hurry!"

* * *

><p>"...anyway, when we checked the back they'd gone," Ash finished.<p>

"I see," the local Jenny said absently. She finished writing. "So, they were running some kind of scam using a Pokémon fortune telling book... I sometimes wonder why we can't just have normal thieves, it'd be a lot simpler."

"What's going to happen to all the Pokémon?" Misty asked.

"Well, the trades are legitimate, in the cases where people actually got new Pokémon," Jenny said. "Which makes it all a bit of a mess. About the best we can do is confiscate all the money they made, and use it to compensate anyone who's lost a Pokémon and can't get a new one they want or their old one back."

"That sounds like a... huge headache," Brock admitted.

"It is," Jenny agreed. "It's going to mean a _lot_ of paperwork, too, to make sure we didn't miss anyone out. Obviously returning peoples' Pokémon would have to be first, but beyond that?"

"Guess things like this can't always be solved simply," Ash said.

"That's been my experience," Jenny confirmed.

* * *

><p>"So, let me see..." Giovanni said, looking through his notes. "You encountered the boy Ash Ketchum, and promptly ran for it."<p>

Butch nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I'll ask questions if I want answers, Blake," Giovanni told him, and Cassidy clamped her hand over his mouth to prevent an outburst. "As I was saying. You encountered Ash Ketchum, identified him, and abandoned your scam business without even attempting to battle him."

He let the silence stretch for several seconds, with Persian growling faintly in the background.

"Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Cassidy said, nodding. "We thought he was-"

"I only asked one question, miss Cassidy," Giovanni admonished. "Well, aside from your appalling manners... you at least took a sensible option. Good work there."

The two Rockets let out a sigh of relief.

"It would have been better if you'd just run the place legitimately, of course, since that might have avoided the loss of capital... but, well, I understand." Giovanni's smile was thin, and cool. "Dismissed."

Butch and Cassidy left hurriedly, closing the door behind them.

"Perhaps I should assign them to the good doctor," he mused, looking over at Persian. "He's been asking for some new pairs of hands..."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Goldenrod City," Brock said, looking around. "It's the biggest city in Johto – and it has the best shops!"<p>

"Do either of you guys have any shopping to do?" Ash asked. "I was wondering whether I had time to work out who to use at the Gym..."

"Go ahead," Brock decided. "I've got some shopping to do, at least."

"Me too," Misty added. "I heard they have Dragonbreath TMs here, and I'm getting Kingdra one to celebrate."

"Sounds good," Ash nodded. "I'll go work out who to use at the Pokémon centre."

* * *

><p>"Who's not had a battle recently?" Ash mused.<p>

Pikachu hopped down. _"What about me?"_

"No, you're already more than practised enough," Ash said, shaking his head. "Same with Lucario, though he's probably the best choice..."

"_So the question is more who needs the practice,"_ Pikachu clarified. _"Right... let's see. Quilava just had a battle... Totodile hasn't, and nor has Noctowl."_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "But what about the Pokémon back at the lab? Like Kingler? No, I guess he had... aha!"

He picked Dexter up. "Can you tell Professor Oak I'd like Muk, please?"

Sending.

"_Muk?"_Pikachu repeated. He began to say something, then stopped and thought about it. _"Actually, that's a good point. She's got that Miltank, hasn't she? Rollout all the way..."_

"Apart from that, Quilava and Bayleef are the next choices," Ash said. "I don't think it'll be a six-a-side, but if it is and we're losing, Lucario gets the go."

"_Makes sense,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"But you'd better give me more than just one gym battle in Johto, Ash..."_

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Goldenrod gym, Ash Ketchum!" Whitney said. "I hope you don't expect to have as easy a ride as you had with Bugsy and Falkner!"<p>

Ash blinked. "I can think of a lot of words for what those two did, but easy ride isn't it... they certainly seemed to be trying very hard indeed to beat me."

"Oh, they were," Whitney agreed. "They're just worse at it." She winked.

Clapping her hands, she turned to the battlefield. "This match will be three Pokémon a side, with switching allowed! Gooo... Clefairy!"

Her Pokéball produced a flash of stars as it opened.

Clefairy bounced to the floor. _"Ready!"_

Ash sent out Totodile.

"_Oh, you look nice!"_ Totodile said, bouncing from foot to foot. _"Ready for battle?"_

"_Of course!"_

Totodile opened the matter with a Water Gun.

Clefairy jumped away, and waggled her fingers.

The Water-type frowned. _"Uh... hmmm... oh, right! That's Metronome!"_

Four finger-strokes, and the Metronome triggered.

Light briefly engulfed Totodile, and then streamed into Clefairy.

"Dexter?" Ash asked.

Analyzing... Role Play.

"Uh oh... Totodile! Get her, quick!"

Totodile fired another Water Gun, and bounded forwards to use Slash on top of that. Clefairy jumped easily out of the way, and waggled her fingers again.

"Is she just going to...?" Ash asked, uncertainly.

"Pretty much, yeah," Whitney agreed.

Rocks cracked up from the arena floor, coming together into a ball between Clefairy's fingers.

"Oh, no..." Whitney winced. "I just had this resurfaced!"

"Hey, at least it's not my fault this time." Ash shrugged, as Clefairy's Ancientpower finished charging.

It hit Totodile in the side, making him yelp and rub his haunch, and he retaliated with another blast of water. This one caught Clefairy, and he quickly ran underneath and started juggling Clefairy with careful bursts of water.

Whitney frowned. "Wait, where did the energy go from- oh, you're kidding!"

Indeed. For once, Sheer Force has produced a disadvantage.

Whitney clenched her fist, as her acrobatic Clefairy was gradually juggled through the air. "Metronome again!"

Clefairy nodded, and waved her fingers.

The few seconds the attack took to charge ticked away, and then she shouted.

It was a huge shout. An echoing, ear-punishing shout which blew away the water plume and allowed her to escape, and which sent Totodile skidding backwards slightly on the slick arena floor.

"Keep it up!" Whitney snapped.

"Totodile!" Ash called. "Try using your water to launch yourself forwards!"

Totodile nodded, and looked over his shoulder. He fired out a stream of water, and used it as a jury-rigged form of jet propulsion.

His kick connected with Clefairy, concentrating on another Metronome, and she bounced away before coming back to her feet and completing the Metronome.

Vines lashed out from Clefairy's hands, wrapping around the unfortunate Water-type. Rather than hitting him, though, they began to squeeze him.

Ash winced. "Try and break the Bind with Slash! Then... uh..." he tried to come up with a way to explain Aqua Jet in the middle of a fight. "You kind of need to surround yourself with water and swim through it at the enemy!"

"_I'll.. give it... a try!"_

Totodile's claws dug into the vine, wearing it away, until it abruptly snapped and he dropped free. He began shooting water, trying to make enough of it to do what Ash instructed him to.

Clefairy's fingers waved once again.

Just as Totodile managed to produce a continuous bubble of water, the Metronome finished. Clefairy began to glow red, and lunged forwards before giving Totodile a terrific slap.

"That's Outrage!" Ash recognized. "Totodile, you need to get clear!"

Nodding, Totodile ran just ahead of Clefairy, and the two Pokémon went around in circles for ten seconds or so.

"Get to the roof!" Ash called.

Totodile frowned, concentrating hard. He jumped, and covered himself in water, then started swimming as hard as possible.

His Aqua Jet was slow and clumsy, taking him upwards at barely above walking pace, but it got him above Clefairy (and incidentally doused her in a huge amount of water).

After a minute or so, Clefairy stopped Outraging and began wobbling around, dizzy.

"Another Metronome!" Whitney called, seeing the tired Totodile. "He's on the rafters!"

Clefairy tried to aim upwards, and used Metronome. Despite a few wobbles, she produced a successful attack.

Unfortunately, this attack was Flame Charge, meaning she ran around in circles unable to reach Totodile and drew an unusual shape in minor scorch marks on the floor.

As the attack ended, another Water Gun hit her.

"Again!"

Yet another Water Gun hit her, as Totodile started to make better use of his convenient firing position.

"What's this going to be..." Ash said, watching the fingers wag.

Clefairy finished her Metronome, and got an evil grin.

Pikachu blinked. _"Totodile! Jump!"_

Just as Totodile jumped, Clefairy raised her hand. Electricity crackled, and she fired a Thundershock.

The Electric attack hit Totodile hard, making him cry out and land heavily.

"Get up, Totodile!" Ash called. "You're not beaten yet!"

Using his forelegs for support, Totodile pushed himself erect. He turned, slowly, and gave a somewhat unfocused stare to Clefairy.

He started to walk slowly forwards.

"Metronome before he gets to you!"

Everyone went silent, watching to see what this attack would be.

The sound of bells filled the air.

Whitney facepalmed. "Oh, you're kidding."

Heal Bell pulsed out, healing both Pokémon back to full health.

Totodile blinked, and jumped from foot to foot. _"Hurrah!"_

He released another Water Gun, making Clefairy jump away and slide to a halt at the far end of the field.

Her fingers wagged, and she used Metronome yet again.

Then exploded.

"...oh, no!" Whitney cried, running forwards as the smoke cleared. "Poor Clefairy! Are you alright?"

Clefairy said something unintelligible, in which Ash only caught the word 'waffles', and fell forwards into her crater.

"Nice work, Totodile!" Ash said, returning him. "Who've you got next?"

"That was..." Misty tried to find the words. "Random?"

"I'm just getting started!" Whitney took her second Pokéball. "Fluffles!"

"What kind of a-" Ash began, and then the Pokéball opened.

"_Bidoof,"_ the Bidoof said.

"Uh..." Ash blinked. "Pikachu? Is my Aura on the fritz, or-"

"_No, he actually did say Bidoof,"_ Pikachu confirmed.

"Oh. Well... Noctowl!"

Ash held up the Pokéball, and Noctowl materialized into the large main room of the gym.

Almost immediately, he dodged around some water still dripping from the ceiling. _"I say, that's just not baseball. I mean, er, cricket. That's it. Cricket."_

"Blame Totodile," Ash said with a grin. "He's the one who got the roof wet. Okay, Noctowl, you know what to do."

"_I most certainly do."_ Noctowl flew around the perimeter of the room in a big circle, air disturbances curling at his wingtips. _"Tallyho!"_

The owl entered into a dive. About halfway to the ground, he spun in an aileron roll and swooped back up to the roof – leaving a circle of disturbed air, which accelerated and hit the ground with an audible _shing!_ noise.

Fluffles was knocked about a bit by the attack. He shook his head, looking a bit downcast at the harshly trimmed fur on his tail, and turned to look up at Noctowl.

"_Why are you wearing a top hat?"_ he asked.

Noctowl rolled his wings in a shrug.

"_Oh well..."_

"Fluffles, use Headbutt!" Whitney ordered.

Fluffles leaned back, standing on his hind legs. He blinked, slowly, and focused on Noctowl's circling form.

"Uh..." Ash frowned. "Why is he glowing?"

Now with red energy surrounding him, the Plump Mouse Pokémon kicked off the floor. Hurtling upwards, he aimed straight for Noctowl.

"_I say!"_ Noctowl banked right to get out of the way, and was flabbergasted when Fluffles curved his flight path to strike Noctowl squarely in the chest.

"_Ow!"_ Noctowl flapped his wings as Bidoof fell away, launching a Gust, and the attack drove his opponent into the floor harder than he would have landed anyway.

"How'd he do that?" Ash asked, sounding vaguely offended.

"Fluffles has the ability Moody, which means that in battle he has random affects increase his abilities – this time, accuracy!" Whitney explained. "He's also got Simple, which doubles the power of those boosts! Isn't it cute?"

Ash blinked. "...I'd say something, but since some of my Pokémon have all three abilities I can barely comment. Dexter?"

That's correct. I have all three – Trace, Download, Analyze. Speaking of which... Dexter's scanner traced across Fluffles. Analysis complete. It's not just boosts, there's random drops as well. In this case, the Bidoof is weaker to physical attacks.

"Thanks! Noctowl, quick, use Peck!"

Noctowol rolled in the air and dove down, beak glowing faintly. _"Take this!"_

Fluffles glowed again. He raised his head, fang glowing, and bit down just as Noctowl arrived.

The Flying-type's attack barely seemed to faze Fluffles. He got a mouthful of feathers in return, pulling a few of them out to the accompaniment of a pained squawk from Noctowl, who rose back into the air as fast as possible to avoid another Super Fang.

...well, that was unlucky. He got a defence boost just as Noctowl came down for the attack.

Ash winced. "Okay, Noctowl, keep your distance for now!"

"_Don't need to tell me twice, old boy."_ Noctowl's flight wobbled slightly as he regained attack attitude, and started to spin off air slashes to keep up the fight at a distance.

Fluffles was bounced around a bit by the Air Slashes. He rocked back on his hind legs again, and launched himself into the air with another Headbutt. Strangely, his trajectory took him nowhere near Noctowl's circling form.

Ash gaped. "Wait, he's not – Noctowl! Dive!"

A flicker in the air resolved itself into Noctowl, and the illusion which had been circling faded. The real Pokémon shed height for speed, and only took a glancing blow from the ballistic beaver.

"_This is getting on my nerves!"_ Noctowl panted, regaining height.

Fluffles hit the ground with a _thud_, and glowed yet again.

This time, he shouted upwards. _"BIDOOF!"_

The resultant shout distorted the air, cracked several windows, and knocked Noctowl up to bounce off the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, concerned.

"_Abso-bloody-lutely not," _Noctowl muttered, recovering and sitting on the rafters. _"'scuse me, need a bit of a kip."_

"What's your Pokémon doing?" Whitney asked, as another glow flashed through Fluffles and the Fat Mouse began bouncing back and forth on trembling paws – seemingly unable to stop himself moving, and far faster than he should have been.

"Roost, I think," Ash observed.

"Right!" Whitney pointed. "Fluffles, use Superpower!"

Fluffles shot off towards the wall, ran up it in a trice, and came charging along the rafters towards Noctowl. As he reached the Roosting Flying-type – now trying to take off frantically and avoid being hit – he glowed with the blue energy of his Superpower attack.

And missed.

The Noctowl he'd jumped at vanished in a flash of light, revealing it to be an illusion, and the real Noctowl decloaked still in mid-air.

His eyes glowed, and he grabbed Fluffles in an Extrasensory. _"Right, young feller-me-lad."_

Another red flash of energy. Fluffles started to wriggle, the Extrasensory holding him less tightly

Having none of that, Noctowl turned his beak and slammed the Bidoof into the ground with an audible _crack_.

Fluffles stumbled out of the crater, shaking his head.

"What does it take to stop that Bidoof?" Ash asked.

Do you mean now or in two minutes? Because at some point it's going to have boosts to everything!

Fluffles breathed in massively again, readying another Echoing Voice attack.

"Noctowl!" Ash called. "Use an Air Slash to break up the attack!"

Noctowl complied, hammering the air with his wings and producing a powerful ball of swirling wind. It went down just as the shout came up, and reduced the impact of the shout overpressure.

The Flying-type was still buffeted against the ceiling, and several windows shattered.

"Oh, no..." Whitney said, wincing. "Fluffles, please don't destroy the gym!"

Fluffles nodded, a little uncertainly, and focused in on Noctowl once more.

The Owl Pokémon's eye tufts glowed blue, and Fluffles blinked, shaking his head in confusion.

Then slammed his head very hard into the floor, knocking himself out.

Whitney ran out to Fluffles, shouting something about the poor little thing.

Noctowl wobbled back down to rest on Ash's outstretched forearm. _"I've got an absolutely beastly headache."_

"Nice work on the confusion, Noctowl," Ash said, giving him a scratch. "Hopefully you won't be needed for this next one."

"Don't count on it," Whitney said, walking back to her position with her Bidoof's Pokéball. She took out her third and final Pokémon. "Avenge your friends, Miltank!"

Pikachu blinked. _"Oh, yeah, that's right. I'm kind of glad I'm not fighting this one..."_

Ash nodded. "Right... Totodile's fine, so go Totodile!"

Totodile looked up at the big Miltank. _"Ooh, you're a lot bigger than the Clefairy was!"_

"Miltank! Use Rollout!" Whitney ordered.

Miltank rolled into a ball and started spinning, rumbling forwards.

Realizing she might be interested, Ash sent Quilava out. She settled down to watch the fight, head tilted on one side.

Totodile looked closely. _"Take this!"_

He fired a Water Gun at the top surface of Miltank, slowing her rotation slightly, but she kept rumbling forwards regardless. The Water Gun didn't have nearly enough force to stop her, and Totodile was forced to jump into the air and dodge with Aqua Jet to boost his jump.

Landing back on the floor behind her, he fired more Water Guns as she made a ponderous turn and came back towards him.

"Totodile!" Ash called. "Get over by one of the corners!"

"_Nice,"_ Quilava opined.

Jumping and using Aqua Jet again to avoid being run down, Totodile hurried over to the corner.

Miltank turned again and rumbled forwards, accelerating all the time.

"Okay, Totodile..." Ash waited, judging the moment. "Jump now!"

Totodile did so.

Miltank didn't stop.

* * *

><p>"Hmmm..." Brock held up a Pokédoll. "This one looks nice."<p>

"_It does,"_ Ninetales agreed. _"Suzy does like Skitties, so that might be the best choice."_

"It won't be enough by itself, but-"

There was a _crash_ sound from outside the department store.

Brock and Ninetales both ran to the window, and watched as a large Miltank rumbled through the street, curving back on itself, and rolled back through the hole it had left in Goldenrod gym.

"...that was strange," Brock said. His eyes widened. "Wait, Ash's gym battle is inside?"

"_That poor building,"_ Ninetales said sadly.

* * *

><p>Whitney clapped her hands to her mouth. "Oh no! Not the wall!"<p>

Miltank came back in, moving faster still. This time she managed to clip Totodile as he jumped, sending him flying through the air and making him have to use another Aqua Jet boost to land softly.

"Well, at least Totodile's getting a lot of practice with that attack," Misty said. "It's a good one for him."

"Totodile, use your Water Gun to try to slow her down!" Ash called. "Make the floor wet, so she gets less traction!"

Totodile nodded, and sprayed the floor in front of the oncoming Miltank. This time he stopped earlier to give more time for his Aqua Jet escape, and Miltank skidded wide and smashed more holes in the wall.

Whitney winced. "I should really have listened to Bugsy..."

Misty put her hands on her hips. "You _think?_ He wrecked Cerulean too, you know!"

"...actually, she's doing most of the damage," Ash pointed out. "So it's not quite the same..."

Miltank smashed through another wall, and this time Totodile was a fraction of a second too slow. Her attack clipped him, the powerful topspin sending him spinning skywards, and he landed hard.

Then got run over by Miltank.

Ash returned the unconscious Water-type. "Okay, Noctowl, see if you can help!"

"_I'll do the best I can-" _Noctowl began, and Miltank ramped off the sides of the crater left by Clefairy's earlier Explosion.

Her trajectory intersected Noctowl before he'd finished his sentence, and knocked him out.

"...oh," Ash said lamely. "Right... hope this works. Muk!"

"You've got a _Muk?_" Whitney repeated. "Ew!"

"Hey, he's alright," Ash said. "Muk, get that Miltank!"

Miltank rolled through Muk's indistinct body, producing a loud _splat_ and getting purple gunk everywhere.

"Ugh!" Whitney shuddered, feeling some of the purple stuff get in her hair. "I need, like, five showers..."

Ash nodded. "Thanks, Dexter," he said as gunk dripped off the Reflect screen in front of him and Misty.

My pleasure.

Muk was not inconvenienced in the least, pulling himself together with only a minor loss of mass.

He turned to look at Miltank as she made another turn and headed towards him, and opened his mouth.

Then he began to glow.

"What attack is he using?" Ash asked.

Dexter beeped. ...uh oh. Get down!

Muk used Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, Rock Tomb, Shock Wave, Fire Blast, Focus Blast, Secret Power, Dark Pulse, Sludge Bomb, Giga Drain, Hyper Beam, Ice Punch, Hidden Power, Double Team, Round, Payback, Rain Dance, Sunny Day and Toxic.

All three trainers, Quilava and Pikachu dove for the floor as Muk seemed to explode in a tidal wave of attacks and blasts of energy.

When the sound and fury died down, they peeked up at the devastation.

The Clefairy-shaped gym was a complete wreck. Two of the walls had collapsed, the roof had caved in, much of it was on fire, and the less said about the floor the better.

Muk stood on an all-but-untouched circle of floor in the midst of the devastation, with a thoroughly knocked out Miltank in a heap in front of him.

"_I like cookies,"_ he said simply.

"Uh..." Ash tentatively held out the Pokéball. "Return?"

Muk flashed back into the Pokéball without any fuss.

As Ash put the ball back on his belt, something bounced off his chest.

He bent down and picked it up. It was a Plain Badge.

"You..." Whitney seemed lost for words. "Get out."

Misty picked her way across the devastation. "Whitney," she said, clapping the Normal-type leader on the shoulder. "I want you to know, I feel your pain. He destroyed my gym too."

"...what do you want me to do?" Ash asked. "You started it!"

I advise leaving now, Dexter said. You are only making it worse.

* * *

><p>"<em>This is pretty cool,"<em> Keldeo said brightly. _"What's this place called?"_

Virizion bent down to look at the information plate. _"This is the Statue of Thundurus at Olympia. That's the official name for it, anyway."_

"_Where's the statue, then?"_ Terrakion asked, looking suspiciously at the enormous temple. _"All I see is pillars."_

"_I think it's inside."_ Virizion nodded. _"We should have a look."_

Cobalion frowned. _"Isn't this a bit of a waste of time?"_

"_We're lost anyway, Cobalion,"_ Virizion argued. _"We may as well enjoy ourselves. Besides,"_ she nodded forward at Keldeo, prancing up the steps ahead of them. _"He needs a bit of time for fun. You know how he can sometimes get a bit obsessed."_

"_...I suppose you're right,"_ Cobalion nodded. _"He's dedicated, yes, but I forget he is still a child at times."_

The three Swords reached the entrance to what was really quite a spectacular temple in the Ionic mode, pretending not to notice the tourists taking an interest in them.

"_...wow,"_ Terrakion said, as they beheld the statue.

It was, to put it simply, huge.

Fifteen metres tall, the statue was covered in amethyst and sapphire and represented the Therian forme of Thundurus bending down on one knee. His hand was held up to his face, with a tiny human woman standing on the palm.

It took the mind a few seconds to refocus, and to realize that the human was actually five and a half feet tall – normal sized. The scale of the statue made her seem tiny.

"_It's amazing what humans can do, sometimes, isn't it?"_ Virizion asked, in a hushed voice.

"_Indeed,"_ Cobalion nodded. Then he frowned. _"Where is – Keldeo!"_

The Colt Pokémon was standing in front of the statue, posing with two tourists. There was a camera flash, and he smiled at them.

Hearing Cobalion, he trotted back over. _"Hi, guys!"_

"_What were you doing?"_ Cobalion asked.

"_Oh. Er..."_ Keldeo scuffed his hoof on the floor, looking embarrassed. _"I kind of wanted a souvenir photo, and we don't have the money for a camera, so... I got them to take one."_

"_How does that work?"_ Virizion asked. She frowned.

"_Yeah!"_ Terrakion put in. _"Are you going to go back over and get an instant photo or something?"_

"_No, it was a digital camera."_ Keldeo shrugged. _"Look, I know I want to become a Sword of Justice, but... I'm cute. I know I am. And that means that a photo with me in it is going to be all over the internet by the time we get home."_

"_And?"_ Cobalion pressed.

"_And so we can find them when we get home,"_ Keldeo completed. _"Don't you guys want photo souvenirs too?"_

The Swords exchanged glances.

"_...oh, why not."_ Cobalion nodded. _"We may as well. We are, apparently, treating this as a holiday."_

As he led the others over, Keldeo sniggered. "_Maybe I should have told you how I got the money to pay for the trip to Europe..."_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Ah, Whitney. AKA the one who runs you over with a cow.

As it happens, I did in fact randomly generate the moves for Metronome and the stat boosts for Moody-Simple. The results were... interesting. As for Muk... yes, this is a thing now.

The Statue the Musketeers are visiting is a parallel to one which, in our world, was destroyed in antiquity – the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. And Keldeo has a point.


	60. Johto 10

As the friends left Whitney's smoking gym, someone hailed them.

"Excuse me, young man!"

Ash stopped, looking over. "Uh... yeah?"

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said, walking over. "I'm the producer of Pokémon talk radio. I was wondering if you'd give an interview?"

"Sure," Ash said. He glanced behind him at the heavily damaged building. "I... hope it's not all going to be about the Goldenrod gym, though... that didn't go quite as planned."

"Oh, you've got a reputation," the producer said with a chuckle. "But no, it was more a general interview sort of thing."

"Sounds good," Ash agreed. "Lead the way."

* * *

><p>"Okay, Mr. Ketchum," Mary began.<p>

Ash chuckled. "Please, Mr. Ketchum sounds way too serious. Call me Ash!"

"Okay." Mary nodded. "Right. Ash, we've got a few questions for you put together. We were wondering if you'd be able to answer them for us."

"Sure," Ash agreed, nodding. "How many are we talking about?"

"There's about a dozen," Mary informed him. "Okay, first... why are you still doing the gym challenges? Given you won the Indigo league, I mean."

Ash shrugged. "I guess... I enjoy travelling. And meeting more Pokémon, too. I mean, Pikachu's nice, all the Pokémon I already have are great-"

Pikachu nodded firmly. _"You bet!"_

"-but just in my time in Johto so far, I've already met several more Pokémon who are great friends. Like my Totodile, or Noctowl. Just because I've already won the Indigo league doesn't mean I don't want to catch more Pokémon."

"A good point," Mary agreed. "Most of us never win any Leagues, of course-" she chuckled, "-so we forget that."

"And I've still not beaten any of the Elite Four," Ash pointed out. "I've still got a few years while my challenge right lasts, even if I don't win the Silver Conference, and I think it'd be nice to have more Pokémon before my next go."

Mary made an understanding noise. "I guess you faced a member of the Elite Four?"

"Lorelei," Ash confirmed. "She beat me, but I like to think it was close."

Pikachu muttered something.

"Pikachu kind of wants a rematch," Ash added with a chuckle.

"Not surprised," Mary agreed. She looked down at her paper again. "So, since Pikachu's your starter – is that correct?"

Ash nodded.

"Ah, good. Don't forget, though, this is a radio programme."

"Oh, right. Yeah, Pikachu's my starter. Professor Oak had actually run out of other starter Pokémon to give out," Ash said, retelling the half-truth Oak had revealed to him this time around.

In reality, of course, Oak had known (as Sammy) that Pikachu was Ash's starter, and had given it to him despite everything.

Time travel could give you a headache.

"Well," Mary said. "Since he's your starter – what tips do you have for young trainers?"

Ash thought it over. "Okay, first – never give up on a Pokémon. Any Pokémon can be a valuable team member and a good friend, and there's a kind of tendency for the ones which need more effort to end up cooler. Like a Pidgey..."

"Yes, your Pidgeot is remarkable," Mary agreed.

"And second... if one of your Pokémon isn't doing as well as you want, train them. I mean show them what you want them to do, work through it, do everything you can. Try to come up with a way to put it that they understand..." Ash shrugged helplessly. "Pokémon are different, there's no one way that works. I guess just... be their friend, help them, and everything else works from there."

"Impressive," Mary observed lightly. "So you just think trainers should be friends to their Pokémon?"

"Pretty much," Ash agreed.

"Right." Mary looked down the list. "I suppose next is... how do you raise your Pokémon? What did you do to your Charizard, for example, to make him so powerful?"

Ash chuckled. "With Charizard... well, I actually saved him as a Charmander from a really nasty trainer. He evolved pretty quickly, and he acted out a bit..." Ash thought about it, thinking back on Charizard's behaviour. "I guess he wanted to see how far he could push me. But we made up, and..." Ash shook his head. "It's kind of hard to understand, really, because I saw it all from the inside. But Charizard – I think that, since then, he's wanted to prove that he was a lot stronger now than he ever was when D-when that other trainer had him."

After a moment's silence, Ash spoke up again. "With Charizard, especially, what helped was that I used him to fly on a lot. That built up his muscles, and made him stronger physically – and that helped make his fire attacks more powerful, too."

"Same answer as last time, then," Mary summarized. "It depends."

"Pretty much." Ash stopped her just as she was about to go onto the next topic. "If there's one thing that helps... teach them moves which cover their weak points. Not just types, either – my Totodile's a bit slow sometimes, so I recently started teaching him Aqua Jet so he can dodge more easily."

"A good example." Mary nodded. "Right. Next question on that – what's your favorite Pokémon type?"

Pikachu sniggered. _"Think carefully..."_

Ash blinked. "That's a tricky one..."

After thinking about it for several seconds, he frowned. "I don't think I've really got a type I _prefer_, but there is a type I seem to have a lot of – Flying-types."

He shrugged. "But that doesn't mean much. I mean, I only have one Electric-type, and I think he's one of the best Pokémon in the world."

"_Only one of?"_ Pikachu shook his head. _"I'm offended, I tell you. Offended."_

Ash laughed.

Mary blinked. "Huh. Well... that's another question... we'll get to that later. One last question about Pokémon. What Pokémon would you like to get next?"

"I won't know until I get them," Ash replied. "I don't really aim to get a particular type of Pokémon... I just meet Pokémon who I think are cool as people, and half the time they agree to come with me when asked." At Mary's look, he shrugged. "I don't know why either. But if I had to pick one..."

He thought, then realized there was an answer which would be really nice. "An Eevee, I think. They've got so much potential."

* * *

><p>In Pallet Town, Molly Hale laughed. "I think he's talking about you!"<p>

Her Eevee nodded, and yipped agreement. _"I've got a lot of potential – and I'm cute, too!"_

Molly stroked her Eevee. "That's right, you are!"

Eevee glowed, and flashed over to Leafeon. She waved her tail, and leaned into a scratch.

* * *

><p>"Well, that's interesting," Mary said. She turned to the second page of questions. "Okay, now, the next topic is one I'm sure a lot of our listeners have seen on the news – Greenfield."<p>

She looked at him. "What on earth _happened_ there?"

"Right. Well..." Ash took a breath. "Okay, the first thing you need to know is that the Hales were researchers trying to find out about a very powerful Pokémon called Unown. On their own, Unown aren't very powerful, but when put together in hundreds... they can do some very strange things."

"Like turn half a village into some kind of crystal palace?" Mary asked.

"That's it exactly. They're hard to control, and hard to stop." Ash paused. "A lot of this isn't really my story to tell, so I'll try to sum it up. The Unown tried to make dreams real, and they got confused. My friends and I were nearby, and Professor Oak told us a bit about what was going on, so we decided to go in and try to sort it out. My friend Brock had had a run in with Unown before, so he sorted most of it out, and what my friend Misty and I were doing was mainly giving him cover to work. That meant fighting the dreams the Unown had brought to life."

Mary blinked. "Goodness. That sounds... difficult."

"It was," Ash agreed readily. "We nearly didn't manage it."

"Yes, some of the scenes were a bit unbelievable." Mary pondered for a moment. "What was happening with your Charizard?"

"I don't know either," Ash said, shrugging. "It was like he was evolving, almost – but I've got no idea what could cause that. Lucky he did, though."

"True," Mary agreed. "And what about those other three Legendary Beasts who showed up?"

"Well, they clearly didn't like the dream ones..." Ash chuckled. "Copyright issues?"

Mary chuckled along with him. "I suppose anything's possible. Well, thank you for that... though there is another question we have about what happened then, as well. Looking at the news reports, you seem to have fallen a good couple of hundred feet and survived. We've looked back at your League challenge and you were doing it then as well, but less so. Would you be able to explain how that works?"

Ash winced – that pretty much put the Skitty out of the bag...

Well, there were people who were known to be psychic, right?

"You're right, I did," he said, deciding to explain that whole issue. "You know how some people are psychically powered? Like Sabrina in Kanto?"

"Yes," Mary agreed. "Is that it?"

"Not quite." Ash took a deep breath. "There's this other thing, called Aura. Some Pokémon can use it – it's how attacks like Aura Sphere and Force Palm work. And... a few humans can too."

He shrugged. "Like me."

"Well... goodness," Mary said. "I think I've heard of Aura Guardians... there's a story about one from Kanto, isn't there? Archie?"

"Aaron," Ash filled in. "I learned a lot about this stuff in Cameran Castle, which is where he used to live. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time – a Lucario there taught me, and I've been practising since."

"Interesting." Mary thought about that. "Is that the Lucario you currently have on your team?"

"No, a different Lucario. I'd just got my Lucario then – as a Riolu," Ash explained – chopping and changing details from the two different timelines. "My Riolu only evolved a few months ago."

"So... how long have you been able to do this Aura use?" Mary asked, wanting to follow up this surprising information. "And what can you do with it?"

"A bit over a year," Ash filled in. "And... oh, no!"

"What?" Mary asked, a bit alarmed at his sudden shift in attitude.

"I forgot to go back to Cameran for the tournament, that's what!" Ash explained. "I can't believe I forgot about it!"

Pikachu facepawed with an audible _thump._ _"You're an idiot."_

"Hey, you forgot too!" Ash replied hotly. "So did Lucario."

"Is Aura how you just did that?" Mary asked. "I swear you just understood what your Pikachu said..."

"That's right," Ash nodded. "It's the best thing I've learned to do with Aura, really... nothing else compares."

"I can imagine," Mary smiled. "I bet most of our listeners would love to be able to really understand what their Pokémon say."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Back before I learned this, I had to guess what Pikachu wanted to say, and... the difference is huge."

"Well... now you've finished making us all _very_ jealous," Mary said with a smile, "I did have a few more questions."

"Sure," Ash agreed.

"Well... why do you keep destroying gyms?"

Ash groaned. "Oh, no, not this again..."

"They called you the Gym Destroyer in Kanto," Mary said, her tone of voice conveying her amusement. "Would you like to talk us through how you got that nickname?"

"First off," Ash said, "I really don't deserve that nickname, a lot of it wasn't my fault."

Mary laughed.

"But... right, the first one was Cerulean gym – that's Misty's one. Don't know if you knew this, but some gyms have tests of character?" Mary nodded. "Well, hers was about giving up if you had an unwinnable fight."

"And?" Mary prompted.

"I broke the gym instead." Ash blushed. "I think we brought down the roof, actually..."

Mary blinked. "How?"

"Lots of ice and then a very powerful Electric attack." Ash scratched Pikachu, who leaned into it and nodded. "Well, there was other stuff too."

"I see." Mary nodded. "And what about the other gyms?"

"The other gyms..." Ash frowned. "Bulbasaur tore up the floor of the Vermillion gym with a Frenzy Plant, then Riolu blew holes in the wall and Pikachu added to them. The Celadon gym we flooded with water and then froze solid, which did a lot of damage..." As he spoke, Mary's jaw gradually dropped. "The Fuchsia gym has a maze in it, and Riolu just punched through the walls."

"Isn't that... against the rules?" Mary asked, blinking.

"It is now." Ash shrugged. "And I'm pretty sure I broke the roof of Viridian gym."

He counted on his fingers. "I might have done some damage to the Kumquat gym, and I know I absolutely wrecked Pumello – that was mostly Lucario. Then there's the Goldenrod gym, which was mostly Whitney's fault."

"Really?" Mary blinked. "The impression I got was that your Pokémon did most of the damage."

"Well, he did," Ash agreed. "But all at once at the very end, after she'd already made lots of holes in her own walls."

"Well..." Mary thought back over the list. "That's quite impressive. Do you have any advice for other gym leaders?"

"I don't mind having battles outside," Ash answered quickly.

"That sounds like good advice." Mary glanced over at her notes. "Okay, just three more questions. One -which gym is your favorite?"

"The next one." Ash grinned. "It's the challenge which I like – trying to outwit someone who knows their type well. But... I think, of the gyms I've faced so far, some of the best have been in the Orange Islands."

"Really? And why's that?" Mary asked.

"Well... they kind of focus a bit more on teamwork. So there's one gym where you and your Pokémon have to build a sled and then race down the mountain on it. There's no actual battle, it just tests teamwork." Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess it just... it's something they don't cover a lot in most gyms."

"A good point. Let's see..." Mary looked up at him, with a slightly mischievous cast to her features. "Misty of Cerulean travels with you, we've seen. Is she your girlfriend?"

* * *

><p>Max blinked, staring at the radio. "I didn't know Ash could splutter that much."<p>

"Is that his Pikachu laughing like that?" Norman said, blinking.

May giggled. "I think it is. Poor Ash! Imagine being asked that on the radio!"

Max looked faintly confused.

* * *

><p>Once Ash had stopped coughing, he looked back up at Mary – a blush flaming on his cheeks. "Seriously? I'm<em> twelve<em>! She's a girl, and she's a friend, but she's not my girlfriend!"

He took a deep breath, calming down a bit. "I don't _have_ a girlfriend. I'm _twelve._"

Mary chuckled. "Sorry, but several people did want to know."

"...right." Ash shook his head, and picked his still-giggling Pokémon up. "Why you keep finding this stuff funny... next question?"

"Last question, really," Mary assured him. "Is there someone you aspire to battle someday?"

"Wow..." Ash had to think about that one. "I guess there's a few, really. Lance is one – I mean, who doesn't want to fight the local Grand Champion? But there's also Cynthia, the Sinnoh Grand Champion, and I guess... I kind of want to do the Battle Frontier someday. I mean, I want to get more League experience first, but... Brandon seems cool."

"Quite high aspirations!" Mary said. "Well, thank you for your time, Ash Ketchum. And I'm sure I join many of our listeners in wishing you good luck in your Johto league challenge!"

"Thanks!" Ash said, getting up and shaking her hand.

"Just don't break all our gyms," she added with a wink.

* * *

><p>As Ash left the radio tower, his friends met him.<p>

"What was that about me?" Misty asked, and Ash winced.

"I had to kind of react quickly, Misty..." he said. "I kind of... I dunno, do you think I got anything wrong?"

"Well... no... but..." Misty made a helpless gesture. "My sisters are going to tease me about that now!"

"I didn't ask them to ask that..."

"Hey," Brock said, breaking up the awkward half-argument. "Is that Pidgeot?"

Ash turned, looking into the sky. "Yeah!" he said, after a moment. "And – wait, is that Professor Oak?"

Pidgeot's wings flared, hammering the air, and she settled down in front of the tower. Oak got off, and wobbled slightly. "Oh, I'm out of practice..."

"Professor!" Ash said, waving. "I didn't expect you to be here!"

"It's the first time I've known where you were going to be for long enough to come over," Oak replied. "I missed most of the interview, though Tracey and Damos have recorded it for me."

He smoothed his hair. "Thank you for the help, Pidgeot, by the way."

"Why did you want to see me, Professor?" Ash asked. "I could have just waited..."

"Well, I didn't want to ask Dexter, since this is sort of a surprise," Oak admitted.

He rummaged in his pocket, and took out a Pokéball. "Here."

Ash blinked. "Um... what's the occasion?"

"Well, you _did_ save his life," Oak said. "He made up his mind."

Mentally shrugging, Ash opened the Pokéball.

The flash of white light formed into a Houndour. _"Hi,"_ he said, nodding respectfully to Ash.

"...oh, right!" Ash said, bending down. "You're the one I carried, right?"

"_Yes."_ The Houndour stepped forwards, sniffing to memorize Ash's scent, and Ash gave him a quick scratch. _"Father gave his permission, and I decided that I wanted to travel with you for a while. I don't know for how long, I might not-"_

"That's fine," Ash interrupted. "Really. If any of my Pokémon decide they're happier with someone else, or in the wild, I don't mind. I'm just glad they're with me."

"_Thank you, then."_ Houndour stepped back, and Ash stood again. _"Though... who are these?"_ He walked around Brock and Misty, sniffing at them. _"They smell like they're pack for you..."_

"I've not heard it put like _that_ before," Brock chuckled. "We're Ash's friends, yes."

"_And you also smell of..." _Houndour sniffed again. _"Stantler, Ninetales... I can smell some steel, and some rock... and is that a Crobat?"_

"That's impressive," Brock said.

The Houndour turned to Misty. _"And with you... uh... something rock and water? I don't recognize that one..."_

"Kabuto," Misty supplied.

"_And... wow, you've got a lot of Water types... and a Togepi? No, something like it..."_

"A Toge_kiss_," Ash said. "Pretty good, though."

"_Thanks."_ Houndour paced back over to him. _"Where are you going now? I think..."_ he looked around for landmarks, and saw mountains in the distance. _"we're... north of where my pack used to live?"_

"That's right," Ash nodded. "And we're heading further north."

"_Sounds interesting."_ Houndour sat down, and waited to be recalled.

Instead Ash gestured to him. "Come on. We've only just met properly, I think we should spend some time getting to know one another."

"_Right!"_ Houndour barked, and padded over beside Ash.

"Thanks, Professor!" Ash added. "Hope your new radio program goes well!"

"You're welcome!" Oak called back. Then he contemplated the return journey. "Uh... Pidgeot?"

Pidgeot nodded at him. "Jot?"

"Can you go... slower, this time?"

She nodded again, and bent lower to allow him to climb on.

"If we weren't in such a hurry, I'd have taken Dragonite," Oak grumbled, as they took off. "He knows how to take care of these old bones..."

* * *

><p>"<em>These are pretty cool,"<em> Keldeo said, tilting his head. _"Why did they build them?"_

"_I think I heard of these,"_ Terrakion said.

The others looked at him.

"_You do?"_ Virizion asked politely.

"_Hey, I read!"_ the burly Pokémon said defensively. _"Anyway, uh, they built these big places for Yamask and Cofarigus. Because that way, they're..."_

Terrakion frowned, trying to remember the precise wording.

"_They believed that those Pokémon were... like... human kings and nobles who'd died? And the idea was that this was taking care of them. The kings built their own future houses, sort of thing."_

"_Oh, okay,"_ Keldeo frowned. _"I think. But couldn't they just ask other Yamask?"_

"_Hey, I dunno,"_ Terrakion shrugged.

They looked out over the pyramids.

"_How'd they make them, then?"_ Keldeo asked, after a minute.

"_Presumably they used Conkeldurr to help them,"_ Cobalion suggested. _"Or whatever it happens the local equivalent is."_

"_It's certainly impressive,"_ Virizion nodded. _"How old are they?"_

"_Thousands of years."_

For a few minutes, the Swords of Justice (and their trainee) stood in silence.

"_Should we go and get some photographs?"_ Keldeo suggested.

"_Perhaps-"_ Cobalion began.

A roar interrupted them. The roar was followed by a crash, and a sound like nails on a blackboard, and an unmusical crash of metal on rock.

"_Oh, not again..."_

"_Trouble just follows us around, doesn't it?"_ Terrakion asked with a grin. _"Come on, guys!"_

* * *

><p>It took them a few minutes at full gallop to reach the source of the sound, a steep-sided valley a mile or two away.<p>

When they got there, a fight was already in full swing. A herd of Lairon and Aggron, with several little Aron crowded into the protected centre, was stalled facing east towards the great river. In their way, and blocking their path, a pair of Tyranitar roared and stamped at the ground – occasionally knocking one of the Aggron skidding backwards in the crumbly sands of the valley floor. A gradually growing sandstorm was beginning to cloud the air around the Tyranitar, increasing in force even as they watched.

Cobalion took in the situation at a glance. _"Virizion, get those Aggron moving backwards a bit! Terrakion, same for the Tyranitar – you can handle their sandstorm!"_

"_Right!"_ the other two Swords confirmed. They followed him over the valley lip, hooves working as they skidded and slowed their fall on the sandy scree.

"_Hey!"_ Keldeo called down the slope. _"What about me?"_

There was no reply. Tossing his head in a shrug, he followed the others down the slope.

* * *

><p>The male Tyranitar let loose a wordless roar, and kicked out at the Aggron facing him. It blocked with a ponderous movement of its tail, and roared back.<p>

"_Let us through!"_ a second Aggron shouted, and lashed out with its forehead in an Iron Head attack. The female Tyranitar took the blow on her chest with a grunt, and pounded the floor with her tail – producing an Earthquake.

All the Pokémon in the clash staggered as their footing was upset by the powerful Ground-type attack.

Before they'd recovered, the male Tyranitar saw a brown blur run up to him. It spun, slowing enough for it to be recognizable as some sort of vaguely equine Pokémon, and lashed out with its hind legs – once at each knee, and hard enough to send him stumbling backwards.

A green blur of motion hit the Aggron facing his mate, and then as he staggered back to his feet the brown Pokémon hit his mate and the green one hit the other two Aggron fronting the herd in quick succession.

Gold and green light blazed, as the two mysterious Pokémon produced long horns made out of brightly-coloured energy.

A third Pokémon, this one blue, formed its own horn. _"Enough!"_ it shouted, voice brassy and powerful. _"Cease this pointless conflict!"_

The male Tyranitar made to move forwards, and that golden horn swung to point in his direction. Grumbling, the Tyranitar stopped his move.

He wasn't sure what the horn was, but given what the brown Pokémon had done with a simple double-kick it wasn't worth trying to test him.

"_Right,"_ the blue Pokémon said, after examining the head Pokémon of each group. _"What is the cause of this?"_

A babble of voices raised.

* * *

><p>Keldeo winced, walking into the intensifying sandstorm. Unlike Cobalion and Terrakion, he wasn't immune to the blowing sand, and it was getting in his eyes and making him uncomfortable.<p>

Squinting, he saw Virizion's green-glowing Sacred Sword first, and steered for that.

"_What's going on?"_ he asked quietly.

Any reply Virizion was going to give was overridden by Cobalion's voice. _"Enough!"_

The voices of the Aggron, Lairon and Tyranitar died down.

"_I will hear from the Aggron first. Why are you travelling through this valley?"_

"_We're migrating,"_ the head Aggron said. _"We've gone this way every year for generations."_

"_You-"_ a Tyranitar began.

"_Silence,"_ Cobalion told him. _"Can you not take another route?"_

"_We don't know any other routes safe for young Aron,"_ another Aggron said.

"_Understood."_ Cobalion turned to the Tyranitar. _"And you?"_

"_Virizion,"_ Keldeo said, again keeping his voice low. _"Are you alright? My eyes kind of itch in this sand."_

"_I'm fine,"_ Virizion insisted.

Keldeo decided he didn't believe that.

He flicked his tail upwards, and a sprinkle of water came off it. Again, and this time it pattered down over Virizion.

"_I hope that helps,"_ he said.

Virizion glanced back at him, and smiled. Then turned back to the Aggron and glowered, and the one who'd been slowly edging forwards stopped.

"_Right,"_ Cobalion said, with an air of finality, drawing their attention back to him. _"Your herd, and we, will help in moving the clutch of eggs these Tyranitar guard onto a suitable ledge on the valley walls. Then, you, Tyranitars, will allow free passage through the valley floor."_

Both groups of Pokémon grumbled a bit, but accepted the judgement.

* * *

><p>As they cantered north and east that evening, Keldeo spoke up. <em>"We never did get those photos..."<em>

"_We're running late already,"_ Cobalion reminded him. _"We should make all haste to Johto, and only stop to help those in need."_

"_Or to sleep,"_ Terrakion corrected.

"_Or that, yes."_

"_Or to eat,"_ Virizion chuckled.

"_You know what I mean."_

* * *

><p>"What's the most important advantage of the Normal type?" Norman asked, as Kris materialized on the battlefield.<p>

"They have very few weaknesses," Max said promptly. "Only Fighting-type moves are strong against them."

"Why is that even more of an advantage for Kris?" Norman pressed.

"The moves Conversion and Conversion 2," May answered. "They let them change type if they're fighting a Fighting-type."

"Correct!" Norman nodded, sending out Vigoroth. "But there's a downside to doing that."

"Changing type means that a lot of their best attacks become less effective," Max supplied. "Because they're not Normal Pokémon using Normal-type attacks any more."

"And it means your Pokémon is likely to be weak to attacks it wasn't before." Norman nodded. "Good, you're picking it up. Now, let's see what you can do with it. Vigoroth! Slash!"

Kris backed smoothly away from the hyperactive ape, reforming her vectors. Analyzing... Tri Attack.

The three-elemental attack lashed out, hitting Vigoroth on the arm, and it screeched in pain. Electricity crackled around the wound, and lashed across Vigoroth's arms.

"Facade!" Norman ordered.

An orange glow surrounded Vigoroth, and it lunged forwards.

The third wild, flailing blow of his forearms hit Kris on one of her lower vector surfaces, and sent her floating backwards by several yards.

"Conversion 2!" Max said. "Try and resist his attacks!"

Converting. Type selected: Steel.

"Uh oh..." Max winced, as Kris changed colour – gaining highlights in mirror-bright sheen. "Not good..."

"Rock Smash!" Norman ordered.

Vigoroth ran forwards, and hit Kris hard enough that she bounced off the wall and her projection dissolved.

Max picked up the projector. "Sorry... guess I hoped we'd get Ghost."

It's okay. I'm new to this myself.

"My turn," May said. "Okay, Ethan!"

Set up. Downloading.

Norman withdrew Vigoroth, and sent out Linoone instead. "Okay, Linoone. Headbutt!"

"Reflect!" May said, and Ethan reformed into a shield-like shape which Linoone bounced off. "Now use Signal Beam!"

"Double Team," her father said, and Linoone multiplied into a dozen images. The images started moving around in a complicated pattern of right angle-turns and straight line dashes, making the task of identifying which one was real nigh-impossible.

"Okay, Ethan," May said, pointing. "Lock on, and then use Zap Cannon!"

Identifying target... Ethan reformed back to a normal Porygon-shape, and his eyes flashed red – laser light pulsing across each Linoone in turn, until it hit one particular one and the beam locked onto it. Target acquired.

Norman frowned. "Mud sport!"

Linoone started throwing up mud and dirt, but the Zap Cannon plowed through the dirt nevertheless and hit Linoone, knocking him out.

"Not bad," Norman said, nodding and returning Linoone. "Are you sure you were a coordinator?"

We've been practicing that as well, Ethan said, sounding vaguely hurt. I can now fire a zap cannon into another, earlier, slower zap cannon.

"Besides, contests have some battling in them too," May pointed out. Ethan floated over to her and dematerialized, leaving the projector sitting on her hand. "Thanks for the practice, Dad."

"It really is a pleasure," Norman told her. "And you as well, Max." He smiled. "I'd wondered whether I'd be able to practice this sort of thing with either of you – I'm glad I can."

He frowned suddenly. "Hmmm... maybe you could help out in the gym one of these days? I could lend you a couple of Pokémon, and you could-"

"Not so sure about that, Dad," May said, interrupting him. "I mean, I get that you're eager, but we _are_ still kids younger than just about anyone who's going to challenge you..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Ash has something of a reputation. (The reputation he somehow escaped in the original anime... he wasn't going to get that lucky twice.)


	61. Johto 11

Ash waved. "Oh, hi Casey!"

The excitable young trainer turned. "Ash?"

She jogged over. "Fancy meeting you again! Who's this?"

Houndour barked a greeting.

"He's new," Ash explained. "I caught quite a few Johto Pokémon since we met."

"They're pretty neat," Casey agreed. "But you know what Pokémon I prefer!"

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Black and yellow, right?"

"You know it!"

Houndour cocked his head. _"She prefers Pokémon of a specific colour?"_

"Yeah, but that's not all she uses," Ash assured the Dark-type. "It's just a preference. Like I prefer small and speedy Pokémon, but I still use Pokémon like Snorlax."

"_Yes, I met the Snorlax,"_ Houndour agreed. He shook his head. _"That Pokémon is far, far too lazy for me."_

Casey looked at him a bit oddly. "You understood that? I did hear that on the radio, but now I think about it... your Lucario talked to me, right? Was that Aura as well?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, Lucario can do... that..."

He stopped, suddenly struck by a wild idea.

Casey was a good trainer, he knew – a bit energetic at times, but good.

And if...

He shook the thought off. "Sorry," he said, waving a hand. "I just had a thought. I was miles away. Have you ever looked up what Pokémon are coloured when they're Shiny?"

"Yeah, a few," Casey agreed. "You can't really count on finding one, though. It'd be nice to have a shiny Growlithe or Luxio, though..."

Ash nodded. "Oh – what brings you here? I'm heading through towards Ecruteak..."

"Oh, it's the bug-catching contest," Casey told him. "I'm going to see if I can catch a Beedrill!"

"Hope you do," Ash said. "I'm not sure what Pokémon to use, myself."

"I'm sure you'll work it out, you champion you," Casey grinned. She rummaged among her Pokéballs, and pulled one out. "I might use Pidgeotto."

* * *

><p>"Hey, is that Ash Ketchum?" someone asked, as they entered the registry area.<p>

"I think it is!"

"Oh, great..." Ash muttered. "This could take a while."

"_I thought you wanted to be famous,"_ Pikachu said to him.

He thought about that, and nodded. "Yeah, actually."

"Hey, uh, Ash?" one of the trainers said to him.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"Casey said she beat your Charizard. That's made up, right?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "No, actually... she did beat him."

Most of the contestants blinked.

"How?" someone blurted. "That Charizard fought three _Legendaries!_ At once!"

"Yeah, he was surprised too," Ash agreed. "She did it fair and square, though – he was taking it a bit easy on her Ratatta, and let his guard down for a moment."

Several trainers reconsidered their plan not to have a Ratatta.

"Hey," someone said after a moment. "You said on the radio you can understand Pokémon, right?"

Ash nodded, blushing slightly. "Yeah."

"That's pretty cool."

"Can I ask something?" another trainer said. "My Croconaw's kind of down... can you tell me why?"

"Uh... sure," Ash agreed.

The trainer promptly sent out his Croconaw.

"What's the problem?" Ash asked the Water-type directly.

"_Well,"_ the Croconaw said, _"He calls me Steve. I'm a girl."_

Ash blinked. "Huh, that would do it."

He looked back up at the trainer. "She doesn't like her nickname."

Said trainer blinked. "Wait. _She?_"

"_I tried to tell you!"_ the Croconaw said, throwing up her hands. _"How hard is it to understand?"_

She glanced back at Ash. _"Thanks, by the way."_

"No problem," Ash replied.

"Perhaps..." the trainer thought for a bit. "Terri?"

Croconaw mulled that over for a bit. _"I can get behind that, yeah."_ Her nod made her agreement clear.

"Hey, can I register for the bug catching contest now?" Ash asked. "I'm gonna need to get to the desk, guys..."

* * *

><p>"Ready?" Casey said.<p>

Her Pidgeotto gave a determined chirp, and took off. Flying around in circles, using his wide, yellow-and-black tail to steer, he soared gradually higher looking for a good Pokémon for his trainer to catch.

Casey smiled, squinting up into the sky at her Pidgeotto. He'd become quite the fielder over the last month or so, and they'd even painted the red feathers on his tail black so he had the proper team colours. (Raticate and Chikorita had to make do with scarfs.)

Pidgeotto let out a cry, and came diving back down to his trainer. Circling her once, chirping an alert, he then flew off into the long grass – looking back and doubling back frequently, encouraging her to follow.

* * *

><p>"<em>Over there,"<em> Lucario said, pointing.

"Yep, I see it," Ash agreed. He pushed through the brush, and ducked as a Beedrill dove stinger-first at him.

His hand went out, crackling with tiny lightning bolts, and he hit the Beedrill on the side as it passed – delivering enough electricity to knock it unconscious.

"_This seems backwards,"_ Lucario commented, as Ash got his Park Ball out. _"Isn't it supposed to be me who knocks the Pokémon out?"_

"Probably." Ash threw the ball to him. "Want to do the other side, then?"

Before Lucario could do so, however, another Park Ball came sailing in from out of their line of sight and caught the Beedrill.

"Yes!" Casey cheered, running over. "I got a Beedrill!"

"Hey!" Ash said. "That was mine!"

"Five second rule," she told him impudently.

"Oh well." Ash sighed. "I was going to give him to you anyway if I caught a Beedrill and won... you'd better let me have the sun stone, though."

"Really?" Casey asked. "And why's that?"

"Because otherwise Lucario and I go find a Scyther?"

Casey gasped, clutching the Park Ball protectively. "You wouldn't! I need this Beedrill!"

Ash thought about his earlier idea.

"Tell you what," he said. "If you give me the sun stone, I'll try and get you another yellow-and-black Pokémon. No promises, but..."

Casey jumped at the face-saving gesture. "Sure!"

Her Pidgeotto chirped a question.

"_I don't know what he means either,"_ Lucario informed him.

* * *

><p>"Well, that went well," Ash said, as they left the contest.<p>

"You caught a sick Wurmple," Brock pointed out. "They had to give it potion before they released it again."

Ash shrugged, and tossed the Sun stone into the air. "Not what I was after," he said, catching it. "I'd have given Beedrill to Casey anyway, and this way she earned it."

"What _are_ you going to do for her, anyway?" Misty asked, curious.

"Oh, yeah, about that..." Ash paused, then tapped Lucario on the shoulder. "Can I have a word?"

* * *

><p>"<em>What is it, Ash?"<em> Lucario asked, now they were about fifty feet behind the others.

"Well..." Ash shrugged. "I was kind of wondering if you wanted to go back home."

Lucario shook his head. _"Not with any urgency, no. We are going to Sinnoh eventually – that will be soon enough for me. Home is where you are, anyway."_

That frank admission brought tears to Ash's eyes. He blinked them away. "Thanks, Lucario."

"_It is the truth."_ Lucario shrugged, then offered his palm. Ash pressed his against it, recognizing the gesture, and for a moment felt the strength of Lucario's loyalty and love.

It was humbling.

"Wow," Ash said, blinking. "I kind of feel unworthy of that..."

"_You have it because you are worthy."_ Lucario paused. _"Why do you ask?"_

"Well... that girl. Casey." Ash shrugged. "Crazy idea, but I wondered whether the Lucario kingdom was looking to foster another Riolu out. She's a good kid-"

"_-who is the same age as you-"_ Lucario observed, deadpan.

"-except for time travel," Ash riposted. "And I happened to remember that _shiny_ Riolu were black and yellow."

"_...oh, I see where you're coming from."_ Lucario's head cocked over on one side, as he thought about that. _"I may write a letter, actually. I assume you saw her several more times?"_

"A few, yeah," Ash agreed. "Misty said she turned up in Cerulean once, and I think Mom mentioned her having helped out a baseball player, too... yeah, she's nice."

"_Worth considering, then."_ Lucario nodded. _"I'll see about it. It can hardly hurt to ask."_

* * *

><p>"Finally!" Gary said, sighing in relief. "Dendemille town."<p>

"_And you're sure this is where he lives?"_ Umbreon asked, clinging onto Fearow's back.

"Yep," Gary confirmed, adjusting his buckles – Fearow could get a bit enthusiastic, so both his passengers were clipped on. "Except it's her, I think." He patted Fearow's side. "Okay, down we go."

Fearow turned his head, giving Gary a gimlet stare.

"For the usual bribe," Gary added, and Fearow nodded, satisfied. The big Pokémon smoothly shed height, circling once before gliding down the town's river at barely above stall speed. He slipped sideways, flared, and touched down lightly as thistledown on the central square.

Gary unclipped himself, lifted Umbreon down, and tossed the Beak Pokémon a dry-flavoured Pokéblock. It vanished with the snap of his long, needle-like beak, and Fearow chewed once before nodding in satisfaction.

"_That is one strange Pokémon,"_ Umbreon said as Gary returned his Flying-type.

Gary's reply was slightly delayed, as he had to wait for Dee's translation through his earbud. "Well, yeah," he agreed. "But given that it downgrades his temperament from psychotic to merely rash, I'm fine with the bribery."

He stashed away the clips in his bag, keeping his ready to hand in case they needed a quick exit. "Right, where's that house she's supposed to live in..."

* * *

><p>"You're kidding."<p>

Gary stared at Madame Reminder.

"No heart scale, no move," the elegant woman said flatly.

"But it's Teleport. The move every other Alakazam knows since they're Abra!"

"No heart scale, no move."

Gary simmered for a moment. "Fine. Be that way. Come on, Umbreon, we're going to go find a heart scale."

"I've heard that someone living in Courmarine gives them out, if you have a Pokémon that can dance," she called after them.

* * *

><p>"<em>How far is Courmarine?"<em> Umbreon asked, peering over Gary's shoulder at the map.

Gary measured it off against the map ruler, and blinked. "Two hundred miles away."

Umbreon winced. _"Fearow?"_

"Fearow," Gary confirmed. "I really hope one of you knows how to dance, too..."

He checked his Pokéblock case, and winced. "Oh, great. Time to go berry picking, I'm out of dry ones..."

"_Why is it so hard to just teach Alakazam teleport?"_ Umbreon asked, exasperated.

"Don't ask me..."

* * *

><p>"Oh, great, the bridge is out," Misty said. "I forgot about this. What was it we had to do?"<p>

"_Something about a Sudowoodo?" _Pikachu asked.

Ash shrugged. "Dunno, and it doesn't matter much. Do you have a Pokémon who can carry Brock across the river?"

"That's cold..." Brock muttered.

"You're the only one who can't walk on water," Ash pointed out.

"Well..." Misty hedged.

"_I'll do it,"_ Lucario suggested. He stepped up to Brock. _"With your permission?"_

"Sure, I guess," Brock agreed. The Pewter trainer then blinked. "Wait. Why are you swinging me back-"

Lucario used Fling.

The moment that Brock left his grip, Lucario crouched down and launched himself forward in a blue burst of Aura. He went from his launch point to the river bank in two steps, hooked his toes over the lip, and pushed off in a flat, near-horizontal trajectory.

The water barely rippled as he used it to kick off, and he skidded to a halt on the other side of the river in good time to catch the hurtling Brock.

"_Easy,"_ Lucario summarized.

"Not to me it wasn't!"

"_Why?"_ Lucario shrugged, putting Brock back down. _"You had it even easier than me."_

Misty and Ash splashed ashore.

"_Oh, hello,"_ Lucario added. _"You didn't need a lift, Misty?"_

"For some reason, my skill improved dramatically," Misty replied. "Call it motivation."

* * *

><p>"Okay, good," Ash said. "So you've got Flash Fire, and... yeah, this looks like a good matchup for training."<p>

Houndour waved a paw. _"Nice to meet you, Quilava. I think my father spoke to you?"_

"_He did, yeah,"_ Quilava nodded. _"I didn't quite realize what he wanted the information for, though."_

"So, Houndour, what moves do you know?" Ash asked.

"_Mainly melee stuff,"_ Houndour told him. _"Fire Fang Thunder Fang, Faint Attack, that sort of thing."_

"_Feint, I think,"_ Quilava corrected.

"_Pardon?"_

"_It's Feint attack – because it involves feinting."_

"_Are you sure?"_ Houndour briefly faded into the evening gloom. _"I seem fairly faint."_

"_Yes, but that's not the attack itself,"_ Quilava contended. _"It's just because you're well camoflaged-"_

Ash waved his hands to forestall what looked like a long argument. "Never mind that now. Okay, so... if your attacks are mostly mêlée, you're going to need to be able to catch up to – and dodge – fast opponents."

Houndour nodded. _"Makes sense to me. But why her? I get that we can practice without much risk of damaging one another, but..."_

He shrugged. _"She doesn't seem especially fast."_

Ash grinned. "Want to demonstrate, Quilava?"

Quilava took a breath, and nodded. Her quills flashed up, and she jumped forwards – rolling into a ball and rotating gently forwards on momentum for a moment.

Then a rooster-tail of loose dirt went up as she spun up, and Flame Wheeled off at speed.

"That," Ash summarized. "She does, though, have problems with dizziness keeping it up. The best way to avoid that being a problem is basically practice. So – don't use any attacks that are non Fire type, but aside from that you two can basically spar pretty well together."

"_Got it."_ Houndour turned, keeping Quilava in his sight line, and then pounced forwards as she came in for an attack run.

His fangs flashed with fire in a Fire Fang, but Quilava had spotted it coming and accelerated out of where he was going to land. She did a wide, looping circle and came back in, bouncing over an Ember attack and hurtling towards Houndour.

Houndour elected to use a Faint, or Feint, whichever it was called. He jumped backwards into a shadow, using it to drop out of sight, and ran to one side to avoid Quilava's incoming attack.

Briefly without a target, Quilava bounced off the ground and looked around for a target. Since she was still balled up and spinning, it was... not easy.

* * *

><p>"<em>Are you okay?"<em> Houndour asked, some time later. Honours were more or less even between them – both had taken several hard knocks – but he was still in better shape to keep going, for one good reason.

Quilava stumbled over to the water bottles, and managed to pick one up on the second try. _"The world is still spinning,"_ she said, once she'd taken a long drink.

"_Hmmm..."_ Houndour frowned, considering that.

"I think I've got an idea," Ash said. "You know Odor Sleuth, right?"

"_Yes, father taught us,"_ Houndour confirmed. _"How to use it to pinpoint an enemy, anyway – we all learn the basics more or less instinctively."_

A shrug. _"Never saw much use for it – it's not like Dark types have any need to make it easier to fight Ghosts."_

"Can you teach Quilava, then?" Ash asked. "It might mean it's easier for her to stay balled-up in battle, if she can use scent."

"_Right," _Quilava agreed. _"That's the pattern, yes – I either plan out my attack runs ahead of time, not balled-up, or I have to reinterpret while I'm spinning – and trying to work out where to aim yourself when going around in a circle twenty times a second is not fun."_

Houndour looked a little green, as he imagined what that would look like. So did Ash.

"_Right. I'll see what I remember,"_ the young canine said. He sat down. _"Okay... I'm sure you've smelled things before. Pretty much all Pokémon can, because we don't have senses of smell as all-up terrible as those of humans."_

"Hey!" Ash called.

"_It really is, though,"_ Houndour told him, shaking his head sadly. _"Anyway. The way scent works is that it's kind of like... each human, each Pokémon, they have a unique combination of... well, almost like flavours. And colours. And sounds, all wrapped up together."_

He tapped a paw on the ground. _"You're not going to need to track enemies, though, just tell where they are. So you just need to be able to smell your target. And then... well, scent behaves as though it gradually spreads out from the source – but it's blown by the wind, and it lingers, so it gets complicated."_

"_...that didn't help much,"_ Quilava admitted.

"_Fine, here's the simplest version. Work out what your opponent smells like, head towards where it's strongest."_ Houndour shrugged. _"We can try practising later."_

* * *

><p>Misty squinted into the sky. "What's that?"<p>

Ash followed her gaze. "I think it's a Fearow – attacking something."

She and Brock noticed his fist clench. "What is it?"

Ash grabbed a Pokéball and threw it. "Noctowl, get that Fearow off him!"

"That's a bit of an overreaction, isn't it?" Misty asked, as Noctowl emerged in a flash of sparkles and flew towards the Fearow.

"He's attacking a Pidgey," Ash explained. "I take sides in Spearow or Fearow vs Pidgey or Pidgeotto battles."

* * *

><p>"<em>Right, now, what was it I saw once..."<em> Noctowl mused. _"Aha!"_

His form wavered as he built an illusion, and then continued onwards.

A few seconds later, the Fearow noticed a Noctowl coming towards him.

"_What are you doing?"_ he asked. _"Go away, this is my prey!"_

"_Dashed impolite of you,"_ Noctowl opined, flying close to the Pidgey and interposing himself between the two. As he did, he chirped a quiet instruction to the Pidgey and both began to bank towards the ground.

"_Stop!"_ Fearow ordered. _"You're not getting away from me, not after this much effort!"_

He lashed out, long beak stabbing towards the Pidgey. Noctowl rolled, using his wings' downdraft to blow Pidgey out of the way, then slipped around to re-interpose himself.

"_Why you little-"_ Fearow accelerated, still following the two other Flying-types as they swept lower to use the forest as cover. _"I'll-"_

_WHUNG._

The illusions dissipated, revealing the real Noctowl – circling overhead, with the real Pidgey resting on his stiffly gliding wings and softly feathered back – and also revealing the tree Fearow had just flown into.

"_And that is what we call croquet,"_ Noctowl commented, as Fearow collapsed to the floor in a state of some unconsciousness. _"Make a wooden object go right through a hoop."_

Hooting, he turned back towards Ash and his friends. _"Let's get you some food, old chap."_

* * *

><p>"That was pretty neat," Ash said, as Brock looked the carrier Pidgey over.<p>

"_Most glad you think so, Ash my boy."_ Noctowl brushed the top of his eye orbit with his wing-tip. _"Yes, I was wondering whether making the illusion of no object where an object in fact was was more effective than the reverse. It increasingly appears to be so."_

"Well, he seems fine," Brock reported. "Just a bit exhausted."

"_Thanks,"_ Ken – the Pidgey – said, gratefully gobbling down bits of a rice ball. _"I'm glad you got that Fearow off me."_

The Pidgey then did a double take, looking at his backpack. _"Oh no! I'm going to be late!"_

Looking uncertainly up at the friends, he shuffled his feet._ "Uh... sorry to ask so soon, but... can you help get me back to my trainer? I'm supposed to be there by now."_

"Not a problem," Ash informed him.

* * *

><p>"That was quick," Ash said, as they left. "No Team Rocket really simplifies things..."<p>

"Yeah," Brock agreed. "Maybe he'll follow your advice and try and train Ken up to be a Pidgeot, that would at least speed things up a bit..."

* * *

><p>There was a crashing <em>thud<em> as an out-of-control Tauros succumbed to Bayleef's sleep powder.

"Nice," Ash said, nodding, and helped up the old man who'd been about to be run down. "Are you okay?"

Nodding, the man looked Ash over. "I'm Kenzo. What's your name?" he asked.

"Ash," Ash supplied.

As he did, Lucario hefted the Tauros out of the roadway. _"Sleep it off,"_ he suggested.

Kenzo nodded again, to himself this time. "Young man, I want you to be the new _Shihan_ of my dojo!"

Ash blinked. "What."

"It seems simple enough..." Kenzo said, slowly. "I want you to be the new person in charge of my dojo. You're perfect for it!"

"In what way?" Ash asked. "I'm twelve!"

"Best to start young," Kenzo countered. "You've got a Lucario."

"He's my only Fighting-type! Anyway, I'm taking the League Challenge."

Kenzo shrugged. "I need _someone_ to do it. My daughter wants it – but she's useless, she does ballet."

Ash frowned. "Really? Because I suspect someone who does ballet wouldn't _want_ to become _shihan_ unless they were actually using it for dodge training. What's her Pokémon?"

"A Hitmontop," Kenzo admitted.

"Dexter?"

Hitmontop. The Handstand Pokémon. One of the three evolutions of Tyrogue. Also the hardest to get, because it takes careful compensation for the nature and genetics of a Tyrogue to make them evolve that way.

Ash shrugged. "Anyway, I'm _not_ going to stop travelling. Sorry, look elsewhere. Perhaps give your daughter an actual fight rather than just dismissing her."

As they left, Houndour looked up. _"Was that one of those times you ran into a problem from last time?"_

"Yes," Ash agreed. "I know, it seems confusing, but my life is a never-ending litany of chaos anyway."

"Look who's poetic," Misty snarked.

True, though. Calculating...

"What is it, Dexter?" Ash asked.

Dexter formed images. Ash – believe it or not, since coming back in time things have considerably calmed down for you. Under normal circumstances, you encountered Team Rocket an average of three to four times per week, with at least two close shaves with serious injury and often one near death experience – almost always one per fortnight.

"Whoa," Ash said, blinking as he thought back.

Approximately one rampaging wild Pokémon a week – very approximately. You saved the world roughly three to four times yearly, and you have ridden approximately thirteen percent of the Legendary Pokémon of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova combined.

Everyone, human and Pokémon alike, stared.

That means one per year, Dexter helpfully added. Minimum.

"_Why aren't you followed around by an Absol?"_ Houndour asked. _"Constantly?"_

"Beats me..." Ash shook his head. "I know my life is and has been crazy, but putting it in numbers like that... wow."

* * *

><p>"<em>Give that back!"<em> Totodile called up at a troop of Aipom. _"That's our ball!"_

Bayleef nodded. _"Yeah! We didn't mean to knock it this far over here, but it's ours!"_

One of the Aipom giggled at her. _"Really? Care to take it back, then? It's ours now!"_

"_Actually, yes."_ Bayleef's vine extended behind her. _"Say hello to our little yellow friend."_

She brought Pikachu around, clinging onto her vine, and launched him at the Aipom.

Pikachu used Discharge.

The rubber beachball, being rubber, was undamaged. It did, however, rain Aipom for a few seconds.

"_That was easy,"_ Pikachu said, as Bayleef used her other vine to retrieve the beachball.

"_Yeah!"_ Totodile said, already back to his usual good mood. _"Now we can play with it again! Hey, can I carry it back?"_

The two evolved Pokémon nodded.

Totodile hopped up onto the ball, faced camp, and started running backwards.

"_That's not carrying,"_ Bayleef observed.

"_He has this thing for circus skills,"_ Pikachu noted as they hurried after the beachball. _"Perhaps he should take a course."_

* * *

><p>"Well, second place ain't dat bad," Meowth said with a sigh.<p>

They'd been doing so well, too. Growlie and he had absolutely cleaned up in Hurdle Dash, and they'd all worked together really well on the pennant capture – he'd even gotten a nifty bonus for copious use of dodges and substitute-based mind games to mean he'd not lost a flag.

The relay run, on the other hand, hadn't gone so well. For the simple reason that Gyarados had accidentally swallowed the baton.

They'd had to lower Meowth in on a stick to fetch out the baton, to gales of laughter, and it had worked. It had worked well enough, in fact, that they'd made second place.

But it wasn't first.

Jessie and James, however, seemed happy enough. And the crowd _had_ loved them.

"So," the scratch cat said, as he and the other two Pokéathletes walked back to their group training room. "Who's next up?"

He nodded at Abra. "You're awake, I see."

"_Meowth,"_ Abra said – _said_, not 'pathed, for a wonder. _"Cubone's in a bad way."_

"...oh," Meowth said, dropping his playful attitude out of concern. "Any idea where she went?"

Wordlessly, Victreebell pointed with his vine.

* * *

><p>"Hey, ah... Cubone?" Meowth said, tentatively.<p>

The Ground-type twitched at his voice, but didn't move. _"What do you want?"_ she asked, voice a bit raw.

"Hey, I'm askin' if you're okay, okay?" Meowth pointed out. "'s kinda obvious. I'm worried about ya, Cubone. We all are."

Reaching out, Meowth tapped her on the shoulder. "Cmon, we didn't do _dat_ badly-"

There was a blur of motion, and Meowth found himself on the floor with a sharp claw-bone at his throat.

Cubone stood there, breathing heavily for a moment – then let the bone dissolve back into what had made it.

"_Why?"_ she asked. _"Why can you be so... flippant about all this?"_

"'cause with da kinda life me, Jessie 'an James have led, it's dat or go kinda nuts," Meowth answered, standing warily – then winced at his phrasing.

Cubone didn't answer.

"Look," Meowth said, starting over. "I ain't ever heard you tell me why you're so much stronger 'dan other Cubone. How you can do dat... dat..." he shrugged. "Ting. With da landscape."

The ground-type was silent for several seconds.

"_Do you know why I wear this?"_ she asked, reaching up and tapping her exoskull.

"Well, I know da story," Meowth hedged. "But there ain't no way it can be true for all o' the Cubone, right? It just ain't logistically possible..."

"_Normally they're passed down through families."_ Cubone sighed. _"Normally. Not this one, though."_

"...okay, ouch," Meowth said, wincing. "I can see why you'd be-"

"_You can't begin to understand,"_ Cubone told him bluntly. _"I am the last survivor of my entire family. They all died, about three days before Jessie caught me. And I nearly did as well."_

She forestalled Meowth's next comment before it began. _"My heart stopped for twenty-eight seconds. I saw Darkrai-"_

"_A_ Darkrai," Meowth corrected, then shrank back at a look that could have been a Hyper Beam.

"_I saw... _a_... Darkrai,"_ Cubone continued, with a simmering heat to her words. As she continued, though, they seemed to lose that brief passion, returning to her listless near-monotone. _"He informed me that, unexpectedly, it was not my time. I had to go back."_

Meowth didn't know what to say to that.

"_I lived, and my entire family did not,"_ she stated. _"And then I saw Ash Ketchum, the chosen one, die – and he came back. He was specially pulled back – and not for the first time."_

Her club smacked into the floor, making a spider-web of cracks. _"When we were training so intensively for the League I didn't have time to think about it, but – why? Why does he get to live and my family does not? Why do _I_ have to live without my family, where he gets to live _with_ his?"_

Meowth saw a tear run across the white bone of her exoskull.

After about thirty seconds of silence, Cubone seemed to slump.

"_So, that's me,"_ she said, eventually. _"No family, no... about all I'm worth now are my martial skills, and they're clearly not in much demand either."_

Her teammate thought about that for a long while.

"You're wrong, ya know," he said eventually. "You're worth a heck of a lot more dan combat skills."

"_I fail to see how you can think that."_

"Over five hundred times," Meowth said, apropos of very little.

Cubone blinked. _"...pardon?"_

"Dat's da number of times I can count dat Ash an' his Pokémon beat James, Jessie 'an me. 'an they weren't always as good as dey are now, neither."

Meowth shrugged. "You, Abra, Gyarados... you guys are da new ones. You an' Growline, who weren't with us, are da only ones who ain't been beaten up, down an' sideways by a preteen kid an' a Pikachu... hundreds o' times. An' you might know dat, intellectually an'all, but we lived it."

He reached out, and patted her shoulder. She flinched, but didn't actually pull away. "So if we judged on combat skills, y'all would be in charge... but you're a friend. An' friends try ta help friends."

"_...how could you possibly help me?"_

"Dunno," Meowth admitted freely. "But I'm thinkin' first of all, you might just need therapy. Talk about stuff, 'an all, 'an with someone who's a bit better trained at dis kinda stuff."

Cubone sighed. _"I dislike telling my story, it was painful enough once... but... did you have someone in mind?"_

"Nope, not yet. I'm sure we'll tink of somethin'."

* * *

><p>"<em>My hooves hurt,"<em> Keldeo muttered.

"_What's that?"_ Virizion asked, dropping back slightly.

"_Oh – uh, nothing,"_ Keldeo said quickly.

"_It's okay, Keldeo,"_ Virizion told him. _"Really. We've cantered from the Nile to the Ganges in a week and a half, I'm not surprised you're feeling a bit tired."_

"_I'm not tired!"_ Keldeo said. _"I'm just..."_

The Grass-type smiled. _"It's okay, Keldeo,"_ she repeated. _"Really. I'm a little tired myself."_

Keldeo nodded. _"Right. Sorry, I-"_

There was an explosion in the jungle ahead.

"_Oh, what now?"_ Virizion asked, exasperation clear in her voice.

"_Virizion!"_ Cobalion called, coming back over with Terrakion in tow. _"Another fight brewing. You and I must try and stop the ones on our right, Terrakion will deal with the left."_

"_Right!"_ Virizion galloped forwards, and her teammates turned in tight circles and formed up alongside her. Then, as they passed through into the trees, they split and headed in different directions.

"_What about me?"_ Keldeo asked, not for the first time that trip.

Getting no reply, he cantered forwards, looking to see where he would be most helpful.

* * *

><p>"<em>Look!"<em> Terrakion shouted, waving his Sacred Sword towards those Pokémon who looked about to advance. _"This ain't helping nobody. We all just got to calm down!"_

One of the Swampert growled. His friend, the lone Infernape in the group, slammed a foot into the muddy ground. _"Shut up! Get out of our way, we were having a fight!"_

"_About what?"_

"_They're in our way, that's what!"_ Another of the Swampert slapped the ground with his rear leg, making it shake a bit. _"So let us through!"_

"_...wow, you're kind of an idiot," _Terrakion decided. _"Whatever."_

A clatter of hooves made him look over. _"Oh, hey Keldeo. The boss send you over as reinforcements?"_

"_Not exactly..."_ Keldeo admitted, skidding to a halt next to Terrakion. _"I'm using my initiative!"_

"_This?"_ the third Swampert said, pointing. _"_This_ is reinforcements? He's tiny!"_

"_Hey!"_ Keldeo snapped.

"_Calm down, Keldeo,"_ Terrakion advised. _"He's trying to annoy us."_

"_I'm surprised you worked that out,"_ the Infernape muttered.

"_Hey!"_

Keldeo held back a snigger. _"Terrakion, I think he's trying to-"_

"_Yeah, I get it."_ Terrakion rolled his shoulders. _"Right. Keep an eye on that Infernape for me, I don't trust him."_

"_Got it!"_

When the four Pokémon facing them quietened down to irritated mumbles, Keldeo and Terrakion could hear snatches of the conversation going on at the other end of the clearing.

"_...don't see why-"_

"_There's no need for conflict here."_ That was Cobalion.

"_But they attacked us! How can we both be at-"_

"_Understanding is important-"_

"_Wait, what are you-"_

"_Stop!"_ Virizion shouted.

"_Frenzy Plant!"_

Keldeo turned, seeing the crackling roots lifting the ground over them as they raced towards one of the Swampert. The sounds of bedrock crumbling could be heard, a series of miniature explosions as the roots used them for purchase, and the incredibly fast-growing plant material periodically broke the ground surface before looping back down again.

"_Damn it!"_ Terrakion ran up to the Swampert and body-checked him out of the way. Then he noticed where Keldeo had gone.

The Colt Pokémon slammed his hooves into the ground, making a small hole in the soft mud, and then blasted his water jets into it – producing a miniature volcano of mud which sprayed in all directions.

This interrupted the path of the roots. However, it meant that they locked onto the nearest target instead.

Enormous, spiked plant-roots at least three feet across erupted from the soil, reaching for Keldeo – and then exploded in a shower of wood and splinters.

Cobalion raised his head, debris raining down all around him.

"_Keldeo!"_ he thundered. _"Be more careful!"_

His gaze swept around the stunned Pokémon.

"_Go home."_

Unwilling to try conclusions with someone who had just shattered a Frenzy Plant, the incipient battle dispersed.

* * *

><p>"<em>What do you think you were doing?"<em> Cobalion asked. _"You're not ready for this kind of battle yet!"_

"_Cobalion..."_ Virizion tried.

"_You're not as strong as Terrakion, that could have seriously injured you!"_ Cobalion continued. _"I need to know where all my team members are to plan properly!"_

Keldeo looked down. _"I guess I just-"_

"_You should have stayed back, that-"_

The Water-type looked back up. _"What, like the last few times? I can help! I have helped!"_

He slammed a hoof into the ground. _"I know I'm not a Sword of Justice. Not yet. But I'm not a foal, either. I can fight, and I can help you out _in_ a fight!"_

"_Not if you rush in and get yourself injured!"_ Cobalion replied. _"If you join in without my knowing, then you risk serious injury – and I can't then plan around you!"_

"_Hey, lighten up on the kid!"_ Terrakion interrupted. _"He's helped us out, remember? The fire back in Kalos? The Heatran back near Ishtar?"_

"_He needs to-"_

"_All of you, stop!"_ Virizion shouted.

The three male Pokémon turned to her.

She took a deep breath, then looked at Keldeo. _"Cobalion's right. You shouldn't act on your own initiative when doing so gets you into such great danger. You're still young."_

Before Keldeo could react, she turned her gaze on Cobalion. _"And you need to start remembering he's not just a foal any more, as well. If you give him orders, he'll follow them – you're just _not_ giving him any. Remember he can contribute."_

Terrakion declined to say anything.

If he did, Virizion might notice him.

"_Now..."_ She tapped a hoof on the ground. _"Where were we?"_

"_Oh, right."_ Keldeo frowned, remembering the map. _"I think... from here, it's north-east. Roughly."_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Quite a long chapter, here. A fair portion of it is with The Others – can't forget them completely, after all. And the statistics Dexter quotes are pretty much valid. (He saves the world about three times a year, even assuming he's nearly sixteen by the end of Adventures In Unova.)

Incidentally, this fic now has a Characters page on TVTropes – courtesy of Nyame.


	62. Johto 12

"Want to do the Seaking catching competition again?" Ash asked.

"Yep," Misty confirmed. "I'm going to use it to train Kingdra a bit."

"Sounds good," Ash agreed. "Not sure who to use, myself... perhaps Totodile could use it."

They both looked over at Brock.

Brock sighed. "I wish I had a Water type..."

"You don't _have_ to use a Water type in the contest," Misty pointed out.

Brock hummed. "Actually... that gives me an idea."

* * *

><p>"Okay, Forretress!" Brock said, hefting the big BugSteel type up onto the lip of the pier. "Use Explosion!"

With that, he dropped her off.

Four seconds later, there was a plume of water, and it rained Water-types.

Brock opened out his big net and started running around trying to catch a Seaking.

* * *

><p>"That seems wrong..." Ash commented, as a Magikarp bounced off the head of the fisher next to him.<p>

A splashing sound drew his attention, and he looked down at the water. "Nice work, Totodile!"

Ash grabbed the Seaking out of the air, and Totodile stopped firing his water-gun to support it. _"Thanks! That was fun!"_

"Thank _you_," Ash returned, catching the Seaking with a Lake ball. "Now, that's that done... we've got at least half an hour left. Want to juggle Magikarps?"

"_Do I? You bet I do!"_

* * *

><p>"That is <em>not<em> how you fish..." Misty muttered, looking with disapproval at her friends.

"_How do you, then?"_ Kingdra asked. _"I mean, what Ash is doing looks sensible enough..."_

"Yeah, but..." Misty shrugged. "Anyway. I've got my good old special lure for this. What you do is, you tie the lure to a fishing rod..."

Kingdra watched carefully as she did so.

"Then you cast the fishing rod." Demonstrating, Misty sent her lure whipping out over the water and plopping into it a good twenty feet from shore. It gradually drifted back in, bobbing up and down.

"_What do we do now?"_

Misty sat back. "We wait."

"_Ah."_ Kingdra looked over at Totodile, juggling three Magikarps and a Goldeen – no, _four_ Magikarps and a Goldeen, now – and then further over as another plume of water soared skywards from Brock's pier. _"Their methods seem... faster."_

"But they're not really _fishing,"_ Misty said flatly.

* * *

><p>"<em>Well, at least we're able to enjoy our time by the lake,"<em> Ninetales observed. She used her tails to shield herself from a splash of water kicked up by Stantler, and retaliated with a laugh.

"_Speak for yourself,"_ Quilava muttered. _"Swimming isn't great for my health."_

She stood. _"I'm going to see how everyone else is doing the fishing thing."_

An explosion rang across the water again.

"_Because, you know, not everyone's as nuts as our trainers."_

"_It's funny because it's true,"_ Psyduck said, gingerly dipping a toe in the water.

Then he got a faceful of splash from Ninetales.

"_Sorry!"_ she said, wincing. _"Stantler made you look like him!"_

Psyduck's reply was to raise a flipper-arm, lifting a large globe of water from the lakeside with telekinesis, and aim it directly at Ninetales.

"_No hard feelings?"_ she tried.

* * *

><p>In truth, Quilava probably <em>could<em> play on the water. Not in it – that was still a problem – but she thought she could get up enough speed in Flame Wheel to skip across the water surface.

It was, at least, an interesting idea.

Looking around the competition, she saw all kinds of methods used to knock out or catch the Pokémon once they'd been brought up to the surface. One girl was using a Pidgeotto to snatch Seaking from the water, evaluate them, and then release them if they weren't heavy enough.

Another was using a Bellsprout, with his vines the major player, reeling in a catch without even needing a fishing rod – just bait scattered on the surface.

As Quilava went from pier to pier, she saw all kinds of inventive techniques. (She also heard a loud splash as the Pidgeotto tried to lift a Seaking weighing more than it did, and failed.)

Then she spotted something singularly bizarre.

A Wartortle took something off the top of her head, between the ear-fins, and threw it in a long looping horizontal trajectory out over the water. Like a boomerang, it came back – barely missing a leaping Seaking – and she threw it again.

"_Uh..."_ she said, nervously. _"What are you doing?"_

"_Huh?"_ The Wartortle caught her boomerang, revealing it to be a King's Rock. _"It's my King's Tiara Action!"_ She threw it again.

"_I understood maybe three of those words,"_ Quilava said, deadpan.

The Wartortle turned to her, catching the King's Rock in one hand and a concussed Seaking in the other. _"You don't get the reference?"_

"_No."_ Quilava shrugged. _"Should I?"_

"_It's from an anime."_ Wartortle tossed the Seaking to her trainer, who used a Lake Ball on it. _"You don't watch Sailor Moon?"_

"_...no, I've never heard of it."_

"_Not even the dub, Sailor Cresselia? That's a crying shame."_ Wartortle sat down. _"Your trainer doesn't need you for anything, right?"_

"_No, not especially."_Quilava glanced over at Ash – who seemed to be passing Magikarp back and forth between himself and Totodile – and nodded. _"I've got some time."_

"_Right."_ Wartortle grinned. _"So, first off – this is probably _the_ girl power series."_ She waved an arm dismissively. _"Sure, some people say it's girly, but that's the point. There's Sailors for each of the planets, and one for the moon – all girls – and they get phenomenal cosmic power from their celestial bodies. There's..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>We got one!"<em> Kingdra said. _"What now?"_

"Now," Misty said, hauling on the line, "When I actually get it into the air, you weaken it enough to catch!"

With an almighty heave, the Seaking went hurtling into the air.

Kingdra spat a stream of pink-purple flames, bathing the Seaking in Dragonbreath, and jumped out of the water to bat it towards Misty with a tail whack.

Misty caught it smoothly in a Lake Ball, and blinked. "That seemed... excessive."

"_You bought me the TM, I'm going to use it."_ Kingdra fluttered his fins.

* * *

><p>"How'd you do, Misty?" Ash asked.<p>

"First place!" Misty announced. "What about you guys?"

"I think something like eighth," Ash replied.

"Sixth and told off," Brock chipped in.

Ash looked around. "We should probably get everyone else together... guys!"

Pokémon stampeded over, being returned one by one. Pikachu took up his customary place on Ash's shoulder, and Lucario and Ninetales by the sides of their respective trainers.

"...hang on, there's one missing," Ash said, counting. "Where's Quilava?"

"_Sorry I'm late!"_

Quilava hurried over. _"I was writing something down. I had a nice chat with a Wartortle, and lost track of time."_

She glanced up at Ash's waist. _"Hey, Dexter, can you play TV?"_

I _can_, yes. Why _should_ I?"

"_Because I'd really like to see this TV series someone just told me about?"_ she tried.

...sure, why not. Not more than one episode a day, though, I have other things to do.

* * *

><p>Gary's hands balled into fists, and he gaped. "Seriously?"<p>

"No dancing, no Heart Scale."

"This region is just... aaargh!" Gary fought the urge to throw his map to the ground and jump on it. "Who the heck wants to see a Pokémon that can _dance?_"

Umbreon walked up to him, worried. _"Gary? Are you alright?"_

Dee whispered her translation in his ear, and after a few more incoherent syllables Gary sighed. "I... just... grrrrgh!"

He sat down heavily. "You know, if we'd just started flying from here to Kanto we'd have got back by now?"

"_...I'd kind of guessed, yes,"_ Umbreon admitted.

The young trainer (and correspondence student) pulled his Pokédex out of his pocket. "Dee?"

Yes? His Porygon's face appeared on the screen, displacing the screensaver.

"Do I have anyone – anyone at all – who can dance?"

...doesn't look like it, I'm afraid. Pokémon flashed across the screen by the dozens. Everyone's a battler, none of them are trained for contests.

"That sucks." Gary sighed, and stood. _"_Right. _Right._ Umbreon, we have a choice."

"_Go on."_

"Either you learn to dance, or we catch a Pokémon who knows how."

"_...let's go for the catch option."_

"Okay." Gary rummaged. "Where's Electivire, he knows Thunder Wave..."

* * *

><p>Brock muttered to himself as he typed. "...thanks for your last email... thanks for the tip on that hotel in Ecruteak, we'll be sure to check it out... miss you. Hope you get the chance to visit some time soon..."<p>

Misty and Ash exchanged a wondering look.

"Still can't believe _Brock_ is going steady," Ash said quietly.

"Me neither."

Brock finished the email, and fired it off. "Right! That's-"

The computer pinged again.

"Huh? That was quick..."

Checking the inbox, he blinked. "Huh. Looks like Suzy's around. She wants to use..."

Brock paused, then leant back with a groan.

"_What?"_ Ninetales padded over to the computer. _"I assume it's me she wants, right?"_

She inspected the email. _"Oh."_

"Yeah." Brock put his hands over his face. "She wants to use her _Vulpix_."

"_You never told her?"_ Ninetales asked, aghast.

"I sent pictures of my whole team! I guess she just assumed you were hiding _behind_ the beautiful Ninetales or something!"

"_...well."_ Ninetales winced. _"That could be awkward."_

* * *

><p>"Oh, you look so lovely!"<p>

Ninetales emitted a rumbling purr as Suzy stroked her, one long silky tail at a time.

"I should have evolved you before – if I'd known you were going to be this beautiful, I certainly would have!" Suzy laughed, as a tail tickled her nose.

"I'm glad you don't mind," Brock said, rubbing the back of his neck. "She and I discussed it, and she said she wanted to evolve – and she's certainly done a lot with it."

"Yes, I agree!" Suzy tickled Ninetales under the chin, eliciting a vulpine giggle. "Oh, could you send me all the photos you have of her? It might be a little crass of me, but I'd adore having her on the walls – my greatest success, even if you deserve much of the credit..."

"That's fine," Brock agreed readily. "Sorry again for not letting you know."

"Oh, not a problem," Suzy said readily. "She's clearly flourished under your tutelage – in truth, I knew you'd work out from how well you two got along together. I suppose I should make it official – if you want her, she's yours for good."

Brock blinked. "That's... quite flattering, Suzy."

He looked to Ninetales. "What do you want?"

Ninetales responded instantly. _"I love Suzy, but I'd rather travel with you for a little longer, Brock. I think Hoenn sounds lovely."_

She padded over to him and licked his hand, then looked back at Suzy. _"If I ever decide to retire... I don't know. But until then, you're stuck with me."_

"Oh, that's lovely," Suzy said, correctly interpreting their body language. "I couldn't possibly get in the way... though it does leave me without someone to use for the contest."

Brock tapped his foot, frowning. "Actually, I did have an idea..."

* * *

><p>"<em>I look ridiculous,"<em> Stantler muttered, blushing.

Ninetales hid a smile with one of her tails, using two more to tie another bow on his horns. _"You look lovely."_

"_And ridiculous,"_ Stantler added stubbornly. He tried to look back at Suzy brushing his coat, and tugged on one of the bows.

"_Don't,"_ Ninetales chided gently. _"You'll pull them out."_

She smiled, tails flicking. _"Don't worry. You do look nice, really."_

The Big Horn Pokémon pouted slightly.

"_Come on,"_ she coaxed. _"Is it really that bad?"_

"_Well, I guess the bows aren't_ too_ bad,"_ he allowed, slowly. _"But the bells?"_

"_They sound lovely,"_ Ninetales told him. _"Really. They're a set of Soothe Bells, which produce a lovely calming jingle."_

She stepped back. _"There. That's all of the bows."_

Stantler shook his head, producing a faint and harmonious tinkle.

A smile forced its way onto his face. _"I guess they do sound alright."_

"_There," _Ninetales smiled. _"See?"_

"_But they still look silly,"_ Stantler said stubbornly.

Brock bent down and rubbed Stantler's ear. "You look fine, Stantler," he said, smiling. "Remember, you just need to act naturally – don't be too stiff, just stay calm."

* * *

><p>"...well, that was unexpected," Suzy said, some minutes after the judging. "I didn't know your Stantler could dance."<p>

"Oh, he wasn't dancing," Brock said, hiding a smile. "He was invisible. He made an illusion which danced."

"That's one way to do it," Suzy admitted.

* * *

><p>Misty tapped Zane, Suzy's rival, on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"<p>

Zane turned. "Yes? Oh, you're Suzy's friend's friend."

"Yep, that's me," Misty sighed. "Also a Cerulean Gym leader, but who cares. Anyway, as I understand it your view on caring for and presenting Pokémon is that it's external appearance that matters."

"That's right," Zane said. "Well, I'd been wondering whether I was right, in all honesty... but I still think my view is generally true."

Misty held up a book. "Counterpoint. Feebas."

Zane blinked. "Ew. That looks awful."

The Water-type specialist turned the page.

"It evolves into this if you care for it properly."

The Breeder grabbed the book. "Wait, _that's_- what?" He turned the page back again. "_That thing_ is what evolves into Milotic?"

"Game, set, match," Misty informed him, taking the book back.

"...wow."

* * *

><p>"Suzy?" Zane asked. "I... guess I'm sorry for being kind of a jerk."<p>

"Oh, that's not too much of a problem," Suzy told him. "In all honesty, your views do have some merit – of course presentation matters – but what I certainly don't agree with is the idea that it's _only_ the surface appearance. Grace, beauty, poise, charisma... all go together into a truly beautiful Pokémon."

Zane looked down at his silent Ninetales, who nodded. Emboldened, he reached for her hand, and she let him take it.

"Suzy..." he paused. "We should work together!"

She smiled. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>"Sure was nice of Suzy to let us keep that Soothe Bell," Brock smiled.<p>

"_Yeah,"_ Stantler agreed, shaking his antlers slightly and making it ring. _"I think I _do_ like the sound of these, after all."_

* * *

><p>A wind plucked at the stalks of the rice fields around the mouth of a great river.<p>

Two Croconaw moved down the rows, muttering to one another, then looked up at the sound of hooves.

Other Pokémon and humans looked up along with them, until every eye followed the three blurs running along the river's southern levee – and, beside them in the river, a great rooster-tail of spray headed by a moving flash of red.

* * *

><p>"<em>Guys!"<em> Keldeo called, turning in towards shore by adjusting the force of his water jets. _"I think we've reached the ocean!"_

"_Finally,"_ Terrakion grumbled, as spray splashed at him. _"I feel like I've been running for a week."_

"_We've been following the Long River for only four days, Terrakion,"_ Virizion chided. _"And it's been faster, right?"_

"_I suppose."_ Terrakion shrugged, then grinned at his teammates. _"I'll just be glad of the rest!"_

Cobalion nodded. _"Keldeo?"_ he asked. _"Please see if you can arrange us the next leg of our transport."_

"_Got it!"_ Keldeo skidded to a halt briefly, using his water-jets just enough to stay on the water, and turned to nod to Cobalion and the other Swords. That done, he skated back around to face seawards and accelerated in a huge plume of water.

The other Swords stopped and raised a foreleg each, warding off some of the artificial deluge.

"_...kid doesn't do things halfway, does he?"_ Terrakion muttered.

Cobalion's lips quirked for a moment. _"We should make sure we reach the shore as well,"_ he recommended.

* * *

><p>They had, indeed, reached the lowest portion of the estuary – but distances were deceptive. It was another forty or so miles to get to the sea proper, which consumed the remainder of the morning.<p>

By the time the Swords of Justice had reached their destination – and stopped to have lunch from a lush patch of beach-grass – Keldeo was already well into negotiations.

Looking up for a moment, Virizion saw him conversing with a Gyarados. As she watched, the big Water-type nodded and plunged back into the water, before returning with an Azumarill and a Quagsire.

Keldeo talked to them for several more minutes. Virizion went back to her lunch for a bit, and the next time she glanced up there was a Lanturn there instead of the Azumarill.

Fascinated, she watched as Keldeo dickered with a succession of Water-types. Eventually, he was looking between a Gorebyss and a Sharpedo, and at that point he turned to canter back towards shore from the little silty island just off the shipping channel.

"_Cobalion?"_ he asked, a little early, and he had to repeat it to get the Steel-type's attention. _"Cobalion!"_

"_Yes, Keldeo?"_ Cobalion replied.

"_We've got two options. Either we get one Wailord to take us, or there's a Lapras pod who might be inclined to listen – they're a bit further away, so it'll take longer, but I get the idea they're cheaper."_

"_What were you going to pay them with?"_ Terrakion asked.

Keldeo blushed. _"...autographs. At least, the Sharpedo said that the Lapras pod was interested."_

"_What?"_ Cobalion was a little taken aback. _"Autographs?"_

"_Yeah, I know,"_ Keldeo admitted. _"Apparently they've heard of me, though I can't imagine how."_

The Swords discussed that among themselves.

"_I think it seems that the Lapras are the simplest option,"_ Cobalion decided.

"_Right! I'll let Sharpedo know he can go and get them!"_

That said, Keldeo galloped back out to the island he was using to meet with the Water-types.

* * *

><p>It turned out to take about three hours for the Lapras to arrive.<p>

The three older Swords used the time to spar, drawing appreciative looks and applause from the nearby Pokémon as their Sacred Swords flashed back and forth, and produced almost-musical clashes when they parried or came together in prise-de-fer.

Virizion took Terrakion two falls out of three, but Cobalion managed to hold her to a draw and then match the recovered Terrakion blow-for-blow until he could gain a finishing strike.

Keldeo watched the whole thing with hungry eyes, longing for the day he would be able to stand as an equal.

When no-one was looking, he crossed his eyes to see his forehead and tried to form his own blade.

_Come on... come on! I should be able to..._

Faint sparks of Aura skirled around his horn for a moment, then faded, and he sighed.

_Not today..._

A call from the shoreline made him look up.

* * *

><p>"<em>So, you're the Swords of Justice?"<em> a male Lapras asked.

"_...they are,"_ Keldeo said, nodding. _"I'm... sort of a trainee."_

Was it his imagination, or did some light of understanding form in the eyes of that Lapras?

"_Well, then,"_ the Lapras said, nodding. _"I've heard of you – noble Pokémon, all of you. I don't think there's a problem."_

Gesturing, the Lapras told off four others to approach. One was noticeably smaller than the others. _"These three and I will transport you – pick who's to go with who, and don't forget to pack food. It'll go faster if we don't have to stop."_

"_What about her?"_ Cobalion asked, pointing a hoof at the smallest one.

"_She's my little sister,"_ the Lapras told him. _"She's got a rock for you all to autograph."_

Virizion chuckled. _"Hardly an onerous transit fee, I must admit!"_

The rock was duly passed around – it was really a very nice rock, hard and light and with flotation bladders made of pumice attached to ensure it would be hard to sink – and once all four Fighting-types had made their mark the young Lapras received it with a huge smile.

"_Pleasure doing business with you,"_ the Lapras told them, turning to allow his passenger to board.

"_How do you know about us all the way over here?"_ Keldeo asked, curious.

"_A friend told me the story of the Swords of Justice,"_ the Transport Pokémon answered him.

Accepting that, Keldeo settled down for the trip to Honshu.

* * *

><p>A tiny light on Giovanni's desk flashed for a moment.<p>

He looked up and faced the door, just as Agent Domino walked in.

"Ah, Domino," he said genially. "How is Kodachi?"

"Not well," Domino replied, with a shrug. "Some kind of blight – they caught it early, but she'll be in the medical bay for a few weeks."

"Shame," Giovanni nodded – the Roserade was a tough Pokémon and worked well with her trainer. "Well, hopefully she won't be needed for this mission."

"Mission, sir?" Domino stood to attention.

Giovanni smiled, waving her to a chair. "Nothing too demanding – the statistics department has a lead I want you to follow up."

Curious, Domino took the sheaf of papers he indicated on the desk, and skimmed through them. "Interesting. Is this valid?"

The boss of Team Rocket shrugged. "I don't know, that's why I'm sending you to scout it out. Scout _only_, Domino – don't engage unless ordered, though I'm having backup mobilized in case of trouble."

Giovanni pointed to the cross on the map. "This is uncomfortably close to the second city, and to the old Imperial capital to boot. If we cannot _confirm_ he is non-hostile, then I may find myself forced to take action."

Sitting back, he steepled his fingers. "Be as inconspicuous as possible. Just another tourist, unless you're looking at _long_ range – and report in using a disposable phone if you do confirm."

The boss slid an ancient mobile across the desk. "The only number in it is keyed to a similar phone in my desk."

Domino nodded – it was a standard trick. Throw away the phones once the call was made. "I won't let you down, sir."

"Of course you won't," Giovanni agreed.

* * *

><p>"Rocky place," Ash noted, looking around.<p>

"Yeah, it's one of the passes leading to the former imperial capital," Brock commented. "There were a couple of battles here in the Sengoku era."

"Name me one place that's not true of," Misty muttered.

"Point taken," Brock agreed.

"Hey!"

Ash looked up. "Yeah?"

A trainer jogged over. "Are you up for a battle?"

For Ash, that was a simple question at the moment. There was no major danger in place; therefore, yes. "I sure am!"

"Great!" the other trainer said. "I'm Alex Davies. Uh... you don't have your Charizard with you, right?"

"People keep asking that," Ash said, to no-one in particular. "No, he's off training."

There was a woosh of relief. "Good. Anyway, how about... four one on one battles?"

"Suits me!" Ash nodded. "Want to alternate who goes first? I'll start."

"Go for it." Alex's hand went to his belt.

Ash plucked a ball off his own belt. "Bayleef!"

Bayleef materialized, and set herself. _"Let's see what happens..."_

"Cloyster!"

"Oh, a Cloyster," Ash said, interested. "I somehow seem to see them a lot more than Shellder..."

"Well, that's because they're better," Alex said matter-of-factly. "Okay, Cloyster, Icy wind!"

Bayleef turned and ran away from the shimmering icy blast, which created a kind of wedge-shaped area of frost and icy ground spreading out from Cloysters' shell opening.

"Okay, good!" Alex added. "Now, use Ice Beam!"

Bayleef ducked under the first blast, was clipped by the second, and hid behind a small rock.

Ash frowned. "Okay, so the icy area is going to protect his front..."

"That's right!" Alex grinned. "So, want to run at Cloyster from the front, or come around the back where his armour is?"

Bayleef looked to Ash for inspiration, as frost-shatter started to slowly erode the rock she was hiding behind.

"Hmmm..." Ash opened his Pokédex. "Dexter – how much do Cloyster weigh?"

One hundred and thirty kilos.

"Right!" Ash nodded. "Bayleef, use Sweet Scent – as thick as you can! Make a cloud of it!"

Bayleef nodded. Her little shoots on her neck unfurled and pumped out nice-smelling pollen.

Within twenty seconds or so, it was so thick that it was hard to see.

"Run around the side and get behind him," Ash said, pitching his voice low.

Bayleef set off at a run. For about two seconds, the ice beams continued pounding the rock – then she left her impromptu smokescreen, and Cloyster shifted his aim. She got hit two more times – once on the leg, and once which iced up along her side – before managing to get out of the firing arc.

"Good!" Ash called.

"Spike Cannon!" Alex said. "Turn around and get her!"

Bayleef curved in just behind Cloyster and pumped out a Stun Spore, interrupting the bivalve as it tried to turn to fire at her and forcing it to stay still.

"Okay, Bayleef!" Ash called. "Charge a solarbeam, and then use your vines to swing around Cloyster to the front!"

"Oh, no..." Alex winced. "Cloyster! Can you close?"

Cloyster made a negative noise.

"Right..." Alex waited until Bayleef had nearly charged, and her vines lashed out to tie onto the spines of the Cloyster. As she swung into the air, using its much larger weight as an anchor for her swing, he pointed. "Shell smash!"

Cloyster's shell exploded.

Without her anchor, Bayleef went flying further than expected. Her Solarbeam went wild, slightly browning an erratic path in the grass, and she hit the ground hard.

The form of Cloyster was a bit blurred by a glowing white cloud of sparkles, revolving rapidly around something indistinct which glowed bright red.

"Bayleef!" Ash shouted. "Look out!"

Bayleef staggered upright, shaking her head, and had her feet frozen to the ground by an Aurora Beam. Cloyster followed up with a Blizzard, knocking her out.

"Not bad," Ash said, returning Bayleef. "Is he alright?"

Cloyster flashed red, and Alex shrugged. "It grows back."

"Huh. Okay, who's next?"

"Alakazam!"

Ash grinned. "Okay, this one's an easy choice. Time for your first battle, Houndour!"

_...well, damn it,_ Alakazam broadcast. _Alex, why did we never teach me Miracle Eye?_

"Because I never remember how annoying it is!" Alex called back. "Okay, try Dynamicpunch!"

Houndour rolled his neck, and pawed the ground. _"Right!"_

As Alakazam came in with a Dynamicpunch, he ran to the side and into the shadow of a tree. For a moment, the darkness of the shadow made him disappear, and when he came out again there were five Houndour all going in different directions.

"Use Psychic to tell which-" Alex stopped himself. "Never mind. Okay, try moving the ground under them!"

Alakazam nodded, and started frowning. Ground cracked under one of the Double Team images, then burst upwards – making the image evaporate.

The remaining four Houndour faced him from different directions, and howled – a chilling, antiphonal chorus.

Dark-type energy resonated in the air, clinging to Alakazam and in particular his spoons. The Psychic type staggered, and his ongoing telekinesis fell apart.

"What was that?" Ash asked, blinking. "That was neat!"

"_Snarl,"_ Houndour answered, looking over at Ash with tail wagging. _"Father taught me before I left. It makes it harder to use attacks."_

"We're not out of this yet!" Alex said, determined. "Use Shockwave!"

Alakazam brought up his spoons, focusing electricity together. It pulsed out in a dome, hitting all four Houndour, and making the three double-team ones dissolve.

"_Alright,"_ Houndour said, _"You asked for it! Beat Up!"_

Double team clones formed again, four on either side of him. They crackled with dark energy, and changed shape.

Oh, Dexter observed. This should be interesting.

"What the heck?" Alex asked, as he stared at the shapes in front of him.

Going from left to right, from his perspective, they were – a Pikachu, a Lucario, a Porygon, a Quilava, Houndour himself, Bayleef, a Heracross, a Totodile and a shiny Noctowl.

They charged. (Apart from the Bayleef one, which fell over.)

Several complicated seconds later, Alakazam was lying on the floor in a state of some unconsciousness.

"...okay," Alex said, deciding to accept that. "Why did the Lucario and Heracross ones have to punch so hard?"

Houndour walked back to Ash, wincing a little occasionally. _"Was that alright?"_

"I'm not entirely sure what that was, but – yeah, that was fine!" Ash bent down, and gave him a scratch. "Nice work for your first battle!"

"_It's Beat Up – normally, that calls on the rest of the pack,"_ Houndour explained. _"It uses their strength instead of mine. Father taught us so that we'd be able to fight tough enemies when we were young."_

He scratched his ear, and shook his head with a sneeze._ "It gives me a bit of a headache, though..."_

"Why did the Bayleef one just fall over?"

_"She was knocked out."_ Houndour shrugged. _"That's how it works."_

* * *

><p>Oak picked up the phone. "Yes?"<p>

"Gramps," Gary said, without preamble. "I need to borrow Dragonite."

"...you what?" Oak said, after a moment.

"I. Need. To. Borrow. Dragonite." Gary repeated, deadpan.

"Why?" the Pokémon Professor asked, confused.

Gary took a deep, deep breath.

"Right. So, I need to have Dragonite to show a man in Geosenge city, because he's got a fossil which he's offering to someone who shows him a fully evolved Dragon type. That fossil can then be revived to produce an Anorith. I can trade the Anorith for a Liepard for a Swoobat for a Clefairy for a Gyarados, who I can then show to Marie in Camphrier."

Gary took another breath.

"I then get the letter she gives me to Parfum to Jacques, who's promised me a Farfetch'd. I can trade that to get a Beartic, trade _that_ to get a Froufrou – and a shiny one at that."

Oak was typing on a computer console as Gary rambled on.

Another breath. "Once I've got the Froufrou, I can eventually convince a stylist in Luminose City that I'm enough of a fashion setter for him to agree to give it a haircut which is really, really stylish. Once I show that to the gym leader Valerie, I can get a Focus Sash."

Gary's voice was becoming increasingly raw by this point.

"That Focus Sash can be traded in Anistar for a Silk Sash, which I can then give to a girl in Luminose for a Pokémon that can dance. Then I can get a heart scale, which I can pay the move reminder to teach my Alakazam to use teleport."

Oak heard Umbreon clapping through the phone. _"Well done, you remembered the whole chain!"_

"...goodness," he said, eventually.

"Yeah," Gary agreed, and chuckled. "Fearow would be too fat to fly, with all the bribes, except he's certainly been earning them."

"Right." Oak looked at the notes he'd made. "Er... Gary, my boy?"

"What?" Gary asked. "Oh, you've not leant Ash Dragonite, have you?"

"What? No!" Samuel Oak said. "He's got enough powerful Pokémon to be getting on with, and I prefer Dragonite sensible. Anyway, I'd be happy to lend _you_ Dragonite, except..."

"Go on," Gary said, when Oak paused.

"Well... firstly, Ash's friend Misty has a Gyarados," the Professor pointed out.

There was a stunned silence, then the sound of a facepalm and Umbreon's quiet voice.

"Oh, no..." Gary groaned.

"That's not all," Oak said apologetically. "I believe I know someone who has a Clefairy, I've got a Focus Sash and a Silk Sash from my time battling, Ash's Totodile can dance, and I've got about twenty Heart Scales."

A series of thuds came down the line.

"Also, Muk didn't manage to eat my Teleport TM."

This time, there was a loud clatter.

"_Hello?" _Umbreon said, a few seconds later. _"He fell off his chair, and dropped the phone."_

Damos translated for his Professor, and then there was a scraping sound as Gary picked the phone up.

"Right," Gary said, with a sigh. "Right. Can you send me through the TM, Dragonite, and ask Misty for a loan of her Gyarados?"

"...certainly," Oak said, uncertainly. "But why?"

"I spent all that time putting together the list, I may as well get _something_ out of it."

Oak duly did so.

Eight minutes later (he counted), his grandson appeared in the lab with his Alakazam.

"That was a lot more effort than it could have been," he said, slumping down on the sofa. "I think I need a bit of a rest now. Hey, Gramps, meet Anorith and Froufrou."

He threw two Pokéballs, which opened to reveal one just-revived fossil and one really rather snooty canine Pokémon – the latter appearing in a shower of sparkles which heralded her Shiny nature.

With that, Gary passed out.

Umbreon emerged from her own Pokéball. _"Thanks for the lift."_

Alakazam waved a spoon.

Umbreon then addressed Froufrou. _"He's normally a bit better than this... he's had maybe ten hours of sleep in the last three days."_

* * *

><p>"Heracross, your turn!" Ash called, releasing his burly BugFighting.

"Well, I've not lost yet!" Alex said, grabbing another Pokéball. "Gligar!"

"_Oh,"_ Heracross said, squinting up into the sky. _"Any ideas?"_

"Don't suppose you know any Ice attacks?" Ash asked, hopefully.

"_That'd be a no."_

"Gligar, use Acrobatics!" Alex ordered.

Gligar complied, flying high into the air to gain momentum.

"Right!" Ash called. "We can manage this. Okay, grab a chunk of that rock Cloyster was smashing!"

Heracross ran over to the rock, breaking off a big piece with his horn.

Gligar came down in an attack run.

"Counter!" Ash said.

Heracross nodded, dropping the rock, and flashed red. The attack came in, sending him skidding backwards and staggering – and the red energy pulsed and recoiled, blowing Gligar backwards as well.

The flying scorpion tumbled for a bit, recovered, and came back around – much slower now.

"Oh, ouch!" Alex said, wincing. "Okay, Gligar, don't use any more attacks just yet. Screech!"

Heracross used his arms to cover his ears from the horrible noise. After a moment of thought, he flipped the rock up with his horn and kicked it at Gligar.

"Dodge it and use Swords Dance!" Alex instructed.

I see where he's going, Dexter said. He wants to knock out Heracross too fast for him to use Counter.

"Right," Ash agreed. "Uh... okay! Keep throwing rocks!"

Gligar dodged them all with ease, alternately using Swords Dance and Screech.

"That should do it!" Alex pointed. "Now, Acrobatics again!"

Ash waited until Gligar was heading skywards to gain momentum. "Right – now!"

Heracross set his stance, with his back to the heavily damaged rock he'd been using for ammunition, and waited.

Gligar came back in, tail flagging from side to side to steer, and hit with an almighty _boom_.

Rock shrapnel went everywhere, as Heracross went backwards through the boulder he'd been using as a backstop.

Alex coughed, trying to see through the cloud of dust. "Gligar? Are you okay?"

Ash closed his eyes, using Aura Sight to look closer. "Heracross is still standing – but where's the Gligar?"

As it cleared, Heracross rubbed his heavily bruised chest with one of his forearms.

The other one was firmly holding Gligar, pinned against his chest.

"All right!" Ash called. "Now – get him!"

Heracross nodded. _"Reversal!"_ he said, took a step forwards – and fell over.

Unfortunately for Gligar, Heracross landed on top of him.

A few seconds passed.

"I... think they've both fainted?" Ash said uncertainly. He withdrew Heracross, and revealed Gligar in a crater.

The Flying/Ground type was also clearly out of it.

"Clever move with the Endure," Alex complimented. "Okay, my turn for the last one. Ambipom!"

Ash considered. "Totodile!"

Ambipom waved with both tails. _"Hi!"_

"_Hi yourself!"_ Totodile replied. _"This should be fun!"_

"_I play to win,"_ Ambipom warned. He dodged a Water Gun and started pacing steadily around Totodile, rummaging on the ground with his tailhands.

"What's he doing?" Ash asked.

"Oh, right," Alex replied with a shrug. "He has Pickup, he often finds interesting stuff."

"_Aha!"_ Ambipom held up what he'd found, and then passed it from one tailhand to the other. Using his free tailhand to push off and jump over another Water attack, he flung a large iron ball at Totodile.

Totodile ducked, and the ball went over his head. _"Whoa!"_

"_Hold still!"_ Ambipom said, throwing a Sun Stone this time. Totodile didn't quite dodge in time, and it hit him in the leg.

"Totodile!" Ash called. "Use Aqua Jet to dodge this time!"

Totodile nodded, jumping and Aqua-jet boosting out of the way of an incoming can of Pokémon Repellant.

"_Who throws some of this stuff away?"_ Ambipom asked, continuing his barrage. _"Hey, cool, a heart scale!"_

That one bounced off Totodile's forehead.

* * *

><p>Gary Oak muttered something in his sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>Totodile continued to duck and weave around a barrage of thrown objects, not always successfully. Among the things he was hit with over the next few minutes were an empty Potion bottle, a coil of rope, a Moon Stone and a TM for the move Rest.<p>

"This isn't working!" Ash called. "Try hitting them back instead!"

Totodile nodded. He spun around, knocking away a Dawn stone with his tail, and fired Water Gun straight at the can of Repel which came next.

Ambipom had to jump away from his position as it nearly hit him in turn. _"Hey!"_

"_I thought we were playing?"_ Totodile said, frowning.

"_Take this!"_

Ambipom flung another iron ball.

Totodile stood his ground, and blasted it with a stream of high pressure water. This slowed it, but didn't stop it, and when it hit Totodile it sent him skidding backwards from the impact. His skid ended when his heel hit a fragment of rock, making him fall over backwards.

After a moment, he came back to his feet, panting. _"Ow."_

"Totodile..." Ash winced.

"One more attack should finish him!" Alex enthused. "Close in and use Double Hit!"

Ambipom loped forwards on all fours, his tails ready and glowing as they clenched into fists.

"Don't give up, Totodile!" Ash called.

Totodile nodded, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth.

A huge torrent of water erupted from it, surprising everyone with how much there was. Ambipom was sent shooting backwards as fast as he'd come forwards, bounced off three hummocks and a tree, and landed with a wet _splat_ on the ground.

Totodile was as astonished as anyone. He went rocketing backwards, limbs flailing wildly as his unexpected Hydro Pump delivered far more recoil than he'd been expecting. Ash made a diving catch and caught him, directing his attack upwards and resulting in a sudden rain shower on his side of the battlefield.

After about ten seconds, Totodile worked out how to _stop_ using Hydro Pump, and the water died away to a trickle before ceasing entirely.

"That was cool," Ash said, and lifted Totodile onto his feet. The little Water-type tottered a bit, then steadied, and gave Ash a tired smile as his trainer stood.

"How's your Ambipom?" Ash called.

Alex lifted one of the hand-tails, which flopped back to the floor. "Washed up, by the looks of it. You win. Good match!"

"Thanks!" Ash replied, smiling.

* * *

><p>"<em>It's too stormy, I'm afraid,"<em> Lapras said, craning his head around to look at Keldeo. _"We can't make it into Johto Bay, that typhoon is right across the strait."_

Keldeo looked up at the stormy sky off their port beam, then back to Lapras. _"How bad is it?"_

"_It'll be quicker to make landfall in Kanto than Johto,"_ Lapras explained. _"It's that bad."_

The colt nodded his thanks. _"Can you take me over to Cobalion?"_

"_Sure."_

When the two were closer, Keldeo raised his voice. _"Cobalion!"_

"_Is this about what to do next?"_ Cobalion called back. _"I've already heard the problem."_

"_What do we do?"_

"_...I'm not sure,"_ Cobalion admitted. _"How far west could you land us?"_

"_I might be able to make Cherrygrove,"_ Lapras told them. _"But I also know somewhere almost as close where there's some people sure to help."_

"_Trustworthy?"_ Cobalion pressed, and Lapras nodded. _"Well, then, that sounds best."_

"_Got it."_ Lapras beat his flippers on the water in a high-speed rhythm, and the pod all turned to him. _"New course – to Pallet Town. Follow me."_

With that, he turned east a little and forged ahead, the rest of the pod falling into formation behind him.

* * *

><p>"So, we're agreed," James said. "She needs therapy."<p>

"Yeah, dat's about what I was tinkin'," Meowth agreed. "Any ideas where we could get it?"

Jessie frowned. "Hmmm... I'm not sure. I did have one..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Another long chapter.

Being Gary Oak is suffering... also, the Swords of Justice have finally reached Japan.

Almost.

Other stuff: the trainer in this chapter (Alex Jones) was voiced in the anime by a fan, that same Alex Jones, who won a competition. I couldn't find his team online, though, so I sort of guessed.


	63. Mewtwo Returns 1

This is the first of four chapters today.

* * *

><p><span>At the next junction, turn left.<span>

Ash and friends duly did so, and then stopped at the sight before them – a route that was barely a track, winding off up a hillside and disappearing as it went.

"Are you sure?" Ash asked, looking dubious. "We were headed straight for Ecruteak, right?"

"_Yes, I think so,"_ Houndour contributed. _"I've been looking at the landmarks, and I think I know where we are..."_

We have an appointment, Dexter said cryptically. Best to get a move on.

He emitted a _ping_ noise, and a Pokéball emerged. Ah. It seems Pidgeot has arrived.

"What appointment?" Ash asked, scooping up Pidgeot's Pokéball. "Where are we going?"

You should remember this one, Dexter said pointedly. We're only a few miles from Mount Quena here.

"...oh, right," Ash said, nodding. "That other other time I met Mewtwo. It'd be nice to visit, you're right."

"_You met who?"_ Houndour asked. _"Two Mew?"_

"No, only one of them is Mew," Ash replied. "The other's Mewtwo."

"_...no, I still don't understand. Who is Mewtwo?"_

"Ash, remember," Misty pointed out. "We haven't talked to Houndour about everything yet – we simply haven't had the time."

"That's right," Brock agreed. He started walking again, and the others fell in around him. "Well, Houndour, Mewtwo is a clone of Mew created by scientists working for Team Rocket. He's a very powerful Psychic Pokémon who-"

"_Hold on,"_ Houndour said, even more confused. _"Why isn't he just another Mew, then?"_

"...actually..." Ash admitted, slowly. "I don't think any of us know?"

"He might," Misty said. "But he never mentioned it to us."

"_Okay..."_ Houndour decided to move on from that for a moment. _"So, is Mewtwo a Legendary?"_

"Yeah!" Ash confirmed.

"_What's he the Legendary of?"_

"_Come to think of it, what's _Mew_ the Legendary of?"_ Pikachu asked.

"I think Mew's the legendary of... evolution?" Misty said, uncertainly.

"I'm pretty sure that'd be Deoxys," Ash said. "They seemed kind of like DNA..."

Deoxys suggests a DNA connection, yes – Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid is the chemical name for DNA.

"What about that Genesect you met once, then? That's got gene in-"

"_Hold on, hold on!"_ Houndour looked from Ash to Brock to Misty. _"Okay – how many Legendary Pokémon have you met? I mean, Dexter said you'd... but- how many?"_

Ash frowned. "Well, all the ones I've heard of, which is nearly fifty... if you mean how many have I actually befriended, that's..."

Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Suicune and possibly her brothers, Celebi, Latias, Latios, Jirachi-

"_Okay, I get the idea!"_ Houndour interrupted. _"I repeat my Absol comment."_

"I think we got a bit distracted." Ash hefted Pidgeot's Pokéball. "Why did you request her from the Professor?"

At that point, they topped the low hill, and saw Purity Canyon.

Well, it's that or go rock climbing again, Dexter pointed out unnecessarily.

"Yeah, good point," Ash agreed. He released Pidgeot. "Hey, girl."

"_It's always nice to see you, Ash,"_ she said, chirpily. _"Now – I assume you want a lift?"_

"Yeah," Ash nodded.

"_All three at once? I can, but it might be a bit slow..."_

"Might be easier to go one at a time," Ash agreed. "I'll go first, and show you where to land."

"_I've been here before,"_ she reminded him. _"Climb on."_

* * *

><p>Pidgeot flew down, landing in a storm of wind from her powerful wingbeats.<p>

Ash jumped down and collected Pikachu. "Thanks!"

"_Never a problem,"_ Pidgeot assured him. She let him get a few feet more clearance, and then took off again with a single downbeat.

The two watched her heading back over the crater wall, on her way to pick up first Misty and then Brock.

"_Oh! Hello!"_

They turned, and saw a Riolu approaching them at a jog.

"_You're... Ash, right?"_ the Riolu said. _"I didn't know you were coming here."_

Ash snapped his fingers. "Oh, right! You're Riolutwo, right?"

Riolutwo skidded to a stop just in front of them, and nodded. This close, they could see the mottling over the top of what a normal Riolu looked like – darker patches, irregularly shaped and distributed, on the bluer parts of his fur.

Ash took a Pokéball from his belt. "You know, my Riolu evolved a few months ago – so I guess you're not exactly the same any more."

"_We never were,"_ Riolutwo said. _"No more, nor less, than two Pidgey are the same."_

"...yeah, good point," Ash agreed. He opened Lucario's Pokéball.

"_Greetings,"_ Lucario said, kneeling down to his once-copy. _"Are you well?"_

"_I am,"_ Riolutwo confirmed. _"As are the other clones."_

The clone looked up at Ash for a moment, as Pidgeot dropped off Misty in another miniature hurricane. _"Oh – the Rockets are here as well."_

"Giovanni?" Ash asked, startled.

"_No, not him. The ones who helped you help Mewtwo."_

"Oh," Ash said. He exhaled, relieved. "Good thing it's them, not Giovanni."

"Sounds like a reunion," Misty said, dusting herself off.

A call drew their attention overhead. _"Hi!"_

Togekisstwo spiralled down to greet them. _"It's lovely to see you. I'll go let Mewtwo know you're here!"_

* * *

><p>Twelve miles off and ten thousand feet in the sky, a weather balloon floated serenely amidst light, fluffy clouds.<p>

Domino steadied her long-range camera. "Sir?"

"Yes?" Giovanni replied, through her mobile phone.

"I have eyes on the targets. Two main concentrations – one I can't see all of, but it includes Mewtwo and several verified clones. The other is in the open – sending images now."

The camera whirred as it zoomed in closer, and then transmitted.

Giovanni examined the result for several seconds.

"Sir?" Domino asked, after the silence stretched. "Should I order the combat unit to close in?"

"...no," Giovanni said, softly. "Stand down."

Domino blinked. "Can you repeat that, sir?"

Giovanni did. "Stand down, agent Domino. Do you recognize those humans on the shoreline?"

The Black Tulip examined the image on her camera screen. "...I'm afraid not, sir."

"The boy is the biggest worry. His Lucario and Pikachu confirm it – that is Ash Ketchum."

Giovanni chuckled. "I am not so foolish as to oppose _him._"

"Pardon?" Domino said. "You're willing to oppose Mewtwo, but not a pre-teen boy?"

"Domino, my agents have reported that he _fought_ Mewtwo. He won the Indigo League, he was at Shamouti, he fought and beat Hunter J – twice. And that is just the tip of the iceberg." Giovanni paused, then spoke again. "I have no desire to see Team Rocket broken."

Another dry chuckle. "Besides, if Mewtwo truly is hostile, then that boy will stop him with ease. And if he is not... yes, that could work to our advantage."

Domino heard a chair being moved. "Remain on station, agent Domino, but have the combat unit stand down. I'm going to have the press division draft a carefully-coordinated leak implicating us in the creation of Mewtwo – and suggesting that we discovered how the scientists we hired had gone against our wishes, and that we let him go once he made his wishes clear."

Giovanni's voice became faintly whimsical. "It's even true, if you look at it one way..."

* * *

><p><em>So, you see,<em> Mewtwo said steadily. _It is a question we have all had to contemplate. Are we real? Do we deserve to exist? What is our purpose?_

He reached up to Mew, hovering overhead, and touched the tail of his friend. _And the answers I found were – we are real. Everything deserves to exist. And to exist is a purpose in itself. All that is necessary is to _be_, not to _do.

"_...nice words,"_ Cubone agreed. _"I do see some of what you mean – most people don't fight all their lives – but... if I was sent back, why? Why did I live, and my family die?_"

_I do not know,_ Mewtwo told her. _For my part, though, I am glad._

"_Why? I mean, why specifically?"_

_Because, if you had not been at New Island last year, I would have killed all of Ash's friends._ Mewtwo shook his head. _I regret every death I have caused, and to more than double the number is a prospect which I most certainly do not relish._

"_...I suppose."_ Cubone shook her head. _"But – if I survived this time, why not last time? What purpose did I have last time – or, if I didn't, does that mean I died?"_

_These are questions I cannot answer easily, _Mewtwo said.

Cubonetwo looked up at her alternate. _"Do they matter? I mean – you're alive. Why not make the most of it?"_

"_It matters to me,"_ Cubone told her. _"I... my family died. And I didn't. I want to know why."_ She slammed her club into the ground. _"I refuse to believe they died for nothing."_

_No-one dies for nothing, if they have lived at all._ Mewtwo raised a hand. _There are young Pokémon on this island – born from clones, created in a laboratory – and they are alive. If they never fight a battle, if they live their days without ever deciding to leave... is that a worthless life? They will still live, still love._

_I kind of wish we had a quick answer for you,_ Mew added. _I know, none of this is very happy or simple... but it's the best we've got._

"_Maybe Togekisstwo could help, she always seems to know what to say,"_ Cubonetwo suggested. _"Where is she?"_

Mewtwo's eyes glowed for a moment, and he blinked. _Well, that's convenient._

"_What?"_ Cubonetwo asked – though she got her answer a moment later.

"_Hello, everyone!"_ Togekisstwo called, swooping overhead and circling down into the shade. _"Ash, Brock and Misty are here!"_

Meowth gave a translation.

"Really?" James blinked. "Are we about to see that girl from Hoenn show up?"

"Wouldn't surprise me at this point," Jessie agreed.

* * *

><p><em>Ash, it is good to see you.<em> Mewtwo nodded. _Perhaps this time we will be able to talk without the pressure of time hanging over us._

"That'd be nice," Ash agreed. "I mean... we were passing by, and we thought we'd drop in. I hope you haven't had trouble with Team Rocket?"

_No, none at all. I make sure to give interviews two hundred miles away._

Excuse me? Dexter materialized. Is that exactly or approximately two hundred miles?

"Huh?" Ash asked. "Does it matter?"

_I assumed it didn't matter,_ Mewtwo admitted. _Why?_

Because if you're going two hundred miles every single time, it defines the edge of a circle. It would take fairly basic analysis to pinpoint your location.

_I see._ Mewtwo looked annoyed. _I wish I'd realized that. That might be a problem._

"Don't worry about it," Ash recommended. "You may be a bit of a recluse, but that's a lot better than last time – people know about you now, and they know you're a good guy. You can get help!"

He grinned. "Besides – I'll help. Call me if you need me."

_I will. Thank you, Ash._

Mewtwo turned, his arm taking in the gathering below – many of the Pokémon were discussing things with their clones or the evolved forms thereof, and those Pokémon who were never cloned were looking around with some astonishment at their body doubles.

Except for one – Cubone, still looking depressed and aloof, all but ignoring her clone and the others trying to draw her into the general enjoyment.

_It would be ideal if we could just spend the afternoon in quiet, with friends – but we can't do that just yet, I'm afraid. Jessie's Cubone is quite badly depressed._

Ash winced.

_She came here, to me, in the hopes that I and the other Pokémon of Quena could help her. I believe it has helped – a bit – but she is still not as she could be._

Mewtwo glanced back at Ash. _I believe, however, that you know an Aura technique which might help her._

"If she agrees to needing it, sure," Ash said readily. "I should probably make sure I've got who I want to take in ready, though..."

_That would be advisable, yes._

* * *

><p>"Everyone okay to help?" Ash asked.<p>

Pikachu nodded. _"Of course. She needs help, and we can give it to her."_

The others nodded or otherwise confirmed what Pikachu had said, and Ash smiled.

"Thanks, guys. And – wait. She's got that reality marble, right?" He looked between them. "Lucario – you were in it once?"

"_I was. It's... quite impressive. It is like her inner world made real. A field of bones, under a stormy sky."_

"So, by the sound of it, that's what we'll find in there..." Ash groaned. "And she's a ground type. Great."

He pointed. "I can't take you, Pikachu... Lucario... Quilava's not a good idea either..."

A sigh. "Okay, who's _good_ against Ground types?"

"_I am I am I am!"_ Totodile said, jumping up and down. _"Pick me!"_

"_I'll come too,"_ Bayleef added. _"Ivysaur's part Poison, so he's out of the running."_

Pidgeot chirped an affirmative.

"_Sounds like a fine game,"_ Noctowl offered. _"The poor lass needs a right good pep-up, and we're the chaps and chapesses to do it."_

"_Don't let her hear you calling her a poor lass,"_ Lucario advised.

"_A touch, a touch, I do confess."_ Noctowl looked among the group. _"Sorry, old bean, you're contraindicated too."_

"_Isn't it Bayleef who's a... bean?"_ Houndour shrugged. _"Point taken, though. I'm part-Fire, so I'm no use here."_

"Right." Ash took a breath. "And Heracross?"

The Bug nodded.

"Maybe I should grab Kingler, too."

* * *

><p>"Of course you can have Kingler," Professor Oak assured Ash. "Actually, he's about the most well behaved of your Pokémon, so in a way I'm sorry to see him go."<p>

"What about Snorlax?" Ash asked.

"Mealtimes," Oak said with a wince.

Kingler was duly collected, and sent off to Mount Quena.

"Thanks, Professor!" Ash said, and rang off.

A moment later, Scizor tapped on the door frame. _"Professor?"_

Damos beeped. Scizor appears to want help with our new guests.

Oak blinked. "Guests?"

Gary yawned, walking into the main room. "Hi, Gramps. Man, I feel better after that cup of coffee..."

He took in the worried expression on Scizor's face – and that of Tracey, as he appeared in the door behind his Pokémon.

"What is it?" he asked, yawning again.

Behind him, Umbreon walked into the room. _"See?" _she said, looking behind her. _"I told you you'd like it."_

Furfrou licked her lips. _"It's a bit sweet."_

"_That's just how I, personally, like it."_ Umbreon shrugged. _"Experiment, I say."_

"Uh, Professor?" Tracey said, nervously. "Some Pokémon just showed up, asking for a lift to Johto."

Oak blinked. "What?"

Tracey stood aside, letting the Swords of Justice into the room.

"Wait." Gary pointed. "Were you in Kalos a couple of months ago?"

"_Uh..."_ Keldeo nodded. _"Yes, we were. Why?"_

"Back in a moment!" Gary darted back to his room.

"_What a strange human,"_ Cobalion said. _"Now – you are the Professor Oak which the Lapras mentioned, yes?"_

"That's right, I'm Professor Samuel Oak." Oak blinked. "A _Lapras_ told you about me?"

"_Yes,"_ Virizion said. _"He just dropped us off at the waterfront about ten minutes ago – he said you might be able to help."_

But... Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion and Keldeo are Unovan Legendaries, Damos said. What are you doing here in Kanto?

"_We're trying to get to Johto!"_ Keldeo told them. _"There's a Pokémon there we want to meet!"_

"_I'll be honest, _I_ for one had basically forgotten that,"_ Terrakion muttered _sotto voce._

"Aha!"

Gary came back into the room with a bag over one shoulder.

Keldeo's eyes lit up. _"That's my bag! How did you-"_

"I was in Kalos until, basically, yesterday," Gary explained. "I saw you guys fighting that forest fire, and this bag was lying around – I couldn't get to you to give it back, so I decided to take it and give it to my friend Ash."

Virizion blinked. _"Why him?"_

"He runs into every Legendary he comes within five hundred miles of." Gary returned the bag to Keldeo, who immediately opened it and checked the contents.

As he sighed with relief everything was still there, Cobalion spoke up. _"You say you got here from Kalos? How?"_

"I-" Gary's eye twitched. "Taught my Alakazam teleport, so he was able to whisk me over here. Since then I've been asleep from a combination of fatigue and jet lag."

He yawned, and scrubbed at his eyes. "But I should be okay for now. What help do you need?"

"_That is very kind of you," _Cobalion told him.

"_Yeah, this kid's got the right stuff,"_ Terrakion grinned.

"_We want to speak to the Legendary Pokémon we heard of, Mewtwo,"_ Virizion explained. _"It took us a lot longer than we were expecting to get to the right country, though."_

* * *

><p>"You ready for this?" Jessie asked, worried.<p>

"_I said I will."_ Cubone nodded. _"I... at this point, I mainly want to have some kind of peace. Answers would be nice, but... if this will work, then yes."_

"It does," Misty assured her. "Worked on me – and on Sabrina, as well."

Ash nodded. "Okay, let's go."

Cubone took a breath, and nodded. She reached out for Ash's glowing hand-

* * *

><p>-Ash found himself standing in a shallow depression, between rolling hills cloaked in dry, yellow grass.<p>

"Guys?" he asked, looking around.

Noctowl landed on his arm. "Well, it's every bit as peculiar as you said it would be."

"Yeah," Ash agreed.

Bayleef nodded to him. "Let's go, Ash. Where do we look?"

Ash closed his eyes – then opened them, rubbing at the corners. "Ow. This place is... weird, under Aura Sight. It kind of gives me a headache."

He turned. "Pidgeot? Think we can get a look from above?"

"On it." Pidgeot spread her wings, and hammered the air – producing a blast of wind which ruffled the grass in a series of concentric ripples.

Ash took the opportunity to unlimber his staff, making it ready for use. A moment of concentration, and it flashed blue with Aura.

"Anything?" he called up to Pidgeot.

"I think so! I see-"

There was a crack, and something hit Pidgeot. She cried out in surprise and pain, and dove out of the way of the second speeding object.

"What was that?" Ash asked.

She landed next to him. "Rock Throw – it came from the top of a hill. That direction!"

"Right." Ash took a breath. "Guess this isn't going to be easy. Let's go!"

As they began to jog, however, the ground started to shift.

"What was that?" Ash closed his eyes to shift to Aura Sight, and then winced and opened them again.

Noctowl pointed. "Look!"

As they watched, a patch of ground shifted. The grass on it fell away, revealing a skeleton almost buried in rich brown soil.

Which moved.

As Ash and his Pokémon watched, astonished, a skeletal Grotle pushed its way out of the ground and turned to them.

"Oh... dear," Noctowl said. "'twould seem bones are the theme, here."

"Ha!" Heracross dove forwards, driving his horn underneath the Grotle. It thrashed at him, and scored a blow on his hard exoskeleton, but he then flipped it into the air and off into the distance.

"Nice work!" Ash said, grinning.

"Yeah, that was pretty neat," Kingler agreed. "What about all the others?"

They turned.

There were a lot more skeleton-Pokémon emerging from the rolling terrain, everything from Absol to Zubat emerging into the diffuse yellow light of the cloud-strewn sky. Dozens upon dozens were appearing, all over the place, and some of them were already preparing attacks.

"Run?" Ash suggested.

Everyone else agreed.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Mewtwo Returns! Or, er, doesn't. Everyone returns to Mewtwo's house?

Yes, the method outlined by Dexter is how Team Rocket located Mewtwo in this fic.


	64. Mewtwo Returns 2

This is the second of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>"So, where are we going?" Gary asked, now properly dressed and ready for the day.<p>

"_We don't actually know,"_ Cobalion admitted. _"We are aware Mewtwo lives in Johto, but not more than that."_

Gary frowned. "Hmmm... Ash will know. Dee?"

Yes?

"Can you call Ash for us?"

Dialing.

Dee emitted a cheerful ringing noise.

"That's new," Gary mused. "Where'd that come from?"

The internet. 

The ringing was replaced by a click. Hello? Dee?

Dexter? Dee asked. Good. Can you get Ash?

He's... kind of busy right now.

"_That's a pity,"_ Keldeo said.

Wait, is that Keldeo? Dexter's digital voice held some surprise. What's he doing in Kanto?

"They want to speak to Mewtwo," Gary supplied. "We hoped Ash knew where he was."

* * *

><p><em>...well, I didn't expect that,<em> Mewtwo said, looking down at the Pokédex. _Really?_

That's what they said, Dexter confirmed. Do you mind if I-

_Go ahead._

* * *

><p><span>He's actually standing about four feet from me right now,<span> Dexter explained. It should be fine for you to come over – it's Mount Quena.

"Mount Quena?" Gary frowned. "Alakazam, you remember the nearest place to that?"

Alakazam shrugged.

"It's about twenty miles from Ecruteak," Gary clarified. "Take us there, and I'll supply corrections."

He looked around, and returned Umbreon. "Who else wants to come?"

Furfrou shrugged. _"I may as well see what this region has to offer. I hope it's sufficiently glamorous."_

"You're in a room with four Legendary Pokémon and about to go visit another one," Professor Oak pointed out.

"_Well, Legendary is as Legendary does."_ Furfrou tossed her hair. _"As I say, I'll come along."_

_Anyone else?_ Alakazam asked. _Right, here goes._

He raised his spoons, and an outline of light enveloped Gary, Furfrou, Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion and Keldeo.

_Teleport!_

* * *

><p>Ash swung his staff, knocking an Absol skeleton into the distance. It fell apart on the journey, but immediately began to reform.<p>

"At least they're fragile," he said, winding up for another swing at what looked like an Empoleon.

"Yes, but there's a dashed lot of them." Noctowl replied. "They're sneaking up on your left, Pidgeot. Be a dear."

Pidgeot flared her wing, sending two Houndour and a Mightyena flying. "This is taking too long."

"Agreed," Kingler said. "Surf!"

Water gushed from both his pincers, knocking a few skeletal Fire-types backwards. The rate of flow was astonishing, and before long it had started to pool in the lower areas of the inner world.

Bayleef's vines whipped out and pulled a neck-bone out of a Tyranitar skeleton. It fell to pieces, and she used the bone to hit a Crobat out of the sky. "How many of them are there?"

"Lots," Noctowl said tersely. "I'm projecting an illusion, but none of them are responding. Deuced unfair."

He frowned. "Totodile! Over here, there's a good lad."

Totodile jumped up, used Bayleef's back as a stepping stone, and Noctowl caught him mid-air. "Let's take to the sky, shall we?"

"Sure!" Totodile agreed.

"Whoa!" Ash ducked, and a bone nearly took his head off.

Heracross leaped forwards, and smashed the next one to pieces with his horn. "Are these coming from the same place as the Rock Throw which nearly knocked you out of the sky, Pidgeot?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "It looks like there's only one more valley to cross... oh."

They reached the top of a small rise, revealing a _sea_ of skeletons covering the whole valley.

Atop the hill in the distance, a shape could be seen – cloaked in darkness.

"I'll venture a guess that that's it," Noctowl said. Then Totodile unleashed a Hydro Pump from overhead, and all Noctowl's attention went into preventing the recoil.

"I think I can clear it," Pidgeot said, and began to inhale.

Several skeletal Pokémon rushed at her from both sides. Ash hit one of them with his staff, sweeping it into the others with the aid of Aura-enhanced grip from his boots, and Heracross and Bayleef covered her other side.

Inrushing air focused in a tiny point, just in front of her beak. The temperature and pressure went higher and higher, and then flashed over to plasma.

Then Pidgeot used Aeroblast.

She raked along the skeleton-filled valley, producing a trail of explosions as her potent attack smashed bone constructs aside by the dozens, and bones fountained out in all directions.

When the smoke cleared, their path was clear.

"Nice work, Pidgeot!" Ash said. "Okay, guys, let's hurry before more of them show up!"

* * *

><p><em>bink<em>

"Ecruteak," Gary confirmed, looking around. "Man, this place... remember, Umbreon?"

No reply.

"Oops." He released her, and she gave him a look.

Gary shook his head. "Don't give me that. You have to be in the 'ball, or Alakazam can't take you."

Umbreon glanced at Furfrou, and shrugged. _"See what I have to deal with?"_

Furfrou giggled, hiding her mouth behind one elegant paw.

"_What did you do?"_ Keldeo asked.

Umbreon flicked her tail at the gym. _"I swept Morty, that's what. Four for nothing."_

"_That's impressive,"_ Virizion complimented her. _"Gym leaders are often strong."_

"Her having a type advantage doesn't hurt, though," Gary added. "Anyway, Alakazam?"

_Yes?_

"That's Mount Quena, there. Can you take us up to the rim?"

Alakazam stared in that direction for a little longer. _Not in one jump – my coordinates aren't precise enough. I'll close in slowly._

"Sounds good." Gary returned Umbreon again.

_bink_

A shady hillock, a few miles outside Ecruteak proper.

_bink_

A crumbling cliffside, though thankfully some metres back from the edge.

_bink_

Halfway up a mountainside.

_bink_

* * *

><p>Ash ran up the hillside, legs pumping.<p>

Behind him, there was a loud splash as Kingler landed in the flooding valley. That was followed by a hollow _boom_ as he fired an underwater Crabhammer, producing a supercavitating explosion and sending bones everywhere.

"Everything seems to be going just tickety-boo at the moment," Noctowl commented, swooping down with his reptilian passenger to fly alongside Ash, Pidgeot, Heracross and Bayleef. "Which probably means we're in for some chop."

He dodged around a thrown bone, and again as it boomeranged smoothly around and nearly hit him on the return.

"So, tell me. How does this usually work?"

Ash frowned. "In all honesty, all three times so far we've had to hit something very hard indeed."

"Good, I worried it might be something difficult."

With that, they finally reached the top of the hill. A line of Fossil Pokémon barred their way, standing shoulder to shoulder (or other body part).

"Right." Ash skidded to a halt, catching his breath for a moment. The fossils didn't seem to be moving, so he had time to strategize. "Bayleef, Totodile, this is mostly going to be you. Ready for this?"

Nods.

"Okay..." Ash thought for a moment. The explosions of water from behind him were a comforting reminder that Kingler was covering their back... and a reminder he might not be able to for long. "Bayleef... you're our best choice against the Omastar, Kabutops and Carracosta."

"Got it." She nodded, and took a deep breath. "I've got just the thing for them."

"Right. Noctowl? Keep Totodile safe. Totodile, you get the Aerodactyl, Armaldo and Archeops. Think you can manage it?"

"Yep yep yeah!" Totodile nodded enthusiastically, making Noctowl bob up and down in the air.

"I'm quite sure we'll handle it – so long as the young imp here doesn't make me drop him, of course..." Noctowl mused. "What about the Cradily, Rampardos and Bastiodon?"

"Heracross – and me," Ash said firmly. "Pidgeot, can you manage another Aeroblast?"

"At least one more, yes," she confirmed. "I might be able to stretch it past that."

"That should do." Ash took another deep breath, and Aura began to build in his palms. "Now!"

Bayleef moved first. She shook her head around in a complete circle, making her head-leaf spin, and a shower of petals began to drift out from it – circling faster and faster, until they formed a high-speed curtain of pink and white petals.

Then they stormed forwards.

"Petal dance!" she announced, and the Omastar went flying in a tornado of sweet-smelling petals.

The Carracosta and Kabutops promptly charged at her, and she switched the Petal Dance to a kind of defensive ring around herself.

Carracosta charged through it, heavily battered by the petals as it did so, and raised a flipper to strike-

And Bayleef body-checked it back into the torrent of petals. It struggled for a moment, then fell over.

Bayleef shook her head, already starting to feel the strain from sustaining her Petal Dance, and watched the Kabutops as it circled – occasionally swiping at her protective wall of petals.

A grinding sound alerted her to the Carracosta slowly starting to stand up again.

This could get tricky.

* * *

><p>"Whoops!" Noctowl slipped sideways in the air, away from the reaching claws of the Archeops, and flipped Totodile around in his grip so the Water-type was facing backwards. "Open fire!"<p>

Totodile obliged, firing out a powerful Hydro Pump. The Archeops was hit full in the face, and checked slightly in the air.

Almost as important, however, was that the recoil sent the two relatively light Pokémon forwards at quite a spectacular speed.

Noctowl strained with his wings to steer their jet-propelled flight, making sure to give Totodile as many opportunities to blast the two Flying fossils as possible, and spared enough time to be grateful that they'd managed to knock the Armaldo out right at the start.

Totodile coughed, and stopped using Hydro Pump.

"You still top hole, Totodile?" Noctowl asked, concerned, as their speed dropped.

"I'm not used to using that much Hydro Pump," Totodile admitted. "Sorry!"

"No, perfectly understandable," Noctowl told him promptly. "No blame on your front whatsoever. By the way, use Aqua Jet in three, two..."

Noctowl turned up into a wingover, and slung Totodile directly at Archeops.

There was a loud _splash-thud_.

Diving, the owl Pokémon managed to catch Totodile short of his hitting the ground.

About four seconds later, there was a very loud _crash_ as Archeops landed. On top of the reviving Armaldo.

"Ah, my cunning plan worked!" Noctowl said, quite self-satisfied.

"What cunning plan was that?" Totodile asked, shaking his head. "And why is there two of everything?"

A caw came from behind them.

"Well, two down, one to go." Noctowl turned again, flying towards the Aerodactyl. "Tally-ho!"

* * *

><p>Ash focussed Aura into his right hand, producing a blue-glowing sphere of Aura. He then closed his hand in a quick motion, crushing the single sphere into a shower of smaller ones which went everywhere before homing in again on the Rampardos.<p>

It charged through them, small blue explosions pocking its hide, and came stampeding forward to smash him with its head.

Ash pulsed Aura through his boots, and jumped – astonishingly high, as his weight briefly went down to about five pounds.

The Rampardos went straight past him, skidding to a halt as it did so, and turned to watch as he landed.

Then a Bastiodon skidded into its side, and knocked it over.

Ash took the chance with both hands. He ran forwards, charging his staff as he did so, and brought it down with a two-handed blow on the Head Butt Pokémon.

At about the same time, Heracross delivered a Focus Punch.

"That should do it," Ash said. "What about the Cradily?"

"Already dealt with it," Heracross replied. "Megahorn."

"Nice." Ash looked back and forth – Bayleef was still Petal Dancing and occupying the Fossils to his left, and to his right Noctowl and Totodil between them were flying rings around the Aerodactyl. "Let's hurry!"

Pidgeot took off, flying low, and skimmed alongside.

Ash squinted through the darkness – it was darker than he was expecting, with the overcast clouds overhead seeming to be almost black around the centre of the inner world.

"There!" he said, pointing. It was almost blending in with the dark grass, but he could see a stationary form – standing among a dense field of bones.

Pidgeot began charging an Aeroblast.

"What is it?" Heracross asked, looking forwards as they ran. It seems almost like-"

A bone hit him at eye-blurring speeds, sending him tumbling backwards.

"Heracross!" Ash called, then interposed his staff between the dark shape and Pidgeot. Something pinged off, knocking Ash backwards with the force of the impact despite Aura steadying him.

The second one bounced off a green Protect shield, and then Ash dropped the shield just as Pidgeot fired.

* * *

><p>Mewtwo looked up. <em>Ah, Gary Oak.<em>

"Hey, he remembers me." Gary nodded. "That's me, alright. And here's the Swords of Justice."

_Dexter told me you were coming,_ Mewtwo said, nodding. _Welcome._

"_What's going on there?"_ Cobalion asked, nodding to the motionless half-dozen Pokémon and the human lying on the floor amongst them.

_That is Ash Ketchum, an Aura adept. He is helping Jessie's Cubone through the use of Aura Purge._

"_That's a difficult technique,"_ Virizion observed.

"_Hey, I couldn't begin to tell you how to do it." _Terrakion shrugged his big shoulders. _"I'm more of a wham-bam-slam guy."_

Cobalion smiled slightly. _"In any case. We heard of your recent creation, and how you managed to overcome the circumstances of your creation – you and your fellow clones – and... we wished to learn from you how you did so."_

Mewtwo blinked. _That brought you across oceans and continents?_

"_I will be honest,"_ Terrakion said, _"It seemed like a better idea at the time."_

_Well, now you are here – and the answer is in two parts._ Mewtwo shrugged. _As for the first, the answer itself, it is that life is precious and that living is sufficient. If we are clones – so what? It does not make us who we are._ _Any more than being born as one Pokémon instead of another limits us._

"_Wise words,"_ Cobalion agreed. _"But what is the other part?"_

_The aura adept, there,_ Mewtwo explained. _He opened my eyes, by sacrificing his life to knock some sense into me._

"_Wait, what?"_ Terrakion blurted. His two teammates also seemed a little startled. _"How'd he manage that?"_

_I don't entirely understand myself,_ Mewtwo admitted. _But he did, and yet here he is._

They looked over to Ash as they spoke – and then blinked.

* * *

><p>"<em>It sucks, being out here waiting,"<em> Pikachu said. _"It happened last time as well, for me."_

"_I don't think I've ever gone in," _Lucario admitted. _"I stood watch the first time, and since then either it's been a bad idea or I've been too unconscious."_

"_Yeah," _Pikachu agreed. _"I know he's safe, it's just..."_

The sound of hooves made him look up. _"Hi, Stantl-wait, what!?"_

Pikachu gaped. _"Keldeo? What the heck are _you_ doing in Johto?"_

"_Do I know you?" _Keldeo asked. _"I've only ever met a few Pikachu before..."_

"_No – I'm... oh, this is just great."_

Keldeo frowned at him, confused, and then looked over at Ash. _"Is he alright?"_

"_It is Aura Purge,"_ Lucario commented. _"It's fine."_

Keldeo looked closer. _"It's strange... like he's asleep, but-"_

The Colt Pokémon abruptly fell over.

Pikachu jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding being landed on, and then noticed Keldeo's hoof had come into contact with one of Pidgeot's feathers.

"_What happened to Keldeo?"_ Cobalion said, cantering over.

"_Stop!"_ Lucario said, raising a palm. _"Or this is going to get very complicated very quickly. He touched one of the Pokémon in Aura Purge, and got pulled in."_

"Is that... bad?" Jessie asked. "Will it be a problem? Is Cubone okay?"

"_I believe it will be fine,"_ Lucario said. _"There have been late additions to Aura Purge before."_

* * *

><p>-Aeroblast lashed out, a blaze of red surrounded by a curtain of intense wind... and did absolutely nothing at all.<p>

The attack, delivered with all the fury and power one might expect from a Pokémon personally tutored by a legendary Pokémon, hit and passed through the black shadow that was her target.

It barely even rippled.

Pidgeot ended the Aeroblast, and gaped. "What? How did that-"

"Look out!"

A blue bone cracked out, leaving a sonic boom behind it, and struck Pidgeot on the breast. She staggered back a step, wincing, and the follow-up blow was a rock the size of her head which knocked her head-over-tail to land on her back.

"Pidgeot!" Ash cried. He stepped forwards, to protect her as best he could.

Heracross joined him, hands working to form an Aura Sphere.

The black shadow seemed to distort, blowing around like smoke, and then whatever it was hiding advanced – slowly and implacably.

When it was about ten feet away, it stopped – then blurred forwards, a bone club emerging from the shadowy darkness.

One blow smashed Ash aside, his staff dropping from nerveless fingers. The second hit Heracross, making him tumble over onto his back several feet away.

And a gigantic, earth-shaking blow went straight into the back of Pidgeot's neck.

Ash pushed himself up, and watched with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as his beautiful, graceful Flying-type tumbled through the air... and out of sight.

* * *

><p>Everyone blinked as Ash's staff started to glow.<p>

"That's unusual," Brock said. "I thought he was only in an inner world. Shouldn't he not be affecting the outside?"

"That's how it's supposed to work," Misty agreed.

"_Is the staff some kind of aura conduit?"_ Cobalion asked, and got nods in return. _"Strange it would glow without prompting."_

Gary looked closer. "That's not the only thing that's glowing. Look at his bag!"

Light was streaming out of the opening, a curious mix of iridescent gold and clear silver. The silvery light component alternately vanished and outshone the other, flickering back and forth between the two.

As they watched, the light sources merged into one strong opalescent fire. They pulsed in rhythm with the glowing staff, like a heartbeat.

* * *

><p>A flash of blue caught Ash's eye.<p>

He turned to see his staff pulsing on the floor, just as it had in Greenfield, and then there was an answering orange flash that lit up the base of the overcast clouds.

Pidgeot came back over the lip of the hill.

She was... very different.

Her red-yellow crest had gained a long and vibrant streamer, which lashed in the wind, and a small feathered plume which stuck out over one eye. Her wings were clearly larger, with blue accents on the outermost primary flight feathers, and a similar blue band striped her tail feathers' tips.

She was also _much_ bigger.

"Another mega evolution? How-" Ash asked, then shook his head grinned. "All right, Pidgeot!"

Pidgeot's wings hammered, and she gathered speed before flying off into the distance. A bonemerang curved after her, and she rolled flawlessly away from it – Ash caught the little flash of green which meant she'd just used Detect.

From her distant form, a blade of wind curved in from an Air Slash. It spun unerringly through the air and made contact with the dark, shadowy form of their foe.

And there was a plume of shadow, as though whatever the darkness was formed of was being blown in a high wind. For a moment, Ash saw through it – seeing a Marowak, with brown and black tarnish on her bone armour and eyes which were pits of blackness – and then the attack ended, and the darkness returned.

"Pidgeot!" Ash called, up into the sky. "I think you're able to hurt it! Stay safe up there, okay?"

Pidgeot dipped her wings in answer, and accelerated. There was a _boom_ as she hit the sound barrier, and kept accelerating – until she was circling the whole battle at a truly astonishing speed.

* * *

><p>Keldeo looked around.<p>

"What-" he said, blinking. "I... what just happened?"

He saw a dark, windswept landscape, with a field of grass under a stormy sky.

The occasional explosion could be heard in the distance.

"Hello?" he called. "Is anyone there?"

A whimpering answered him.

"Who's that?" He turned his head, listening carefully. "Aha!"

Another whimper, which turned into a squeak as he trotted over to a patch of grass.

"Hey, come on now," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm training to be a Sword of Justice!"

"...what's a Sword of Justice?" asked the voice.

"Swords of Justice are heroes," Keldeo said firmly. "They travel around, saving Pokémon wherever they go! They're amazing!"

As he explained, the owner of the voice emerged from her tuft of grass. It was a young Cubone, looking worriedly up at him.

"I'm scared," she said.

"Who are you scared of?" Keldeo asked.

"Me," Cubone told him. She pointed into the distance – and Cubone noticed that there was clearly some kind of battle going on over there.

Keldeo blinked. "You're scared... of yourself?"

"The other me," Cubone clarified. "She's scary, and I don't know what to do..."

"What's this other me you mean?" Keldeo asked.

"She's kind of... the scary bit," Cubone tried to explain. "She's powerful, and... and she frightens me."

"That's okay," Keldeo said. "The Swords of Justice are supposed to help people!"

As he said that, he thought about it. Really thought about it, in full detail.

Was that what he wanted to do? Well... yes.

But he didn't always think that way. He wanted to be a Sword of Justice... because Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion were. Because they were strong, and powerful, and amazing.

But... they didn't think of themselves as powerful, or amazing. They tirelessly helped Pokémon – and humans – wherever they went.

When they trained, it wasn't to show off – it was to get better at helping people. At saving people.

At helping the helpless.

Keldeo came to a decision, and knelt down. "Climb on," he said. "Can you show me where this other self is?"

Cubone looked torn.

"Don't worry – I'll protect you. I promise," Keldeo said firmly, and after a moments' thought Cubone climbed up onto his back.

As soon as she was on firmly, Keldeo came back to his feet and began trotting forwards.

Suddenly, there was a flash of... images, with sound but without any kind of additional context.

Keldeo saw himself, badly injured and with a broken horn, and hands reaching past his viewpoint to help steady... him?

It was only for a moment, but he wondered what it meant.

* * *

><p>A bone whirled out at Pidgeot.<p>

At her speed – faster than she'd ever gone before, faster than she thought just about _any_ Pokémon had ever gone before – she was faced with the unpleasant reality that she almost couldn't dodge.

Simply to remain within a mile or so of Ash and the others, she was turning in hard continually – orbiting at mach three – and had relatively little manoeuvre leeway.

She rolled as the bone came in, batting it away with her wings, and her path kinked out a little – increasing her distance from Ash, and putting her dangerously close to the limit of the mindscape.

This was going to be tricky.

Pidgeot curved back in slightly, returning to her supersonic circling, and with care spun off a layer of air.

It dropped behind her, and she continued to build it up gradually – making it encircle the whole of the rolling, bone-encrusted hills. Then, when the loop closed, she started to make it contract and intensify.

Another bone came in, and Pidgeot accepted the hit – she couldn't afford to dodge.

* * *

><p>Ash ducked as a bone cracked by overhead, and fired an Aura Sphere back.<p>

It passed through the dark, ghostly Marowak with barely a ripple, and he winced. "Noctowl!"

"Tally-ho!" Noctowl said. "Foresight!"

His eyes flashed red, beams emanating from them and playing over the enemy Pokémon.

There was a long pause.

"What's-" Ash blocked another incoming bonemerang. "Whoa!"

"I... dashed if I can do it," Noctowl said, sounding puzzled. "I'm certainly using Foresight, but the bally thing doesn't want to be identified!"

The Marowak turned to him. _"Smack down,"_ it said, in a voice like crunching gravel.

A rock hit Noctowl square in the face, and he slumped to the floor.

"Noctowl?" Ash asked. "Are you okay?"

Noctowl muttered something about Queensbury rules, and stopped moving.

"Is he..." Heracross asked, worried.

"No, you can't be permanently hurt in Aura Purge," Ash said. "Worst that can happen is being knocked out – and I _think_ that means you end up back in your own mind until the purge ends."

* * *

><p>Noctowl blinked, stirring. "Well, that bally well hit me for six, didn't it..."<p>

He stood up, and looked around.

It was some kind of forest, by night, with the quiet buzzing of insects. Strange...

He turned, and stopped.

"What the deuce is Big Ben doing here?"

* * *

><p>Kingler swung his claw at yet another skeleton, smashing it to pieces, and fired a Crabhammer underwater to blow several more apart.<p>

He was starting to tire, and he knew it.

But – he was keeping Ash and his friends safe. So he kept fighting.

Then a light impact on his shell drew his attention.

It was... a raindrop.

Where was that coming from?

* * *

><p>"So... where are we?" Keldeo asked, as he trotted towards the sound of the battle.<p>

"I... I think it's my mind," Cubone said, holding on tightly to the back of his mane. "I don't really understand it..."

"Oh, right!" Keldeo nodded, now understanding what he must have done when he approached the group of Pokémon. "Must be some kind of aura technique. I-"

Another flash of images. Again, it was him – this time, eating from some kind of Darmuakka lunchbox.

The image disappeared in a moment.

"Are you okay?" Cubone asked.

"I'm fine," Keldeo informed her, shaking his head to try and clear it a bit. "I just saw -never mind."

He looked up. "Hey, it's raining. I – whoa!"

Cubone looked up, and they both gaped as a huge tornado formed out of nowhere. It drew in the blackening clouds overhead, shaking rain from them in showers which became a rainstorm, and the funnel cloud snaked down to hit something a half-mile or so ahead.

"Come on!" Keldeo said, breaking into a canter. "We should get up there!"

"Okay," Cubone replied, a little nervously. "If you think that's best..."

"Yeah!" Keldeo looked back at her, smiling, and trying to sound reassuring. "But if you want to get off, just say."

Cubone thought for a bit, then clung on tighter. "I trust you," she said.

* * *

><p>Ash covered his face against the howling tornado winds tearing into the ground in front of him. "Wow, Pidgeot!" he called into the storm. "This is amazing!"<p>

Chunks of ground were being torn up by the wind, drawn inwards, and kept smashing against the shadowy Marowak – and clearly hitting, doing damage as nothing else had.

Ash decided to try an experiment, and formed an Aura Sphere. He spun it up as fast as possible, until he could barely hold it, and fired.

This time, squinting through the funnel cloud, he saw it hit. It didn't do much damage, but it clearly made contact.

"Yes!" he said, then barely ducked a high-speed rock thrown directly at his face.

Heracross charged forwards into the wind, keeping his footing with difficulty, and got smashed away by a bone-blow from the Marowak. Another bone then came out, curving and looping towards Bayleef (standing panting in a sea of petals) – and was intercepted, with a blurring _crack._

Marowak turned, eyes flashing in the gloom and visible even through the tornado wall. _"You dare?"_

"I do," replied a voice.

Ash glanced back to look – and saw Cubone.

She stood with a bone in each hand, and carried herself with an easy confidence.

"They're here to help," Cubone went on. "So let them."

"_No!"_ Marowak insisted. _"They are responsible!"_

"And they got permission to help," Cubone replied. She stepped forwards, past Ash and into the cloud. "If you want to fight them, fight me first."

Marowak accepted, driving a blurringly fast two-handed strike with her club, and Cubone scissored her two lighter implements to block.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

This is why I had the Swords of Justice turning up in all those little bits.

Recommended music is, of course, some version or other of Emiya. Or possibly This Illusion.

Incidentally, No Guard (attacks hit, no questions asked) kind of makes sense with _most_ Pokémon who have it. But Mega Pidgeot? They're capable of about mach _three_... this is as close as I can get, really.


	65. Mewtwo Returns 3

This is the third of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>Keldeo ducked, as a rock soared towards him. "Whoa! What the heck was that?"<p>

"It's a Pokémon skeleton!" Cubone told him. "It's a Machamp!"

He blinked at the four-armed Pokémon skeleton, now visible striding towards him. "Oh. Hold on!"

Keldeo braced himself, and crouched. Then he used Hydro Pump.

Cubone squeaked in surprise, and clung onto his mane as they went rocketing into the air.

The Colt Pokémon wasn't great at flying. His legs waved wildly as he tried to control his path, resulting in the two of them pitching back and forth and wobbling as they crossed the sky – though they certainly cleared the Machamp skeleton, which seemed to be as nonplussed as a reanimated Pokémon skeleton could be.

As they flew, Keldeo saw another momentary flash of – something else.

It was – him, his horn broken as before, seen from nearby and almost from the side. He and the viewpoint were watching as a young human climbed into a train cart.

"I'll distract the Cryogonal," the human boy said. "Save the Swords of Justice, Keldeo!"

Keldeo blinked, as the image faded. "That's what's important..." he said to himself.

"What?" Cubone asked, voice raised to be heard over the ongoing cacophany of the battle some way off. "Can we land now?"

Keldeo nodded. "Sorry – sure!"

He spotted a pool of water, and aimed for that as he powered down his water jets.

Their landing nearly led to their being hit by the claws of a large Kingler.

"Wait!" Keldeo said, as he landed in a plume of side-splash. "I'm not a skeleton thing!"

"Oh." The Kingler's claws drove into the water instead of hitting Keldeo. "Sorry."

Keldeo nodded. "Where do we go now, Cubone?"

"Up that hill," Cubone said, pointing. "There's a lot of them in the way, though!"

Kingler clicked his claws. "I can help a bit – I've been trying to draw them in."

"No," Keldeo said, shaking his head. "I think I can do this."

He smiled. "The important thing – the most important thing – is to help others. To help those who need it. And I think that's what I've been missing all this time. Being a Sword of Justice isn't about being an awesome fighter – it's about saving people, and helping people. Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion... I'm sorry it took me so long to realize what you were trying to tell me."

The Water-type took a breath. "And that's what I'm going to do now. Take a rest, Kingler, you look like you need it. I can do this."

Aura crackled around his form.

Cubone blinked. "What are you-"

Keldeo concentrated, hardly daring to hope. If this was...

Slowly but inexorably, a blue energy formed around his horn, extending upwards into a long azure blade about two feet long.

"Sacred Sword," Keldeo said, with an air of triumph to his voice.

Then he charged up the hill, Sacred Sword leading the way.

* * *

><p>The swirling tornado broke up and dissipated, as the energy Pidgeot had poured into it finally ran out.<p>

As it did, the dark energy began to gather around Marowak again. Cubone jumped back, skidding to a halt next to Ash, and gave him a glance.

"Can Pidgeot do that again?"

Ash shook his head. "I don't know – sorry. What was _that_? Why does it matter?"

"I.. actually don't know," Cubone admitted. She nodded towards Marowak. "She's normally invulnerable, but for some reason not only can your Pidgeot hurt her but she's breaking the invulnerability when her attacks hit."

Cubone blocked an incoming Bonemerang, and then parried another. "I think that's our best chance."

"Got it." Ash nodded. "Pidgeot!"

Pidgeot slowed considerably, ending the continuous thunder of sonic booms which had been resounding – albeit muted – across the mindscape this whole time.

Now she was moving at a lower speed, she could afford to dodge, and she rolled gracefully away from several attacks as she swooped down to land next to Ash.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Pidgeot, can you manage another attack like that? Cubone says it's our best chance," Ash elaborated.

"I can do one better," Pidgeot said. "Ash – you know Protect, right?"

Ash nodded.

"Good. I'm going to need some defence, but I can manage another Aeroblast. Any preference for where from?"

Cubone thought, blocking more incoming attacks with a casual ease. "Straight overhead, if you can swing it."

Pidgeot cooed. "I certainly can."

Ash climbed onto her back, avoiding the long red plume which continued out past her tail, and twined his fingers into her feathers for grip. "Okay, I'm on. Let's go!"

Pidgeot nodded firmly, turned, and took off in a storm of wingbeats.

Almost immediately, Ash had to block an incoming rock. It bounced off a Protect shield, and the next one went barely astern of Pidgeot, and then she was climbing through the cloud layer and out of sight of the ground.

Ash closed his eyes to see if he could get anything from aura sight, and winced. Still the chaotic mess.

"Can you tell where Marowak is?" he called.

Pidgeot's reply was to waggle her wings slightly. "Yes!"

A bone came flying up at them, unerringly aimed despite the obscuring cloud layer, and Ash barely blocked it in time. "Let's do this quick!"

"Agreed!" Pidgeot then began to inhale, air streaming towards her mouth as she prepared an Aeroblast.

* * *

><p>The moment the red beam of light broke the clouds, Cubone lunged forwards.<p>

Her Bone Rush struck almost simultaneously with the Aeroblast – Marowak raised her club to ward off the Flying-type attack, and kicked the Bone Rush attack away with one foot.

Cubone's teeth bared under the skull. She formed another bone to replace the one which had been kicked away, and scissored in two attacks at once. Marowak was forced to block with her thick club, but managed to drive one of Cubone's attacks into the other and avoid being hit.

"Just listen for once!" Cubone called into the maelstrom. "Of course you miss our parents! So do I! But that's not the only important thing in the world!"

"_GO AWAY!"_ Marowak shouted, voice like a rockslide. _"LEAVE ME TO MY GRIEF!"_

Cubone pushed, trying to force Marowak back into the red beam of the attack itself. She was vulnerable, but not actually-

"Sacred Sword!"

A blade which shimmered like tropical seawater knifed through Marowak, and then there was a soundless explosion of light.

* * *

><p>The young Cubone sat in a featureless white plane. "Where... am I?"<p>

"I don't know," said an older voice.

She looked up and saw... herself, but older and surer of carriage, and with a lithe grace that spoke of constant training.

Herself held out a hand, and after a moment she took it.

"What happened?" the younger Cubone asked, after a moment.

"I don't know that either," the older one said. "I... think this happened after something defeated Marowak?"

"Is that the scary one of... us?" the younger one said. "I... I was scared of her. I don't want to be scared."

The older Cubone nodded. "I don't get scared, but... perhaps I need to be a bit-"

A sob interrupted them both. They turned, the older one forming two bones from thin air.

Marowak sat, cross-legged, a few yards behind them. Her head was in her hands, and she was crying.

The older Cubone frowned. "You..."

She blinked. "Wait, what are you-"

The younger one tapped Marowak on the shoulder. "Uh, excuse me?"

"What?" Marowak asked, bitterly. "Do you want to gloat?"

"No!" Cubone said, shaking her head firmly. "I just don't want to forget my family. If we're all part of the same... me... then we're all important."

Marowak blinked. "But..."

The older Cubone hesitated, and then dropped her bones – which dissolved into blue light – and walked forwards. "I think she's right," she said. "For the last couple of years we've been... consumed by pain and loss. But we can be less so without forgetting."

Marowak rubbed at her eyes, and stood. "Really?"

"Yes!" the young one said.

"I agree."

Then there was another bright flash of light.

* * *

><p>The moment Keldeo's attack hit home, the Cubone on his back vanished. So did the Cubone and the Marowak duelling in the centre of the blazing storm of light.<p>

The clouds overhead vanished, and a moment later so did the Aeroblast. A huge Flying-type, like a Pidgeot but much larger, spiralled down to land a few dozen feet away from the surprised Colt Pokémon.

"What just happened?" he asked, looking over at the human swinging off the back of the unusual Pidgeot. As the boy dismounted, the Pidgeot flashed orange and reverted to a normal appearance.

"What the-?" was his first reply, the boy sounding utterly astonished. "_Keldeo?_ What are _you_ doing here?"

"Should I know you?" Keldeo asked. He glanced upwards, and realized Sacred Sword was still active – with a moment of thought, he sheathed it.

"I... I guess maybe not," the boy said, approaching. "But... how did you get here?"

"I think I got too close to an Aura technique or something," Keldeo said. "I – wait, I _do_ recognize you. You're the human who was lying on the ground next to that Lucario and Pikachu and the other Pokémon."

"I'm Ash, by the way," Ash said. "And... how come you're in Johto, then?"

He shook his head. "Anyway. That doesn't matter, I guess... oh, hey! My Aura Sight is working again!"

Ash then turned to Keldeo, and blinked. "That means... okay, Keldeo, this is going to sound a bit strange. I met you in the future."

Keldeo didn't know quite how to take that.

"And... well, I helped you. Your horn got broken fighting Kyurem, and my friends and I-"

"I think I saw that," Keldeo interrupted. "I saw... myself, from the outside, with my horn broken. And someone distracted some Cryogonal?"

"That's Iris or Cilan," Ash agreed. "We helped to free the other Swords of Justice, and then you fought Kyurem – you didn't win, but you gave him a good fight. Anyway, there was time travel, and... I think I can restore your memories of what happened."

"It's a good deal," Pidgeot smiled. "It's like experiencing both lives."

"Well..." Keldeo frowned for a moment, then nodded. "Sure!"

After all, if they'd helped the Swords of Justice, and for that matter helped this Cubone, then they couldn't be bad at all.

Ash reached out, and Keldeo held out a hoof to touch his hand-

and blinked. "Okay, _whoa!"_

Two lives. One where he'd stayed in Unova, learning from the other Swords, and then challenged Kyurem recklessly – and nearly ruined everything. And where helpful humans and helpful Pokémon had made sure the Swords of Justice were freed and that _he_ was alright, because it was the right thing to do. And he'd realized that the Swords of Justice had never thought less of him for not being able to fight alongside them, and learned Secret Sword with that realization.

And one where the four of them had journeyed across half the world, seeking a Pokémon who was the youngest of all Legendaries and yet had inner peace to match only a very few. Where he had realized what it meant to _be_ a Sword of Justice. And learned _Sacred_ Sword.

"...that feels very strange," he said, after a moment. "Thanks, Ash. For... well, for both times you've helped me, I guess."

Ash grinned. "I'm glad to have helped, Keldeo!"

The ground shook.

"What's that?" Bayleef asked, walking over a little unsteadily. "Does that mean more trouble?"

As they watched, the ground shook and changed. It turned from a series of rolling hills into a shallow valley, with the occasional stone marker around it. The fossils and skeletons crumbled to dust, which flowed together around the markers and vanished underground.

The centrepiece of the valley was a large obelisk, formed of black stone, with golden letters written on it.

_They shall not grow old, but remain forever young_

_In the memories of those who loved them._

A moment later, the whole inner-world collapsed completely, as Aura Purge ran its course and ended.

* * *

><p>"Ow," Ash said, sitting up. "That was... different."<p>

Pikachu jumped over, and Ash caught him with a quick grin. "Yeah, missed you too..."

He looked around for Noctowl, and smiled with relief. "Good to see everyone's alright."

"_Rather,"_ Noctowl said, shaking his head. _"That was most dreadfully confusing, I'd say."_

Pidgeot stood, inspecting her feathers. _"Well, it wore off... Misty? Did I change out here too?"_

"What?" Misty asked. "Change? No."

"Oh, yeah..." Ash frowned. Then did a double take. "Gary? When did _you_ get here? And – are those Cobalion, Virizion and... what the heck?"

"They arrived shortly after you went into Cubone's mindscape," Misty told him. "Gary's Alakazam has Teleport now. He had these Pokémon with him for some reason."

"They said they wanted to speak to Mewtwo," Gary said, and shrugged. "Fine by me."

"...right," Ash said, visibly deciding to deal with that later. "Oh, I've never seen that Pokémon before."

Furfrou posed. _"I am a Furfrou. One of the best kinds of Pokémon."_

Umbreon rolled her eyes. _"From what I've seen so far, yes, she is always like this."_

Ash snapped his fingers. "Oh, that reminds me... Gary? You know that mega-evolution thing? It happened again, in the mindscape. Pidgeot turned into... Mega Pidgeot, I guess?"

Gary nodded. "That might explain it. Your staff was certainly lit up again, but it wasn't the only thing... what's in your bag?"

"My bag?" Ash touched it. "Uh... almost everything. It's got an Aura trick on it which means it's bigger on the inside."

Gary frowned. "Okay, that makes it more difficult."

He turned to Alakazam. "Tower of Mastery, please. I've got a plan."

A blur, and they vanished.

"...okay..." Ash said, slowly. "I'm sure we'll find out what that was about at some point."

* * *

><p>"Cubone?" Jessie asked, anxious. "How are you?"<p>

"_I am... better,"_ Cubone said, after several seconds of thought. _"I feel at peace."_

She held out a hand, and concentrated. A bone formed, though slower than before. _"Hmmm."_

"Is dat gonna be a problem?" Meowth asked. "Dat ain't as fast as normal..."

"_No, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm slower, but..."_ Cubone shrugged. _"Before, it was all instinct. Automatic. Now, though, I suspect I will have to work for my skill."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Keldeo?"<em> Virizion asked, looking worried. _"Are you alright?"_

Keldeo nodded. _"I'm fine, Virizion. Better than fine."_

"_How so?" _Cobalion asked.

Keldeo looked between the three Pokémon who had trained and raised him for the last few years. _"I... I learned something, in there. From the Cubone whose mind it was, and from Ash – the trainer."_

"_Okay, spill the beans!"_ Terrakion told him. _"What's this something you learned?"_

"_Two important lessons,"_ Keldeo elaborated. _"Firstly – that the important thing in being a Sword of Justice is to be just – to fight for those who cannot fight themselves."_

"_Well done, Keldeo!"_ Virizion congratulated. _"That's an important lesson."_

"_Yeah, I guessed,"_ Keldeo agreed. He took a breath, and concentrated.

"_Wait, is that-"_ Terrakion gaped.

The azure blade formed, slowly but surely, atop Keldeo's horn.

"_Sacred Sword!"_ Cobalion pronounced. _"Very well done, Keldeo. You have done us proud indeed, to learn that move so young."_

"_Thanks,"_ Keldeo said, smiling, and then dismissed it. _"But from Ash, I learned something just as important."_

He looked each of the Swords in the eye, one by one. _"I learned that – none of you mind that I _wasn't_ ready. You trained me because that's what I wanted, not because you thought I had to be strong to be worth anything."_

"_If you ever got that impression-"_ Virizion began.

Keldeo shook his head. _"I did, but that was me being foolish. I know now I was wrong – what matters is me, and what I do with myself."_

He grinned. _"And that means – this."_

Keldeo closed his eyes.

There was a flash of blue light.

"_What the-"_ Cobalion said, shocked, as the light died. _"Your form changed?"_

Keldeo smirked. His horn was longer, and... different, with three coloured feathers next to it in his mane. _"That's right! It's Resolute Form."_

Rather confusingly, Keldeo was if anything more comfortable fighting in this form than in his normal one – having spent several months training with the other Swords of Justice in his Resolute Form back in the other timeline.

"_Does that mean you know Secret Sword?"_ Virizion asked. _"None of us ever managed to learn it, but we heard you-"_

Keldeo put action to words, forming a gigantic orange-brown blade of energy from his horn. _"I do."_

"_...well,"_ Terrakion managed, after a moment. _"You certainly learned a lot in a hurry, lad!"_

He turned to Cobalion. _"Come on, Cobalion! Congratulate him!"_

"_...just like your father,"_ Cobalion whispered.

Keldeo blinked. _"What?"_

Cobalion shook his head, seeming to recover somewhat. _"Sorry, Keldeo. I was startled."_

"_What do you mean, like my father?"_ Keldeo pressed.

"_You remember how you came to live with us?"_ Virizion asked. _"We adopted you as an apprentice, after your parents died."_

"_Yeah..._ Keldeo nodded, wincing. _"I remember."_

"_I saw your father at the last,"_ Cobalion informed him. _"I'd almost thought I was imagining it, but – for just a moment – he changed."_

"_All of us heard him using Secret Sword,"_ Terrakion said, shrugging. _"It echoed off the mountains! But only Cobalion saw, I think."_

Virizion concurred. _"Terrakion and I were too busy getting you to safety, Keldeo."_

"_So... that's why you knew I could learn Secret Sword,"_ Keldeo said slowly. He sniffed, and a tear dropped from his eye to splash on the floor. _"Sorry, guys, I-"_

"_It's okay to cry, Keldeo,"_ Virizion assured him.

And, for the next few minutes, Keldeo did.

* * *

><p>"Got it!" Gary announced, as he appeared again with Alakazam. "I managed to convince the guy in Kalos that we wouldn't be keeping it. Hey, Lucario! Catch!"<p>

Lucario, somewhat bemused, caught the armband Gary threw him and inspected it – specifically, the glowing sphere embedded into it.

"This is genuine Lucarionite," Gary informed everyone. "It's a mega stone. Now, Ashy-boy has some kind of key stone deal going on, but I don't know what it is. The best thing to do is find out by experiment."

Ash blinked. "What does that mean?"

Gary looked around, and his eyes lit on an open patch of ground. "Empty your bag out over there, and we'll see what glows when you and Lucario use that Lucarionite."

"This seems unscientific," Brock observed.

Gary shrugged. "Hey, I'm only a student. Scientific rigour is next on the syllabus."

* * *

><p>"<em>Ha!"<em>

Cobalion jumped back, Keldeo's blade just about scoring along his flank. _"Impressive, Keldeo!"_

Keldeo panted, wobbling a little on unsteady legs. He may have had several months' experience with Secret Sword, and several _years_ of general training, but his _body_ was still the same as it had been that morning – still young – and had less stamina than he could have hoped.

"_Time!"_ Virizion called. _"Keldeo scored two hits, Cobalion three. Close match, you two!"_

"_I'd hoped I'd do better,"_ Keldeo admitted. He then shrugged. _"But – I'm glad I'm able to score on you at all, Cobalion!"_

"_You've come a long way, Keldeo,"_ Cobalion agreed.

He looked significantly at Terrakion and Virizion. _"What say you?"_

"_Aye,"_ Virizion said at once, just ahead of Terrakion's equally sure _"Aye!"_

"_Then it is unanimous,"_ Cobalion stated. _"Keldeo – welcome to our company. Your blade with ours, our strength with yours."_

Keldeo blinked, realizing what they meant. _"Really?"_

"_You've earned it,"_ Terrakion nodded. _"Hell, you've earned it twice over!"_

"_Shall we?"_ Virizion invited, igniting her blade. _"Greater than one is two."_

"_Greater than two is three,"_ Terrakion continued.

Keldeo stepped up, placing his own Sacred Sword together with the others. _"Greater than three is four!"_

"_When the strength of friends is combined into one,"_ Cobalion said, his silver-blue Sword completing the set. He paused, and then all four spoke together.

"_Then true power and courage are created!"_

For a long moment, they held their horns in place. Then, one by one, they sheathed their Swords and returned them to an inert state.

"_I..." _Keldeo blinked away dampness from his eyes. _"Thank you, all of you."_

"_Like I said, you earned it!"_ Terrakion punched his shoulder – lightly, so Keldeo didn't go skidding across the grass.

"_Indeed you did, Keldeo,"_ Cobalion said.

An orange light drew their attention. _"What-"_

* * *

><p>"Okay, here goes," Ash said, standing in the middle of piles and piles of his stuff.<p>

It was going to take hours to get all this back into the bag...

Since they were fairly sure the staff was part of it, he had it in his hands. The question was what else would react.

"_I am ready,"_ Lucario announced, touching the armband now on his right arm. _"What do we need to do?"_

Gary frowned, parsing the translation from Dee in his ear. "Well, from what Gurrkin told me... think about what Ash means to you. How important he is to you. And Ash – same thing on your end."

"Gotcha." Ash closed his eyes, concentrating.

That time in Sinnoh, so long ago, when he had helped save a young Riolu from Hunter J.

Then, that shining moment a little over a year ago when he had been chosen for the honour of raising a Riolu – and it had been the same one.

Riolu standing before him, protecting him against Sir Aaron's Lucario – quietly willing to defend his trainer and friend, even against so superior an enemy.

Fighting Hunter J, when she came to Kanto.

Their gym battles together. Cerulean, Vermillion, Fuchsia... the Pokémon League, the first time Ash had ever won one, and with not a little help from the young Fighting-type.

Training together – in a more literal interpretation than usual.

The Orange Islands. Riolu evolving to Lucario, after making the decision to take a hit meant for Ash, and Lucario's first battles in his evolved form – including the one which had closed out their Orange League challenge.

These last months travelling through Johto.

That heart-wrenching moment when Entei had defeated Lucario, and Ash had worried and wondered.

They'd had fun together, fought together... they were _friends._

Ash's eyes snapped open.

"Whoa," he said, on seeing Lucario.

Or, to be more precise, _Mega_ Lucario. Shaggier fur, more spikes on wrists, feet and shoulders, black markings on the blue fur... crimson paws instead of black, and much larger aura-sensing appendages on the back of his neck.

Lucario opened his own eyes, and Ash knew – beyond a shadow of a doubt – that he had been thinking of the very same moments.

"_Well,"_ he said, inspecting the changes that had swept over him. _"This is unusual."_

"Aha!"

They turned to Gary, who was holding something up in triumph.

"Look!" the itinerant trainer said, holding up two luminous feathers. "They're glowing as well – they must be what I saw in your bag. What are they?"

Ash peered closer. "Those are... wait, those are the silver wing and rainbow wing. They're feathers from Lugia and Ho-Oh."

"_Strange,"_ Lucario agreed. _"Perhaps it's because they're powerful Legendaries who have a bond with you, Ash."_

"Maybe," Ash agreed. "So, are they my... key stone, is it?"

"Apparently." Gary shrugged. "Maybe I'll ask Gurrkin what it takes to make a Key Stone, see if we can make it a bit less unwieldy. Anyway, there we have it."

He frowned. "Seems a bit of a waste to just undo the mega-evolution now, though."

"_Hmmm..."_ Furfrou walked around the trainer-Pokémon pair, inspecting them. _"I volunteer for a demonstration."_

"Really?" Ash asked.

"What did she say?" Gary pressed a finger into his ear. "Oh, right. Thanks Dee... you volunteer? Really?"

"_Why is this so surprising?"_ she asked. _"I'd like to see how he fights."_

"No comment," Gary said sensibly. "Okay, if you want to."

"_I most certainly do."_ Furfrou paced around until she was on the other side of Lucario to Ash, and turned to face her opponent. _"On the count of three."_

Gary cleared his throat. "One, two, three!"

Lucario exploded forwards. His paws flashed blue with Aura, and he volleyed in a Force Palm at point-blank range directly into Furfrou's side.

She unaccountably failed to be knocked flying.

"What just happened?" Ash asked, blinking. "Shouldn't that have-"

Furfrou spun on one forepaw, and kicked out hard at Lucario – producing a loud _clang_, and sending him back a step.

"_It's the fur,"_ she said, shaking it out. _"I know, it looks silly – but it's so thick attacks get lost in it."_

She stepped back a pace, and then dove underground in a sudden shower of earth.

Lucario looked down, closing his eyes to see with Aura Sight. He easily identified the subterranean Pokémon, and jumped clear before skidding to a halt.

The ground crumbled away in a small area, and Furfrou's paws could be seen working away in the hole. Then she stopped.

Curious, Lucario looked again with Aura Sight, and watched with some confusion as she went back down the tunnel again – several feet back, then stopping.

Lucario paced over to the hole. _"What's that in aid of?"_ he asked, looking down it.

"_Surf!"_

Lucario didn't quite dodge the water jet in time.

"I didn't know she could do that," Gary admitted. "You can surf?"

Furfrou burst from the ground. _"But, of course."_

"_Shouldn't you be a bit dirty?"_ Lucario asked, shaking his head to get some of the water off. _"You were underground..."_

"_Please! Mud?"_ Furfrou shrugged. _"That is so barbaric."_

"_...that doesn't actually answer how you did it."_ Lucario shrugged, then burst into motion again. He went so fast that the spectators lost track of him for a moment, and when he slowed enough to be seen again he was winding up for a blow with a Bone Rush staff.

Furfrou gave him an unimpressed look, and once again the blow slammed home without actually affecting her to any significant degree.

"Lucario!" Ash called. "Try using Aura Sphere or something! Stick to ranged attacks!"

"_Got it!"_ Lucario turned to open the distance, and Furfrou sprang forwards – sinking her teeth into his ankle for a moment, until he kicked out and she released him again.

"That looked painful," Ash said.

"_More startling than anything,"_ Lucario told him, skidding to a halt some way further from Furfrou. _"It's a good thing she doesn't seem to have Fire Fang, though, that could have been pretty bad."_

He shook his head. _"Right, we've seen mêlée... let's see what happens to my aura throughput."_

Putting his crimson paws together, he began to form a shimmering Aura Sphere between them. It swelled with startling speed, until it was almost three feet across and a flickering violet-blue.

Then Lucario fired.

Furfrou dove back underground as the Sphere came thundering in.

Fortunately for her, she went deep.

The Sphere hit the ground, spun in for about half its length, and then destabilized and exploded. The considerable momentum it had transferred itself to the explosion, which blew a teardrop-shaped crater in the ground with the tapering end facing directly away from Lucario.

It was at least fifteen feet across at the widest point, and over thirty long.

"Whoa!" several humans and Pokémon breathed, startled by the sheer scale of the result.

"_That... last time I made a hole that big, it took nearly half a minute to charge,_" Lucario said, remembering Pumello. _"That was five seconds!"_

"I guess that's Mega Evolution," Ash replied soberly. "Okay, just use really quick ones, I guess... can you do seeker spheres?"

Lucario jumped into the air as Furfrou burst from the ground, barely avoiding her Dig. He formed two small spheres, spending less than a second on charging them, and rammed them together to produce a cloud of seeker spheres.

Furfrou watched them come in, and didn't dodge. Instead, she frowned momentarily and her fur poofed out to an almost comical thickness.

"What's that?" Gary asked, as the explosions of the Aura Spheres hid her for a moment.

Once the barrage ended, and the clouds of lustrous black fur had subsided, Furfrou walked casually out of the smoke. _"It is cotton guard, of course. Though a much more stylish version."_

Lucario tilted his head, considering.

He drew one leg back, resting his weight on the ball of the foot, and curled in the toes of the other for better grip. Then, once more, burst into motion.

Furfrou rolled her eyes as he wound up for another blow. _"This again?"_

Then she noticed his fist was crackling with electricity.

The Thunderpunch hit home on Furfrou's side. Like the previous attacks, it didn't hurt much at all... but, unlike the previous ones, it charged all her fur with static.

_All_ her fur.

Her thick, layered coat of fur suddenly became a cloud of electrically repelling strands, coming out of their layering and instead offering relatively little protection.

Lucario capitalized on his advantage, taking fistfuls of the fur and using them as levers – to throw Furfrou into the air, and send her sailing off into the lake with a loud _splash._

"_Sorry!"_ he called after her. _"Didn't have much choice!"_

Furfrou sputtered something unprintable as she emerged from underwater.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

That's Cubone sorted, and in a rather better equilibrium.

Keldeo has earned his sword. Twice over. (The concept of their having been other Keldeo is obvious – Keldeo had to come from somewhere – but can get interesting when explored.)

Furfrou are absolutely amazing tanks, but they do have something of a problem with doing _damage_ – at least, to a Fighting/Steel. They should probably get the elemental Fang attacks...


	66. Mewtwo Returns 4

This is the fourth of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>"Sorry," Gary said, helping Umbreon to towel Furfrou off. "But – well, you did volunteer."<p>

"_That is right, I did,"_ Furfrou agreed, looking marginally less bedraggled as her fur dried. _"But it does not mean I have to like the decision."_

She sneezed. _"Ugh... well, it is time to remedy the situation. How long is it before I can be learning the elemental Fang attacks?"_

Gary blinked. "Can you learn those?"

Umbreon chuckled. _"Like that's ever stopped any of Ash's Pokémon."_

"Fair point," Gary agreed. "Okay, I'll see what we can do."

He raised a hand. "Are you okay to keep this up for a bit, Umbreon?"

Umbreon nodded.

"Good." Gary went over to Lucario – now untransformed – and retrieved the Lucarionite. "Okay, Alakazam!"

There was a blur, and he vanished.

"_Well, you can take it,"_ Umbreon mused. _"But you still have a little problem dishing it out. Perhaps you should learn Giga Impact, as well?"_

"_Worth a try,"_ Furfrou agreed. _"Ugh. I demand a proper fur restyle as soon as possible..."_

_Are you done?_

Furfrou looked up. _"Who was that?"_

"_Who was what?"_ Umbreon asked, puzzled.

_Miracle Eye. Sorry, I was asking if you were done._

"_Oh, Mewtwo,"_ Umbreon said, now much clearer on what was meant. _"I think we're pretty close to being done."_

_Good. Lunch is about ready, and fortunately we prepared enough for everyone._

* * *

><p>It was a very nice lunch.<p>

* * *

><p>Over the bamboo shoots and dumplings, Mewtwo elected to broach a topic he had been wondering about.<p>

_Excuse me – Cobalion, is it?_

"_Yes?"_ Cobalion asked, swallowing. _"What is it?"_

_I was wondering. While I am aware you travelled across half the world to speak to me – and to the clones under my care – I find myself at a loss as to _why. _I do not believe we ever got onto the topic._

"_I see."_ Cobalion glanced over at Keldeo, who was discussing something with Riolutwo, Pikachu and Lucario. _"Well... our reasons for travelling were twofold. Firstly, there was to see whether you had any ongoing problems with which we could help – we have often saved Pokémon from humans, and vice versa, as well as Pokémon from one another. Since you are the youngest of the Legendaries, we thought you might still have outstanding issues."_

_Not really,_ Mewtwo said with a shrug. _Things have gone remarkably well, actually – humans do not notice us here, and even if they did I have some small fame. I am, to put it simply, known to humans... and not as an antagonist._

"_One of the best defences a Legendary can have,"_ Cobalion agreed. _"Very well, then. The second reason is the obverse – we sought to understand how you and yours had such impressive serenity, given your beginnings."_

Cobalion coughed. _"Specifically, to see whether it could aid our young charge Keldeo in attaining his own inner peace."_

_Which all seems rather unnecessary now,_ Mewtwo observed with a small smile.

He had, of course, recognized Keldeo's sudden shift in confidence and ability and realized that that meant Keldeo had been 'reminded' - much like himself.

The genetically-engineered Pokémon then shrugged. _But – well, ask away. Discuss what you will. If I or mine can help, we will be sure to offer._

* * *

><p>"Man," Ash said, sitting back with a sigh. "I couldn't eat another bite."<p>

"_I'm sure you could if you really tried,"_ Pikachu teased. _"Mind you, I kind of feel that full too..."_

"_I think we all do,"_ Lucario muttered.

"_Is everyone else finished?"_

"_Sure,"_ Pikachu said. He then blinked. _"Wait, who said that?"_

Ash glanced round, and did a double take.

"_This really is very nice,"_ Entei said, chewing through one of the mostly-intact curries. _"Who cooked it?"_

"_Eh?"_ Meowthtwo loped over, and gave Entei an interested look. _"Glad you like it! That's one of mine."_

"_Marvellous. Now..."_ Entei turned, and faced Ash squarely. _"My sister has given you your first chance at her... now, I do the same. Catch me if you can, Chosen."_

"Wait," Ash said, raising a hand. "Sorry, but... can you give us a few minutes?"

Entei's head tilted.

"We just finished lunch..." Ash explained, somewhat embarrassed. "We're all a bit full, and no-one is in their Pokéballs... sorry."

"_...oh. I see."_ Entei pursed his lips. _"I must admit I did not consider that. Very well, take time to prepare as you require."_

"Thanks." Ash nodded to him, then turned to his Pokémon. "Okay, who's coming?"

He looked over at Totodile and Kingler. "A Water type would be ideal, but you two both seem pretty tired."

"_I could come!"_ Totodile said. _"No problem!"_

"Thanks, Totodile," Ash said. "That's one... Pikachu, you're fresh, right?"

Pikachu nodded.

"Lucario... sorry, but you're weak to fire. It might be a bad idea. Pidgeot, are you-?"

"_You need _someone_ fast,"_ Pidgeot chuckled. _"I'm alright for a while."_

"Thanks," Ash said. He looked over at Bayleef and Ivysaur, and winced.

They winced too. _"Yeah, leave us out of it,"_ Ivysaur said. _"Suicune was bad enough!"_

"_What's going on?"_ Houndour asked. _"That's... Entei. Why is that Entei?"_

"Oh, right. Uh... Suicune told me that the Legendary Beasts were going to give me the chance to catch them – though I've got to catch them, they're not making it easy." He shrugged. "That's about it."

"_I... see."_ Houndour blinked. _"I should really be surprised, I should... but I'm within eyesight of no less than seven Legendary Pokémon, so..."_

He shrugged. _"Oh, whatever. Bring me along, I've got Flash Fire."_

"That's right, isn't it..." Ash nodded. "Most of Entei's attacks are Fire type. Good idea."

Trace activated. Copying Flash Fire.

Dexter materialized, with his regular highlights replaced by bright orange-red. Most convenient. Very well, who else is coming?

Quilava raised a paw. _"I may not be completely immune to Fire attacks, but I'm fast..."_

Ash winced. "I don't think you have anything that can really hurt _him_, though."

She thought for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. _"I should really learn Rollout... but yes, you're right."_

"Right." Ash returned Totodile, picked up Houndour and Pikachu, and jumped aboard Pidgeot. "Let's go!"

Entei looked around, then broke into a loping, bounding sprint. He reached the shore in seconds, and kept going – moving fast enough with his Extremespeed that he had no time to sink into the water.

Pidgeot spread her wings, took two steps forwards, and sprang into the air. She accelerated hard, Dexter floating alongside in a low air resistance configuration, and quickly started closing the gap.

* * *

><p>Virizion jumped, and looked out into the lake in the direction of a loud explosion. <em>"What was that!?"<em>

_That was Ash's Pidgeot,_ Mewtwo informed the Swords of Justice. _It appears that Entei has taken his turn to give Ash a race._

"_Pardon?"_ Keldeo asked, frowning. _"What do you mean?"_

_I was informed of this by Ho-Oh, a while ago,_ Mewtwo stated. _Ash already carries the Pokéballs of a few Legendary Pokémon – as expression of trust and of approval in one – but the three Beasts of Johto offered him the chance to catch them. For good, and as official Pokémon, if he can but catch them._

"_That's... quite remarkable,"_ Cobalion said.

_Indeed._ Mewtwo smiled. _He is a remarkable individual, after all._

"_Wait,"_ Keldeo said, raising a hoof. _"By official Pokémon, you mean... as much his as Pikachu is? Or his Pidgeot?"_

_Essentially,_ Mewtwo agreed. _Of course, he's precisely the kind of person to not abuse that trust... which is the point._

Keldeo absorbed that, looking contemplative.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot flapped her wings, coming down low enough to produce a rippling wake on the water. <em>"Okay, matching speeds in three, two-"<em>

Entei jinked to the right, cutting across her path with a huge spray-fan of water going out from the point of his turn.

Pikachu reacted nearly instantly, flinging a Thunderbolt out to intersect Entei's new path. It produced a _bang_ which was barely audible in the rolling sonic boom of Pidgeot's passage, and Entei flinched slightly before continuing on his new path.

Ash clung on as Pidgeot turned – at the speed they were going, it involved considerable force, and she heeled over so her wings were almost vertical for a moment before settling down to follow Entei again.

"Don't press him too closely," the trainer called, as Pidgeot began making up ground again – kissing the sound barrier once more. "You're faster, but he's more agile at these kinds of speeds – he can use the water to kick off to turn."

Pidgeot nodded. _"Got it."_

"Dexter?" Ash went on. "Can you manage some Tri Attacks at this speed?"

Yes. Dexter reformed to an attack configuration, and started to spin up.

* * *

><p>Entei growled as the three beams of a Tri Attack hit the water just ahead of him. His momentum carried him forwards into the attack before he could dodge, and it scored across his fur.<p>

A Thunderbolt came next, which he dodged (if barely) and a Shock Wave curved into his flank while he was recovering from that.

The conclusion was obvious – staying on the water was making it too hard to carry on. He was effectively unprotected on the open expanse, and had to keep moving to avoid sinking to boot.

Making his decision, Entei ran for the shore.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm not sure if that makes it easier or <em>harder,"<em> Ash admitted. "Let's go!"

Pidgeot nodded, and turned to her right – away from Entei's new path. Her wings hammered the air, great air-control wings stretching out ten metres and more from them, and the sound barrier burst once more with a thunderous _slam._

She completed a nearly three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn, peaked at half a kilometre up, and stooped on the flashing orange-brown shape which was Entei flitting through the trees.

As she dove, air built in front of her beak.

"_Aeroblast!"_

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" James said, as the line of red energy blasted a scar in the forests inside the crater rim.<p>

"...this is why we never managed to capture Pikachu, isn't it..." Jessie muttered.

"Eh, dis is better," Meowth said. "Dey're awful people to have as enemies, but they ain't half bad friends."

"_Agreed,"_ Cubone nodded.

* * *

><p>Entei skidded to a halt as the instant wall of rock blocked his path.<p>

_Aeroblast..._

No mistaking it. The Pidgeot clearly used it well, too – trying to hit him would have been easy, but to use it to create a barricade was much more creative.

Entei fought down a smirk. _Suicune was right._

He turned, and launched out a Fire Blast.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot didn't bother to dodge as the Fire attack roared forwards.<p>

Got it! Dexter reported, speeding forwards and shifting to a planar format. His Traced ability absorbed the incoming fire, and Pidgeot went unmolested.

Dismissing her wings of air, the big Flying-type landed on the opposite side of the clearing.

"_Impressive,"_ Entei conceded. _"What now?"_

Ash and Pikachu jumped off, and Pidgeot took to the sky again. She left with another teeth-rattling _BANG_, and started to build a Razor Wind overhead.

Dexter fired down a Hyper Beam from overhead.

Entei dodged it with a blurring movement, taking a Thunder from Pikachu in response, and leaped skywards with Extremespeed to attack Dexter.

Just as he got there, the Razor Wind arrived and knocked him off course. It got Dexter as well, Pidgeot being unable to aim precisely enough to prevent the Porygon being hit, and both Pokémon hit the ground hard.

Entei recovered first, launching another Fire Blast up at Pidgeot even as he rolled to his feet. She swerved, but the attack detonated close enough to singe her feathers and she wobbled slightly as she made another circuit to attack again.

The big Fire-type rounded on Pikachu, and Flamethrowered him.

"_Not when I'm around!"_ Houndour barked, leaping over Pikachu and absorbing the attack in his own Flash-fire.

Entei let the attack end, and snorted. _"A little small, aren't you?"_

Houndour nodded. He glanced back at Pikachu, who was already building another attack, and then loped forwards.

Halfway there, a Hydro Pump went overhead, and flashed into steam as Entei launched a Heat Wave right back down it. Then a second Thunder from Pikachu, which Entei dodged with a grace which belied his size, and after that Houndour reached him.

The young Dark-type grinned, and pounced on Entei's tail as it whipped towards him – not deliberately, just from Entei's constant need to dodge other attacks. Clinging on with both forepaws, he bit down hard.

As he'd hoped, that enraged Entei. The Fire-type abandoned his barrage of Fire attacks at Pikachu and Totodile to try and kick off this irritating little canine, and lashed out with his paw.

Houndour wasn't there anymore.

He darted out from between Entei's hind legs, kicking out at his back right knee as he did so, and the Legendary unceremoniously fell over.

"_Foul Play,"_ Houndour announced.

Pikachu capitalized on the stationary target with another Thunder. Totodile, for his part, panted and then launched into another Hydro Pump.

At about the same time, Pidgeot's next Razor Wind arrived.

"_Did that-"_ Houndour began.

"_Eruption!"_

There was a very big bang.

* * *

><p>Ash shook his head, trying to regain his hearing. "What just..."<p>

Blinking away the flash-blindness, he tried to see into the roiling column of smoke where Entei had been.

"Houndour!" he called. "Are you okay?"

A black-and-white shape paced out of the smoke cloud, heading for him. _"Here, Ash."_

"Good," Ash breathed. "Dexter?"

Same as usual. My projection was smashed and my projector is buried.

The smoke suddenly whipped as if in a high wind. A torrent of fire lashed out and slammed into Pidgeot, who wobbled in the air and began to glide downwards.

Ash returned her. "I guess we didn't get you, Entei?"

"_Correct,"_ Entei's voice rumbled through the plume of lava. _"But a very close match, nevertheless. My sister was right about you, Ash Ketchum – I will certainly try my luck again."_

With that, the attack ended. As the smoke cleared, Entei was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

><p>About twenty minutes later, Ash finally stepped back onto the island's beach.<p>

"Why did none of you send a Pokémon to get me?" he grumbled, good-naturedly.

"Oops," Misty said, wincing. "Sorry, should have realized..."

"Nah, it's fine." Ash sat down, brushing at his clothes. Only a little ash came off – most of it had already been removed during the walk back over the lake – but it made him feel better. "Hey, Mewtwo?"

_Yes?_ Mewtwo replied politely.

"Can we use the lake? If I'm tired, I can't imagine how my Pokémon feel..."

_By all means. I take it you know where it is._

"Yeah, thanks." Ash stood again, and started trudging for Lake Clarity.

* * *

><p>"<em>Well..."<em> Cobalion said, looking between the other Swords. _"I believe we have what we came here for."_

He nodded to Keldeo. _"Yourself, especially."_

Keldeo nodded, a little distracted. _"Yeah, I guess."_

"_Keldeo?"_ Virizion said. _"You seem a little distracted."_

"_I-" _Keldeo stopped, and then nodded. _"Yeah. Uh... Cobalion?"_

The Steel-type turned to him. _"What is it?"_

"_I... I kind of feel like I owe Ash a debt."_ Keldeo swallowed. _"I... I want to travel with him for a bit."_

Three pairs of eyes blinked.

"_Not for ever!"_ Keldeo hastened to add. _"Just... well, for about a year I guess? I like him, and I want to pay him back, and-"_

"_Keldeo!"_ Cobalion said sharply, cutting off the Colt Pokémon as he started to babble.

"_Cobalion-"_ Virizion began, concerned, and stopped at a look from Cobalion.

Terrakion was not so easily silenced. _"Seriously, Cobalion, lighten the heck up! The kid's done much better than we were expecting – hey, he's not a kid any more – and it's his choice! Way I see it-"_

"_Silence!"_ Cobalion thundered. He then turned back to Keldeo, and – to the surprise of all three other Swords – smiled.

"_Clearly my reputation is doing me no favours,"_ he said. _"If you're all so ready to assume what I'm going to say. Do so with my blessing, Keldeo – you will always be a Sword of Justice, no matter where you go, and you will certainly be righting wrongs with _this_ trainer!"_

Keldeo gaped for a moment, then shut his mouth and nodded enthusiastically. _"Thank you, Cobalion!"_

Cobalion nodded to his – former – charge. _"Do us proud, Keldeo."_

"_I will. Cobalion – Virizion, Terrakion – I'll always remember you, and I'll be back."_ He managed a chuckle. _"So don't sell any of my stuff, okay?"_

Virizion and Terrakion chuckled in return, and even Cobalion had to put a hoof over his mouth.

With that, Keldeo spun on his rear hooves and cantered off. _"See you later!"_ he called back.

Cobalion's smile broadened. _"Well, he's going to enjoy himself. Now – where's that trainer with the Alakazam? He promised us a lift, if I recall?"_

* * *

><p>Ash sighed, towelling off his hair. "That spring is the best cure ever."<p>

"_No argument here,"_ Pikachu said from his shoulder. He blinked. _"Wait – look, Keldeo's on the way."_

His trainer looked up. "Oh, hi, Keldeo. What is it?"

Keldeo skidded to a halt. _"Ash,"_ he said. _"I want to come with you!"_

Ash blinked. "Za?"

"_Mewtwo told me what the three Beasts were doing – why you were fighting Entei. Well, I owe you."_Keldeo looked Ash in the eye. _"I owe you twice over. And – I want to travel with you. I want to repay that debt, and... I want to see what it's like, I guess. Working with a trainer."_

Keldeo shrugged, suddenly nervous. _"And there's no-one I'd rather work with than you."_

"Sure!" Ash said, having gotten over his surprise. "I'd love to have you."

"Besides," he continued with a grin,"I've been trying to get Sacred Sword to work for over a _year_, now, and no luck. Since you _do_ know, maybe you could help Lucario and I?"

The Water-type Legendary nodded. _"I'd be honoured."_

Ash rummaged in his bag. "Oh – any preferences for what kind of Pokéball you'd prefer?"

"_I didn't even know there were different types,"_ Keldeo admitted.

"We can discuss it on the way," Ash decided. "Oh – yeah, that reminds me. I've been preparing this speech for a while... kind of expected to give it to one of the Beasts first."

He fidgeted a bit, and took a deep breath. "Keldeo – I understand Legendaries have responsibilities. And that – you're not like other Pokémon... so if you need to leave in a hurry, go. Don't ask for permission if it wastes too much time. I'd obviously prefer to know, but I won't mind if you let me know after the fact."

Keldeo nodded his understanding. It was almost more like a bow of fealty. _"Got it, Ash. Thank you for being so clear."_

He straightened up. _"Right! So, where are we going first?"_

"Back down Mount Quena," Ash told him. There was a flash in the distance as Gary and his Alakazam teleported the Swords back to Unova. "Actually, that could be a problem, Pidgeot can only easily take one person at a time – two in a pinch..."

"_And I've not got a Pokéball yet, right."_ Keldeo grinned. _"Not a problem, Ash! Remember my Hydro Pump?"_

"...actually, that would be pretty cool," Ash agreed.

Gary materialized again in another flash of light. "Hey, Ash?"

"Yeah?" Ash replied, turning to Gary.

"I'm off back to Kalos now," he explained. "Just thought I'd let you know – I'm going to help research mega stones and key stones and stuff. Can I borrow that staff and those feathers of yours?"

Seeing Ash's less than enthusiastic reaction, Gary shook his head. "Not for long! Just so I can see if we can turn it into a proper Key Stone."

"Actually, I prefer it how it is, kind of," Ash decided. "I'll put the feathers in a bag on the staff or something."

"Okay, 's your choice." Gary clapped Ash on the shoulder. "Stupid though it is."

"Hey!" Ash laughed.

"Anyway, I'm going to keep an eye out for more mega stones," Gary resumed. "I'll let you know if I pick up a useful one."

"Cool." Ash held out his hand, and Gary shook it. "Don't be a stranger, Gary."

"Fat chance of that, Ashy-boy," Gary said. "Smell you later!"

_bink_

"Sorry about that, Keldeo," Ash said, turning back to him.

"_No, it's fine."_ Keldeo shrugged. _"Right, let's go!"_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

That was surprisingly long given I completely removed the main conflict of the film this is based off.

Once more, a film includes a major shift in the friends' team composition. Yes, this _is_ going to be a thing – Keldeo's around and a team member.


	67. Johto 13

This is the first of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>"Pikachu?" Ash called, looking around. "Pikachu, where did you go?"<p>

"Is something wrong?" Misty asked, looking concerned.

"Pikachu was right here a few minutes ago," Ash said, frowning. "He just... I don't know."

Coming to a decision, he released Houndour. "Can you find Pikachu for me, Houndour?"

Houndour sniffed the air. _"I'll try."_

The canine Pokémon took another deep sniff, and then barked softly. _"Okay, I think I've found his trail. This way."_

"Wonder why he left..." Ash mused.

"_I don't know,"_ Keldeo said, looking around himself. _"I'll let you know if I see anything."_

"Thanks," Ash nodded, as they followed Houndour into the woods. "So, how are you finding Johto?"

"_It's a little warmer than I'm used to,"_ Keldeo said, stepping carefully over a fallen branch. _"But we crossed a couple of deserts on the way here, so I can't complain."_

"Yeah, you mentioned something like that..." Ash shook his head. "You _walked_ from Unova?"

"_It was the best way I could think of," _Keldeo muttered in protest. He tossed his head. _"How does this work, by the way? The whole... gym, thing?"_

"Right." Ash nodded. "Okay, so you've heard of the Pokémon League?"

"_Vaguely."_

"It's... well, kind of like the whole single combat thing, for trainers." Ash groped for the best way to describe it. "First off, people face eight gyms to earn badges, which represent their ability to battle against individual types. The goal is to make sure that people have a diverse team, or a strong one."

Keldeo nodded. _"So... you'd have a water gym, for example?"_

"Yep!" Misty said, waving. "That's my speciality!"

"_Oh, okay."_ Keldeo gave her an appraising look. _"Right, I think I understand that bit. Does everyone do it?"_

Ash waved a hand. "Most people _start_, but not everyone gets all eight. The idea is partly so that people get a chance to build themselves a good team, one they can work well with."

He shrugged. "That's one reason the gym leaders tend to try and give better trainers bigger challenges. Guys?"

Brock looked up. "Yes?"

"Well.. how would you give someone an easy go at your gym? If it was their first or second?"

Brock hummed. "...well, I'd probably use just Geodude, if it was someone's first time. Or perhaps Steelix as well, but what would change would be the style – I'd be very defensive, let them take the initiative. Whereas if I was facing someone with several badges already under their belt, I'd have Steelix – or, Onix then – be more aggressive and use his weight to knock their Pokémon around." Brock winked. "And Geodude would use Bide, which is a good way to mess up a tough trainer."

"_I see you've put a lot of thought into this,"_ Keldeo agreed. _"It sounds complicated. What about you, Misty?"_

"Well, for a new trainer, I'd use Goldeen and Staryu," Misty said. "For better trainers, I'd do something to try and throw them a curve ball – so a Dewgong if they use Grass types, or a Chinchou if they use Electric types."

Ash chuckled nervously.

"I haven't forgotten," Misty said pointedly. "And for people who've already got six or seven other badges, I'd probably try something like Gyarados or Starmie on top of that – and possibly the gym Vaporeon, he's quite hard to fight for people who don't know about Acid Armour."

Keldeo nodded. _"I see. And once someone has all eight badges?"_

"The Pokémon League conferences," Ash said. "There's several hundred trainers tested a year, and they fight one another in elimination or bracket matches until there's just one left. That person is the League Champion for that year – I'm currently Indigo Champion – and they get to challenge the Elite Four."

Misty took up the story. "The Elite Four are like gym leaders, but much tougher. They _have_ to have a counter for the normal way to fight their element, usually several." She winced with memory. "Even using some Pokémon I rented for the battle, and knowing exactly what they had, earning my qualification _as_ Gym Leader was hard."

"Oh, yeah," Ash said, nodding. "Brock mentioned that, but I never actually asked..."

"I got lucky and managed to beat Lance," Misty explained. "I had a Quagsire for his Dragonite with Thunder, and just used a lot of ice beams. Bruno was a _bit_ easier, but he still managed to beat two of the three Psychic types I brought along."

"Lucky you!" Brock called back. "They both flattened me. I just about beat Lorelei – thanks to a Magcargo and an Aggron..."

"_You... have to fight the Elite Four?"_ Keldeo asked. _"Wow. That doesn't sound easy."_

"Like I say, we get to rent Pokémon." Misty shrugged. "But yeah, they want to make sure that a gym leader can get the best from Pokémon of their intended Type."

"If someone beats all four of the Elite Four," Ash said, "Then they get to fight the Grand Champion. Currently, that's Lance."

"_Didn't you say he was one of the Elite Four?"_ Keldeo asked, frowning.

"Yeah, the Elite Four have been a bit messed around recently – I heard Agatha's considering retiring." Misty shrugged. "Hopefully they'll fill out the ranks again someday."

Houndour barked from up ahead. _"Found him!"_

* * *

><p>"Pikachu!" Ash said, gathering the woozy Electric-type up. "How are you?"<p>

"_Dizzy,"_ Pikachu said indistinctly. _"I have had a very strange ten minutes."_

"Really?" Ash asked, absently stroking Pikachu's spine and feeling the mouse settling down a bit. "What happened?"

Pikachu cleared his throat. _"Okay. So, I was lagging back a bit, because I'm still tired from yesterday."_

Keldeo made an upset noise. That had been largely his fault – keeping Pikachu up for several hours asking about Ash's time in Unova, as well as what had happened before and since. _"Sorry, Pikachu."_

"_No, don't worry."_ Pikachu waved it off. _"Anyway, someone threw an apple core at me, and I caught a glimpse of a Pokémon in the branches of a tree."_

A sigh._ "So, I sent a warning zap, and got beaned by another apple core in return. So up I went to ask questions, and who do you think I saw?"_

No-one had an answer.

"_The Pichu brothers,"_ Pikachu revealed.

Ash blinked. "Who?"

"_The... Pichu Brothers?"_ Pikachu repeated. _"I keep running into them... I've never mentioned this before?"_

"Not to me," Ash said. Misty shrugged.

"_Right."_ Pikachu glanced down at their belts. _"Guys? Back me up here?"_

Several Pokéballs opened.

After a few minutes of testimony – from Ninetales, Togekiss, Totodile, Quilava, Psyduck, Bayleef, Politoed, Staryu, Steelix, Geodude, Forretress, Ivysaur, Noctowl and Crobat – Ash raised a hand.

"_Yes?"_ Pikachu asked, tapping his foot.

"I concede the point. Apparently this does keep happening, we just never notice. You were saying?"

"_Right. Anyway, I was surprised to see them, and they were so surprised to find they'd been spotted that they let go of a rope which was tied to some kind of elaborate lift system. That knocked me into a hidden grotto,"_ Pikachu sighed, _"__**again.**__ After that I got caught up in about three dance numbers, got hit by at least two electric attacks, nearly carried off by a Jumpluff, and helped the Pichu Brothers discover the value of hard work."_

Pikachu shrugged. _"And that's about when Houndour managed to find me."_

Keldeo blinked. _"Is it always like this around you, Ash?"_

That prompted a barking laugh from Houndour. _"I've been asking that for a while now... the answer's yes."_

* * *

><p>That dealt with, the friends continued on their way.<p>

It was only a mile or so further on that Houndour's ears perked up, and he started to emit a faint growl.

"What is it?" Ash asked, concerned.

"_There's a Houndoom around here..."_ Houndour said, eyes scanning back and forth across the foliage as the group came to a halt. _"Getting nearer."_

Ash exchanged a glance with Misty.

Not seeing that, Keldeo took a breath and flashed over into Resolute Form. _"Don't worry, I'll-"_

"Nah, it's not a problem," Misty interrupted. "If this is the one we met last time, he's nice. He helped make sure Togepi didn't get lost."

She shrugged. "Togepi got lost a lot. Even compared to the rest of us."

I didn't know that was possible, Dexter quipped.

With a soft padding of paws on road, a large Houndoom appeared around the nearby bend in the path.

It stopped for a moment, looking them over, and then paced forwards again with purpose.

Keeping one hand near the softly snarling Houndour, Ash gestured him and Keldeo back into the trees on either side of the path. Misty and Brock did so on the other side, making way for Houndoom to pass through easily.

Instead of doing so, though, he stopped just in front of Misty. His spade-tipped tail curled out and opened a satchel resting on his back, and retrieved a letter which it held up to Misty.

"Oh," Misty said, blinking. She took it. "It's addressed to me."

Satisfied, Houndoom loped off the way he had come.

Frowning, the Water-type gym leader opened the envelope. She drew out a letter written on thick white paper, unfolded it, and gasped.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

With a slightly unsteady hand, Misty passed it over.

* * *

><p><em>Misty Waterflower of Cerulean,<em>

_It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected for consideration to replace Lorelei of Mandarin South. This letter is a guarantee of consideration, not a guarantee of position._

_You have one year to provide the appropriate references. These include:_

_A complete team of Pokémon of your chosen type or who specialize in same. Minimum is four, though five is preferable._

_A battle record of facing a Legendary Pokémon who has an advantage against your chosen type._

_A battle record of facing a Legendary Pokémon who has a disadvantage against your chosen type._

_Evidence of at least one feat connected to aiding Pokémon of your type who are _not_ part of your team._

_Additional supporting evidence may be provided, but is not mandatory._

_We look forward to seeing your application progress._

_Yours,_

_Lorelei of Mandarin South  
>Member, Elite Four<em>

_Bruno of Dewford  
>Member, Elite Four<em>

_Agatha of Cherrygrove  
>Member, Elite Four<em>

_Lance of Blackthorn  
>Grand Champion, Kanto and Johto.<em>

* * *

><p>Brock had been reading over Ash's shoulder. "...wow, Misty. This is pretty big stuff."<p>

Misty nodded, and opened her mouth. She was able to speak on the second try. "Big stuff? This is huge!"

She blinked. "Wait, how am I going to – but – I'm not ready-"

"Calm down!" Ash said, clapping her on the shoulder. He passed the letter back. "Come on, Misty. I know, it's a big thing."

"That's an understatement," Misty muttered.

"But you can do it!" Ash went on. He smiled. "You're the best person I've ever met at working with Water types!"

"Ash is right," Brock weighed in. "They sent you this, so they must think you've got a chance."

"And we'll help out," Ash continued. "Of course we will."

"_Can I see?"_ Keldeo asked. _"I..."_ his voice tailed off as he read the folded letter. _"Okay, that is a pretty huge thing."_

He thought for a bit, transiting back down to Ordinary Form as he did so, and then stamped a hoof on the ground. _"Misty! I know!"_

"What is it?" Misty asked, looking over at him.

"_You can help me get better with my water attacks!"_ Keldeo said. _"The other Swords weren't able to teach me very well, but you can – you're a specialist! That way, I can get stronger, and you can help a Water-type!"_

Misty chuckled despite herself. "That could work."

"See?" Ash asked, grinning. "We're started already!"

* * *

><p>"Ah, Ecruteak," Brock said, as they cleared the treeline. "It's so quiet now, it's hard to believe it used to be the capital."<p>

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Hey, guys, I'm going to go to the gym and see Morty. I don't know what rules he wants for our battle, so if I can check ahead of time then I can sort things out at the Pokémon centre."

"Good thought," Brock commented. "Okay, we'll wait there."

"Thanks!" Ash said, jogging off.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wait. Seriously?"<em> Suicune asked.

"_Yep!"_ Raikou agreed, nodding. _"Just saw him."_

Suicune came to her feet in a flowing motion, and loped up the stairs of the Burned Tower. She came to a halt on the battered first floor, glanced over at the Tin Tower to be sure there was no-one watching, and looked out over Ecruteak.

Some moments later, Suicune padded back down the stairs of the ancient building.

"_Good eye,"_ she said simply. _"Do you think he's here to challenge the gym?"_

"_What else?"_ Raikou rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

"_Where's Entei? And the others?"_

"_Training a few miles away."_ Raikou looked at his sister for a moment. _"Tell you what. I'll go and get them."_

That said, he darted away, sprinting off to the north and east and disappearing in a moment.

Suicune paced in a small circle while she waited. Once, she darted back up to the first floor to scan Ecruteak again.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, Raikou was back – together with his brother, and the shiny Suicune, Entei and Raikou created by Molly Hale.

"_Raikou told us,"_ Entei said without preamble. _"Ash is here."_

"_He is,"_ Suicune confirmed. _"I saw him heading for the gym."_

Entei hrumphed, and absently rubbed at his rear left leg.

"_What's that?"_ his doppelganger asked, nodding at the leg. _"I don't think any of us got you there..."_

"_No, that was Ash's Pokémon."_ Entei chuckled softly.

"_I thought you said you were still fine at the end?"_ the shiny Raikou said with a frown.

"_No,_" Entei corrected. _"I said Ash didn't press the issue because he decided I was still too fit to catch."_

The big Fire-type chuckled again. _"What I didn't mention was that I deliberately _misled_ him into thinking that."_

The five other Legendaries exchanged glances – shocked in three cases, amused in one, and slightly smug in the last.

"_Misled?"_ Raikou repeated, slowly. _"How?"_

"_I said Eruption and blew his Houndour away, then shot down his Pidgeot,"_ Entei explained. _"But I actually _used_ Lava Plume. I was barely fit for combat, and pretending I was using Eruption made me seem fitter than I was."_

"_How much fitter?"_ the shiny Suicune asked, softly.

"_I'm not sure if two attacks or three would have knocked me out."_

"_...wow,"_ Molly's erstwhile papa said.

"_Told you he was good,"_ Suicune pointed out, with perhaps a trace of smugness.

"_Yes, fine, you were right and I was wrong,"_ Entei muttered. _"You've only reminded me four times."_

Several chuckles.

After a momentary lull, the shiny Raikou raised a paw. _"Perhaps... we should watch his gym challenge?"_

"_That sounds like a good idea!"_ Suicune agreed readily.

* * *

><p>Ash knocked on the large front door of the gym. "Hello?"<p>

He exchanged a glance with Pikachu, who shrugged.

"_Perhaps you should knock again?"_ Keldeo suggested.

"Hang on." Closing his eyes, Ash looked into the gym. "Huh. It's empty. That's kind of annoying."

"Ash!"

Ash turned to look back towards the Pokémon centre.

Striding towards him were Brock, Misty – and Morty.

"We met him in the Pokémon Centre," Brock explained.

"Right." Ash waved. "Hello – Morty?"

The young Gym Leader walked up to Ash and shook his hand. "Ash Ketchum. I've been expecting you."

He nodded. "Come this way, we've got an outdoor arena a little way into the forest. I like my gym, and I don't want to see it get broken."

Ash grinned. "Fair enough! Oh – any restrictions?"

Morty considered that. "Not particularly." As they walked, Morty gave a slightly confused look at Keldeo – who waved back brightly.

"Right." Ash started thinking out loud. "Ghost type... okay. Hey, Dexter, do you have anything that works on ghosts?"

Not very well, Dexter admitted.

"Okay. You can still transfer Pokémon, right? Even in the field where we're going?"

That is correct.

"Good. Let Professor Oak know I might want to call someone in, please."

Sending.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes of walking got them to a tree-lined glade, with a few bleacher-style seats around the edges of a chalked Pokémon battle arena.<p>

"Choose your end, please," Morty invited.

Ash looked at the glade for a few seconds. It was... lightly sloping down towards the centre, which was helpful.

Apart from that, there were no particular advantages he could see.

"Over here, I think," Ash decided.

Morty acknowledged with a nod, and the two trainers moved to their sides of the field.

"This match will have four Pokémon on each side," Morty stated. "Either side may switch, but only when their opponent is defeated. Is this understood?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Ash agreed. "Okay, I'm ready to go!"

There were a series of _whoosh_ sounds behind him.

"_Oh, hi!"_ Keldeo said. _"Nice to meet you."_

Morty dropped his first Pokéball.

"What?" Ash asked, blinking with surprise at Morty's expression. "What's so surprising? Keldeo does that, you know."

Morty pointed.

Ash turned.

On reflection, he had to admit that Morty's startlement was understandable. Keldeo was shaking hoof/paws with a shiny Suicune, with the original Suicune, Entei and Raikou already climbing the bleachers and the shiny Entei and Raikou waiting in line to greet Keldeo in turn.

As he watched, Suicune sat herself down across two seats, and held up a small flag with Ash's name on it in one paw.

"Mr. Ketchum..." Morty said, blinking. "Why are there several Legendary Pokémon taking seats in the bleachers?"

Suicune started giggling.

Ash shrugged. "Maybe they're bored?"

The giggling intensified, and Raikou's booming chuckles joined it.

About at that point, Keldeo was finished with introductions. He cantered up the steps behind the shiny Beasts, and took his own place.

"_Entei,"_ Suicune said, voice clearly holding in mirth. _"Can you do us some popcorn? I think this is going to be good."_

"You've not started yet, have you, Ash?" Misty called from the path. "Sorry, we were a bit... late... huh. Hi, Legendary Beasts."

Suicune, Raikou and all three shinies waved. Keldeo did too.

"Oh!" Misty added, snapping her fingers. "Can I talk to you guys after the battle? I've kind of got a request..."

Ash waved a hand in front of Morty's face. "Uh, the gym battle?"

Morty blinked, shook his head, and visibly decided to ignore the peanut gallery. "Right. Uh... Gengar!"

"Houndour!"

* * *

><p>"This is all a bit easy so far," Sir Aaron commented, as they strolled along the high road in Terrera.<p>

"_Tell me about it..."_ Giratina agreed, floating along in Origin Form. _"A Samurott instead of Kyogre? Dad, I thought this place was challenging!"_

_Well, excuse me for trying to include some actual plot!_ Arceus huffed, his voice imposing itself on reality without need for anything so crass as speaking. _At least they were interesting fights, right?_

"_Only the one against Servine and Serperior."_ Giratina shrugged, rolling his levitating body from side to side. _"And then only because I think you were letting them use Vine Whip as Metronome."_

_Vine Whip sometimes seems like it can do anything,_ Arceus muttered.

"_That's only because of how it's used,"_ Palkia cut in. _"And Dad, when I don't have trouble beating up the Electric-types then there's something up. Where the heck was Zekrom? I wanted to have a fight with Zekrom!"_

Dialga muttered something.

"Dialga's got a point, guys..." Sir Aaron said. "He deserves the next fight."

"_...fine,"_ Palkia muttered. _"What element's that, again?"_

"_Ground,"_ Dialga supplied.

"HO!"

All four of them looked up.

"I am Takeda Shingen, master of Rhyperior!" announced a large man riding on the back of a slightly larger Pokémon. "I challenge you to battle!"

Sir Aaron nodded, and pulled out the appropriate orb. "Dialga, you're up!" he called, throwing it.

Dialga caught it, and flashed silver with power. His fins extended and glowed indigo, and a blue glow formed on his chest-crystal.

Takeda grinned. "Rhyperior, attack!"

There was a heavy feeling in the air for a moment, and then Dialga fired his signature attack.

The blast of intensely warped time slammed into Rhyperior, sending it sliding backwards

"...huh," Sir Aaron said, blinking. "I kind of expected that to defeat him."

"Rhyperior are super tough!" Shingen stated. "Now, Rock Wrecker!"

Dialga kicked out at the ball of rock, smashing it, and skidded backward a little. He then used Flash Cannon, and Rhyperior collapsed.

"Is that it?" Sir Aaron asked.

Arceus muttered something about critics. _No, it's not. Try this one on for size._

"Okay, Groudon!" Shingen called, and the big Ground-type stomped forwards. There was a flash of light overhead, and the sun shone brightly down on the battlefield.

"Use your Precipice Blades!"

Groudon roared, and slammed his tail into the ground. Dozens of spears of rock smashed their way out from underneath, and wobbled back and forth before falling towards Dialga.

The thousands of tonnes of rock buried Dialga completely.

Then a light shone from beneath the pile.

"_This is awesome!"_ Dialga roared, the whole pile exploding outwards. _"Okay, you, me, first one to fall over loses!"_

Sir Aaron dove for cover as Dialga started charging another Roar of Time.

* * *

><p>"Well, I <em>have<em> heard a rumour about one of these... mega-stones," the girl said. "But I could not tell someone so uncouth."

Gary's eye twitched.

"_Uncouth?"_ Umbreon repeated. _"This place is..."_

With a flash, Furfrou emerged from her Pokéball. She gave the situation a look over, and then sighed. _"Right. Master, if you could follow me?"_

Gary looked up. "What is it?"

"_Observe, and learn,"_ she told him.

* * *

><p>Gary blinked. <em>"How<em> much?"

"Five hundred," the groomer repeated.

"Fine." Gary dug in his pockets, and pulled out his card. "Here."

"Marvellous," he said, scanning the card. "A pleasure doing business with you, m'sieu."

"Yeah, I bet it is..." Gary agreed. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"_But of course,"_ Furfrou said, tossing her elaborately styled ears. _"The way that my unusual colour plays off the style is magnificent, and as such it is exactly what we are after!"_

"Right." Gary shrugged. "I guess you're the expert."

"_I am,"_ she agreed with a nod.

* * *

><p>"Oh, she's so lovely!" the girl exclaimed. "She's so very, very stylish!"<p>

Furfrou curvetted around in a circle, flashing Gary a smug look as she did so.

"Well, my apologies," the girl went on. "I can see you're a man of taste, even if your clothes do suggest otherwise. Very well. There is a man who sells many gemstones of various types in the Avenue Vernal. I believe I heard that at least one of those is a Mega Stone."

"Well, thanks," Gary said, swallowing his pride. "I'll go down there and see what he's got."

"_Told you,"_ Furfrou pointed out as they left.

Gary nodded. "Yeah, you did..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Because the Pichu Brothers are the elemental manifestation of random Heath-Robinson contraptions and dance numbers.

Oh, yeah, the Misty thing... well, it seems like a fun place to take her.

The Legendary Beasts... they've got to get their entertainment somewhere. And an outdoor gym battle is a good place.

Meanwhile, the Sinnoh Dragons and Aaron are continuing their curbstomp of most of Ransei, and Gary Oak Is Back In Kalos.


	68. Johto 14

This is the second of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>Houndour locked eyes on Gengar, and growled – a few extra fangs showing as his lip rode up.<p>

Gengar looked back, grinning casually, and didn't change his expression as Houndour started to slowly pace around him.

"Houndour," Ash said, pitching his voice low enough that the canine Pokémon could barely hear him. "He's using an illusion – that's not the real him. He's invisible, about twenty feet to your left."

Houndour absorbed the information, and then dug his hind legs in and exploded into motion. He took two loping strides and then lunged, teeth bared and crackling with dark energy, and chomped onto something tangible in the air.

Gengar faded into existence, revealing that Houndour had grabbed onto his arm. He waved it, and Houndour clung on for a few seconds before being thrown off and landing hard on the floor.

The Ghost-type hissed, and floated further into the sky. His double-team illusion faded away.

"Gengar, use Shadow Ball!" Morty called.

Houndour came back to his feet, looked up and started dodging the incoming Shadow Balls as best he could – he ran at a light jog, generally moving in a broad circle, and as soon as the attack fired he sped up, slowed down or turned to get away from it.

One or two connected, but for the most part he was able to avoid them. Because Gengar had to stay so high to stay out of Bite range, it wasn't as hard as it could have been.

"Houndour!" Ash called. "Do you know any ranged Dark attacks?"

"_Just one,"_ Houndour replied, skidding to a halt to avoid one Ball – and being hit by the next. _"Ow!"_

He blasted a small ball of fire into the air, which Gengar casually popped with another Shadow Ball – producing a huge cloud of smoke.

"What-" Morty said, then nodded. "Oh, of course. Smokescreen."

An ear-grating Snarl came from beneath the smoke cloud, making Gengar shake slightly as dark energy crackled over him.

"Nice work!" Ash called. "Keep it up!"

"He's got to be somewhere in there." Morty looked up at Gengar. "Night Shade! Hit the whole area, try to find where he is!"

Gengar nodded, and raised arms with an increasing amount of dark energy clinging to them. His Night Shade attack started well, but gradually dropped in power as it sliced through the smokescreen in a circular pattern.

* * *

><p>"Are you guys okay?" Brock asked, looking up at his fellow spectators.<p>

All six Beasts had their paws over their ears.

"_That sounds awful!"_ Suicune muttered.

"_That's kind of the point, though, isn't it?"_ Keldeo asked.

"_It's still giving me a headache..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Got you..."<em> Gengar said, his Night Shade finally finding a target. _"Let's see you keep that up! Spite!"_

Ghostly energy flashed down to the doughty Houndour, blowing away the cloud of Smokescreen and also making him break off his Snarling.

"Houndour, are you okay?" Ash asked, seeing the canine Pokémon looking discomfited.

"_My throat's sore,"_ Houndour said, in a hoarse voice.

"Great." Ash winced. "Okay, do what you can, I guess."

Houndour nodded, and fired an Ember upwards.

Gengar swooped aside and released a Shadow Ball in retaliation. The attack was pathetic – barely half the diameter of a normal Shadow Ball, it only just managed to reach the ground before destabilizing and collapsing.

"Right," Morty said, seeing the crackling Dark energy still on Gengar's fingers. "Your Houndour neutralized his ranged attacks with Snarl. That's pretty clever."

He pointed. "Pity Gengar's got some other good attacks! Focus Punch!"

Gengar grinned, curling his arm into a fist to move the energy crackling around the fingertips out of the way. His hand took on a white glow, and he lunged down at the Dark-type.

Houndour frowned upwards, then barked out another Snarl as Gengar came down. It hit Gengar, making him lose focus, and the attack didn't complete – and Gengar got another Bite for his pains before rising out of the way.

"I though he wasn't able to use that any more!" Morty said, blinking.

"_It hurt,"_ Houndour confirmed in a voice which was barely a whisper. He returned to pacing around in a circle, eyes on the sky.

"Right. Let's try this, then. Drain Punch!"

Gengar's fist glowed with green energy this time. He dove, fist pulled back for a powerful blow-

"Below you!" Ash called suddenly.

Houndour jumped into the air, opening his mouth, and Bit at Gengar's _real_ body as it emerged from the ground. The illusory Ghost-type dissolved, and Houndour's Bite attack closed on Gengar's leg at about the same time as Gengar's Drain Punch hit home.

The Fire-type grinned, and muttered something through his teeth.

* * *

><p>Keldeo blinked. <em>"That's... me! And Lucario?"<em>

"Oh, this must be Beat Up," Misty said, then winced as the two Dark doubles of Ash's pair of on-hand Fighting types hit Gengar very hard indeed. "Ouch..."

"_Beat Up is that move which uses the strength of allies, right?"_ the shiny Suicune asked. She glanced between Keldeo and the three original Beasts, then up into the sky. _"...well, that's a move which is only going to get more powerful."_

* * *

><p>"Gengar's unable to battle," Morty conceded, as his Ghost-type started drifting on the breeze and Houndour released him. "Well done, that was an impressive way to mitigate Gengar's ranged tactics."<p>

He frowned. "I'm curious, though, how did you know where Gengar was?"

"Aura," Ash said simply.

Morty snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's _right,_ that was in the interview. That's pretty cool."

Returning Gengar, the Gym Leader switched Pokéballs. "Do you want to keep your Houndour out?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I think he deserves a rest."

"Makes sense."

Houndour went back into his Pokéball, and Ash tossed it to Misty. "Can you give him a throat sweet or something, Misty? Thanks. Okay, Dexter – now."

Transferring.

Ash caught the Pokéball as it emerged. "Right. Tauros!"

"Interesting. Mismagius, go!"

* * *

><p>Tauros snorted, pawing the ground, and gave Mismagius a glare.<p>

"Remember, no Normal or Fighting type attacks!" Ash called. "Just everything else."

The bullish Pokémon glanced back at him and nodded, then returned his attention to Mismagius.

Morty pointed. "Okay, use Will-o-wisp!"

Blue-purple fire flashed out from Mismagius' hat, and zoomed towards Tauros.

Tauros faced it down with an impassive stare, drumming his hooves on the floor.

Several eyes looked up at a crack of thunder overhead.

It started to rain. Very locally indeed.

"Huh," Ash said, absently, as drumming rain in a six foot circle around Tauros completely extinguished the Will-o-wisp. "That one knows Rain Dance. I swear, it's like lucky dip with my Tauros..."

Tauros stopped drumming his hooves, and burst into motion. Mismagius gestured, producing a series of glowing rocks which slammed into him as he charged, and he grunted before leaping at her and delivering a Zen Headbutt.

"Not bad," Morty commented. "Magical Leaf!"

The shower of glowing leaves sliced out at Tauros, who reared and stamped before lashing back at Mismagius with a ring of Dark energy.

And that would be Payback, Dexter contributed. You are correct, this _is_ basically a game of lucky dip to see what moves your Tauros have.

The Payback hit Mismagius as she was preparing another attack, breaking it and knocking her back.

"That's going to be a problem..." Morty came to a decision. "Okay, Mismagius. Perish Song!"

"That seems a little extreme," Ash commented, just before Mismagius started.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ow!"<em> Suicune winced. _"What's with this battle and screechy noises?"_

Keldeo shrugged. _"At least you've got paws."_

Perish Song grated out, resonating in the air, and attacked both Pokémon on the field. It sapped their strength, red energy crackling around both Mismagius and Tauros.

"It is!" Morty agreed, shouting to be heard. "But most of Mismagius' good attacks are Ghost type, and that Payback means the rest are too risky! At least this way Mismagius can beat your Tauros – she's more used to Perish Song!"

Tauros started to stagger on his hooves as the attack drained his energy. For her part, Mismagius gradually sank towards the ground, but she was clearly the better off of the two.

"Fissure!" Ash said suddenly.

Tauros reared up, and slammed his hooves into the floor. Then fell over.

White energy traced a path towards Mismagius, and knocked her out as well.

"...I hate it when people do that," Morty muttered. "Okay, that was impressive. Both sides must pick another Pokémon."

* * *

><p>"<em>This has been interesting so far,"<em> Raikou said, nibbling on some of the popcorn Entei had (reluctantly) produced for them.

"_Yeah!"_ Keldeo agreed, grinning. _"I've not seen Ash fight much before, but if this is normal-"_

"There's been a trend," Misty said, looking up at them as Ash pondered who to use next. "Since we came back, he's been getting more and more spectacular, but he was hardly a slouch to begin with."

Suddenly, all the beasts looked back towards Ecruteak.

"What is it?" Misty asked, concerned.

"_Someone's coming,"_ shiny-Raikou reported.

Suicune stood in her seat, leaning towards Ecruteak proper... then groaned. _"Oh, no. It's him."_

"Morty?" a voice called. "Morty? Are you here?"

A man in a cape strode out of the forest, heading straight for Morty. "I was looking for you in the gym, but you weren't there... oh, you've got a challenger?" The caped man looked at Ash briefly, then shrugged. "Whatever. Anyway, I found something important – you're going to want to see it. It's about another legendary trio, the three Forces of Nature from Unova, and it talks about how they interact. It might be the key to-"

Morty shook his head. "Sorry, Eusine, I'm busy. I'll look later."

"But this is crucially important!" Eusine stressed. "It could revolutionize our understanding of the Beasts of Ecruteak! It might even have a clue as to their movements!"

Ash started making a strangled noise, as if he was desperately trying to hold in laughter.

Morty looked at Eusine with incredulous eyes. "Uh... Eusine?"

"What?" Eusine asked. "Oh, now you want to hear?"

Morty pointed.

Eusine blinked at his finger. "What is it?"

Ash's strangled not-laughter got louder.

Morty took two quick steps forwards, took Eusine's shoulders, and physically turned him around to look at the bleachers on Ash's side of the field.

Eusine blinked, focused, blinked again, and went stock still.

"...Morty?" he said, after several seconds of silence. "Why are there two Suicune, two Entei, two Raikou and a Keldeo watching the gym match? And why are three of them shiny?"

"You know what?" Morty said. "I have absolutely no idea whatsoever."

"Right." Eusine swallowed, then started to walk towards the seats.

* * *

><p>"Who's he?" Misty asked.<p>

"_He's-"_ Raikou began.

Suicune interrupted him. _"He's spent years trying to find me, to get even a glimpse of me, and he chases up any rumour I'm anywhere with a single minded obsessiveness."_

Brock nodded. "So, he's a stalker."

"_Basically."_ Suicune shook her head. _"And to make it worse, he thinks he's one of the few people worthy of seeing me – let alone catching me, which he wants to."_

"Suicune!" Eusine called, drawing their attention. "I challenge you! If anyone should catch you, it's me – I've studied you tirelessly for years!"

Suicune stuck her tongue out. _"No chance! I've decided who, if anyone, is going to catch me – and it's not you!"_

Eusine didn't understand her. The stuck-out tongue, however, needed no translation. "What? What do you – but – I've tried to find you for years! Always hoping to be so fortunate as to get a glimpse of you – but to catch you would be the crowning moment of my life!"

The water type shook her head.

"What about you?" Eusine switched his focus to the shiny one. "Please! I want to-"

All three shiny beasts barked denials in unison, shaking their heads as Suicune had.

"_I think the answer's no,"_ Keldeo supplied.

"But... but..." Eusine grabbed at his belt. "Alakazam!"

A precisely moderated burst of electricity hit his hand, making it jerk away from the Pokéball at his belt. Alakazam emerged anyway, but took in the half-dozen snarling legendaries – and the glowing beam of azure light as Keldeo unsheathed his sword – and decided not to get involved.

"Eusine," Misty said, raising her voice. "Eusine!"

Eusine glanced at her. "What do _you_ want?"

"Eusine, most people never even _see_ Suicune," she pointed out. "I mean, I travel with Ash, so I've met a lot of Legendaries – including several nice Water types."

Keldeo flashed her a grin, then returned to glaring at Eusine.

"But I don't think this is the right way to get to know Suicune," she continued. "Legendary Pokémon don't always remain aloof from humans, but they tend to show themselves to and interact with people they _don't_ think are going to catch them for selfish reasons."

"I don't want to-" Eusine began.

"Why _do_ you want to catch her?" Misty asked.

Eusine gaped. _"Her?"_

"_Case in point..."_ Suicune muttered. _"I'm sure some legend _somewhere_ mentions I'm female..."_

"And – it's because I'd be the best trainer for her," Eusine said, trying to regain his equilibrium.

"_The best trainers for Legendary Pokémon aren't the ones who chase them,"_ Keldeo said. _"It's the people who help them – and other Pokémon – without asking for anything in return."_

He nodded towards the boy still on the field. _"Ash is a good example of that – he saved my life. So I owe him a debt, and..."_ Keldeo shrugged.

Eusine followed the logic through.

"So... does that mean that... _he_ is your trainer? _Him?_ A _boy?_" The researcher shook his head in astonishment. "I don't... I can't believe it."

Keldeo grinned, and vanished in a flash of red.

Ash glanced down at his belt, then opened one of the Pokéballs there. Keldeo emerged once more, and nodded to Ash before cantering back over to the stand.

"Eusine..." Misty said, sighing. "There's no easy way to take this. You've been doing it wrong your whole life, and I'm sorry about that."

She nodded towards the bleachers. "The best thing to do, really, is start over again. This time, why not try focusing yourself on something other than examining legends just to focus on Suicune?"

Brock spoke up. "If you know the legends, you know Legendary Pokémon are often very important – they have jobs."

He nodded towards the half-dozen beasts. "Luckily, here, there's two of each – but if there hadn't been, then even if you caught Suicune you'd just have to let her go again. Did you think of that?"

"...no," Eusine admitted. He returned his Alakazam, and sighed. "I... I can't believe..."

He straightened, and looked at Suicune. "I'm... sorry, Suicune."

Suicune considered that impassively for several seconds. Then she nodded to him, slightly. _"Keldeo? Please translate this. I will not allow myself to be caught by you, Eusine – but, through the translation of your Psychic-type, I will consent to talk."_

Keldeo duly relayed this, and Eusine let out an explosive sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Suicune," he said, bowing slightly. "I'll... I'll try to do better, I guess."

"Come on," Misty added, nodding to the bleachers. "Why not watch the second half of the battle? It's been pretty cool so far!"

* * *

><p>More than a mile overhead, Ho-Oh banked in the sunlight streaming between the clouds.<p>

This _was_ an unexpected pleasure.

Admittedly, he could only see the battles below in tiny, doll-like detail – but it was still better than nothing.

More gym battles should be outdoors, in Ho-Oh's opinion. It was good for wild Pokémon.

* * *

><p>"Noctowl, your go!" Ash called, releasing him.<p>

"A good choice against most Ghosts," Morty agreed. "Most. Froslass!"

"Great," Ash winced. "Okay, you know what to do..."

"_I do indeed,"_ Noctowl confirmed. He rolled in the air, producing a duplicate, and the two of them flew into the air.

As they did, Froslass raised her arms, and a snowstorm started around her.

"Neat," Ash said, watching the miniature snowstorm. "Is that Hail or Powder Snow?"

"Powder Snow," Morty answered. "Okay, use Ice Shard!"

Froslass drew one arm in towards her body, then gestured towards one of the Noctowl. A large shard of ice shot out, and burst into a spray of a dozen or so smaller shards shortly before reaching Noctowl.

The Shiny Pokémon dissolved in a flash.

"So, that was the double team..." Morty said, frowning. "Okay, hit the other one with another Ice Shard!"

Froslass repeated her attack. This time, however, Noctowl flared his wings and avoided the attack by slowing abruptly – then dipped forwards, gaining speed again by diving.

As he rose back to altitude, he spun off an air cutter which bored in on Froslass. It produced a plume of snow back towards Noctowl as it passed into her powder-snow effect, and she flinched a bit from the blow. It didn't seem to do much damage, though.

"Not bad, Noctowl!" Ash called.

Morty's eyes narrowed. "Something about that... Froslass! Hail!"

"_The weather outside is frightful,"_ she intoned, raising her arms, and her snowstorm expanded outwards. As it did, it gained definition and switched from snow to hail, until there were large hailstones pelting an expanding area.

Noctowl took a hit from a hailstone, and promptly vanished.

Eusine gasped. "They were _both_ illusions?"

"There!" Morty said, pointing.

Everyone squinted, seeing that there was a patch of moving air where the hailstones were bouncing off something solid.

"Game's up, Noctowl!" Ash informed him.

"_I noticed, what what?"_ Noctowl returned to visibility, wincing occasionally as hailstones hit him. _"Right, let's be about it."_

As Froslass charged an Icy Wind attack, Noctowl's eyes began to glow. The hailstones stopped bouncing off him, and instead began bouncing off a spherical bubble of psychic force a few inches wider than his wingtips.

"_Tally-ho!"_ Noctowl called, accelerating and curving in towards Froslass. His Extrasensory knifed through the hail, keeping it away, and his wings flashed silvery with Steel Wing.

Froslass fired her Icy Wind, which Noctowl battered through with his psionic shield, and then exhaled a blast of icy breath just as Noctowl finally reached her.

There was a confused moment of ice and wings and flashing energy, and then Noctowl thumped to the ground with his feathers iced up – having passed through Froslass, there'd been a moment when he'd taken the Ice Breath directly to the face past his Extrasensory shield.

Froslass had hardly escaped unscathed. The icy portions of her body were clearly cracked and chipped, and her arms hung a little limply.

"Nice work, Noctowl," Ash said, and recalled him. "Houndour!"

The canine Pokémon grinned, looking up at Froslass. _"Hello."_

Froslass contrived to look exasperated. _"Yeah, we both know how this is going, get on with it."_

Houndour blew a fireball at her.

"_Ha!"_ Frosslass announced, eyes flashing. _"Destiny Bond!"_

The fireball connected, flashing all over her in a wash of flame.

Froslass frowned, feeling only mildly warm. _"Shouldn't that have-"_

Her opponent shrugged. _"That was barely even an attack. This is, though!"_

Froslass didn't _quite_ have time to reactivate her Destiny Bond before the Fire Fang hit.

* * *

><p>"Yes, I pretty much expected that," Morty acknowledged.<p>

"By the way," Ash asked, as the gym leader went for a fourth Pokéball. "How did you know Noctowl was using an illusion?"

"I'm used to illusions, Ghosts use them a lot," Morty explained. "The clue was the way the Air Slash disturbed the snow – it should have made a plume out the _other_ side from where the attack came in."

"Huh." Ash nodded. "I'll let Noctowl know. Who's next?"

"Well, I've got to stop your Houndour," Morty said. "Jellicent!"

* * *

><p>"Watch out!" Ash called. "That's a Water type!"<p>

"_Oh, great,"_ Houndour said, examining the blue Pokémon. _"Water type. Here we go..."_

Jellicent shrugged his fins, and fired a Hydro Pump.

* * *

><p>Ash returned the soaked Houndour. "I forgot those existed, actually.. they're kind of bizarre."<p>

Jellicent looked mildly annoyed.

"Right. Pikachu!"

Pikachu perked up. _"Really?"_

"Sure thing!" Ash confirmed.

"_Right!"_ Pikachu ran forwards. _"Take this!"_

Jellicent fired another Water attack, which Pikachu jumped around with a fluid grace. He used Agility, accelerating, and avoiding the Shadow Ball which Jellicent sent at him next.

As he ran, a ring of electricity formed around him.

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh, this,"<em> Suicune said, leaning forwards. _"I remember this."_

"_What's that?"_ Raikou asked, blinking. _"I... it's an Electric attack, but I've never seen it before."_

"Trust me," Brock said, glancing up. "You're in for a treat."

As he spoke, the second ring completed, and the third and final ring formed. They began rotating independently around one another, in a complicated pattern.

* * *

><p>"Really?" Ash asked, chuckling. "Is it worth it?"<p>

"_Probably not,"_ Pikachu agreed, jumping over a Bubblebeam as his attack continued to charge. _"But I feel like it."_

"Fair enough," Ash agreed. "Pikachu – Volt Crash!"

The rings locked together, and there was a huge crack of thunder.

* * *

><p>Raikou's jaw dropped. <em>"What. The hell. Was that?"<em>

Suicune chuckled. _"He said, didn't he? Volt crash."_

"_Why didn't you tell me about this?"_ He looked at his sister for a moment, then back to Pikachu – panting slightly, but looking _very_ pleased with himself. _"That was amazing! I want to learn it!"_

He shot a look at the shiny Raikou. _"Hurry up with your training, I want to challenge Ash! No, wait, I want to challenge him and then _throw the match!_ Just to learn that!"_

* * *

><p>"...well, I guess you've earned the Fog badge," Morty said. He shook his head. "Now I'm going to go home, and... probably sit down for a bit."<p>

Ash caught the Fog badge. "Thanks for the battle!"

The Beasts made noises of agreement.

"Oh, and Suicune suggests you have these outside more," Ash added. "They enjoy watching."

"Right." Morty nodded. "I... okay, then."

He checked all four Pokéballs, and started to walk back to Ecruteak – slightly unsteadily.

* * *

><p>"<em>What was it you wanted to ask us, Misty?"<em> Suicune prompted.

"Oh!" Misty nodded. "Thanks for reminding me. I wanted to ask – I'm currently under consideration for a slot in the Elite Four, I just got the letter this morning."

"_Ah. Say no more."_ Suicune looked at her two brothers. _"Since I believe you are a Water trainer... you wish to fight my brothers?"_

"Or their doubles, yeah. I mean, there's other options, but..." She nodded, and cleared her throat. "Entei? Raikou?"

The two Fire-types and the two Electric-types turned to her, not quite in unison. _"Yes?"_ the original Entei said, speaking for all of them.

"Could I battle one of each of you?" she asked. "Not now, some later time. It's part of Elite Four qualification testing."

Raikou nodded straight away. _"I would be glad to."_

"_As I,"_ Entei added. _"We are aware of how this works – Suicune and I fought Malcom, the Grass-type member of the Elite Four."_

Misty frowned, then calculated something in her head. She gaped. "That must have been forty years ago!"

"_Yes..."_ Entei nodded. _"Yes, I suppose it was. How time passes."_

"_We will organize something,"_ Raikou said. _"I'm sure they will be grand battles!"_

"Thanks," Misty nodded. She sighed. "Wow, even knowing how hard it's going to be... that helps, it really does."

* * *

><p>"This is like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Gary groaned.<p>

Umbreon nodded, looking around at the hundreds upon hundreds of stones of all kinds on display.

"_And we don't even know how to tell which one's a Mega Stone and which isn't,"_ she pointed out.

Gary put his head in his hands.

"_Wait one moment,"_ Furfrou said, still in her Debutante trim. _"What is this?"_

Gary glanced up, and blinked at the case she was patting.

Walking over, he gave it a close look. "That... that actually might be one. It's not cut, but... Dee?"

He held up his Pokédex, scanner pointed at the smooth, river-washed stone.

Engaging deep scan.

There was a long pause.

Deep scan completed. It appears to be a mega stone.

Gary stood. "Right. _Right."_

* * *

><p>"That was far, far too expensive," Gary said, as they sat outside some minutes later. "We might need to start doing the gym challenge purely for funding."<p>

"_Well, I'm game,"_ Furfrou pronounced. _"Any idea what it was?"_

"Not really..." Gary shrugged, examining the distinctively-shaped flaw deep in the translucent stone.

It was pale pink and light brown, sandwiching a darker brown fleck in the middle. "I don't know what the colour means, and it's not like they're labelled. And we do need to get it cut, first, I suppose."

"_Why not let us all have a go with it?"_Umbreon suggested. _"Every Pokémon you've got. That might help."_

"A bit," Gary agreed. "And only if it's a Kanto Pokémon who uses it, too."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Fogbadge get!

I kind of feel sorry for Morty, this has not been a normal day.

Eusine is... tricky. He's obsessed, which is hard for Suicune, and he's arrogant to boot. But... well, he's just been told that his life's goal has been achieved – by someone else. Suicune wants to be caught, and it's not by him.

Hard not to feel a bit sorry for him, too.

As for Gary... well, that Mega Stone is indeed a Mega Stone. But it's not perhaps the most immediately useful.


	69. Johto 15

"Ash!"

Ash blinked. "Wait, is that – oh, hi Molly!"

"Hi!" Molly repeated, running over with her Eevee at her heels. "Nice to see you, Ash!"

Ash chuckled as Molly arrived. "Nice to see you too, Molly."

"How are you doing?" Molly asked. "Oh, can I see you win your next gym badge?"

Ash winced. "Sorry, just got it – the Beasts watched, though. I'll try and remember to call you before the fifth one, so Pidgeot can bring you over."

Molly's father had walked over while they were talking. He winced at the suggestion. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea..."

"Why not?" Ash asked, puzzled. "Pidgeot's perfectly safe."

"I'm just a little uneasy about letting a Pokémon carry my daughter around, alone, at supersonic speed."

"Oh, right." Ash shrugged. "I don't know, then... perhaps you could ride Pidgeot as well? I think she can take that much weight."

"Can we, papa?" Molly asked.

"...I'll think about it," Spencer hedged. He noticed Keldeo, and blinked. "Who's this?"

"That's Keldeo, papa!" Molly said, shaking her head. "Ash mentioned him last night! He's Ash's newest Pokémon!"

"_Nice to meet you,"_ Keldeo said, offering his hoof for Molly to shake.

She took it, beaming. "You're nice!"

"_Thank you. Ash told me a bit about you."_

Spencer shook his head. "I should really learn to stop being surprised."

"Oh!" Molly clapped her hands. "Can we go and see the Kimono sisters?"

"Sure," Spencer agreed. "Ash, want to come?"

"Sounds like a good idea," he nodded. "Guys?"

Misty smiled. "That sounds nice, yeah."

* * *

><p>"This is a pretty impressive place," Ash said, looking around the hall – hung with traditional scrolls and heavy with the scent of cherrywood and green tea. "I wonder how old it is."<p>

"It dates from the tenth century."

"Whoa!" Ash jumped, as a voice spoke from just behind him. Whirling, he saw a girl wearing an elaborate kimono.

Ash noticed that it seemed to be styled... a little like Entei, actually.

The girl bowed to him. "Welcome."

"Uh... hi, I guess..." Ash said. "How did you do that?"

The girl smiled, a little mysteriously. "Please, come. Bring your friends."

She bowed again, and turned to walk towards the back. Bemused, Ash followed.

As he did, he noticed a Flareon regarding him with placid eyes, before turning to follow his trainer.

* * *

><p>"So, uh..." Ash said, as tea was poured. "What is it?"<p>

The five girls, all dressed in differently-structured kimonos, sat down at the table opposite Ash and his friends.

The one wearing the Ho-Oh kimono spoke first. "Welcome, chosen one."

"You – you know?" Ash asked, startled.

Nods.

"There are many bells in the tower," answered one dressed in a flowing blue kimono. "They do not merely ring in the presence of Ho-Oh."

"Though that one hardly shuts up these days," added the one wearing a Raikou kimono.

"Satsuki," rebuked the girl wearing the Ho-Oh kimono. "But, yes. One of the bells rings when a trainer who Ho-Oh trusts is near. We determined it was likely to be you."

The girl in the Lugia kimono, who Ash recognized as being the youngest – Sakura – nodded to him. "Do you have any idea why this might be?" she asked, absently stroking her Eevee's fur.

"Yeah, actually..." Ash said. He glanced at the Hales, then nodded. "I caught him last year."

All five sisters blinked.

"That's... anticlimactic," said the sister wearing the Suicune kimono, losing her previous poise. "How does _that_ work?"

Ash shrugged helplessly. "Ho-Oh swooped down on me, told me I was one of the Chosen, and then let himself be caught."

"Right." The leader, the one in the Ho-Oh kimono, shook her head. "I... I don't know what to say, now. We were expecting to ease you into the idea that Ho-Oh might at some future time deign to challenge you."

"Tamao?" Sakura asked. "What about the others?"

"Oh, that's right." Tamao straightened her rainbow-fringed kimono. "If you truly have the trust of Ho-Oh, then it may be that you will also encounter the other tower bird, Lugia-"

"Caught him too," Ash forestalled. "I was at Shamouti and helped him save the world, we get on quite well."

Several jaws dropped.

"...uh, Suicune?" asked one of the sisters, her Vaporeon hopping up onto her lap.

"She and Entei have already challenged me, and she's indicated that there'll be rematches and that Raikou will do the same."

"Can we help you with _anything?_" Tamao burst out.

Ash frowned. "I actually don't know..."

"Oh!" Molly raised a hand. "Can I ask a question?"

"I suppose," said the girl with the Flareon. Koume, that was it. "What do you wish to know?"

"Do you like my Eevee?" Molly asked, patting the table. With a yap, her Eevee jumped up onto the table and posed.

"Oh, a shiny one!" Sakura said. "That's nice!"

Molly's Eevee preened.

Tamao's Umbreon hopped up onto the table as well, threading his way around the tea cups, and sniffed at Molly's Pokémon – then jumped backwards with surprise as she shifted flawlessly to Umbreon.

"How long have we been talking?" asked the fifth sister – Sumomo. She moved some of the cups to the side. "Congratulations on-"

She was startled into silence as Molly's shapeshifting Pokémon reverted to Eevee, then went Vaporeon.

"My Eevee's special!" Molly announced proudly.

"There was this thing in Greenfield," Ash explained. "This Eevee was part of what resulted. That's also where the shiny Legendary Beasts came from?"

"Oh, that explains that," Koume said with a sigh of relief. "I though I was seeing double when I saw two Entei."

"I think-" Tamao shook her head. "Well, so much for what we were planning to do. I've never seen that eeveelution before, what is it?"

"Sylveon!" Molly and her Sylveon said at the same time. They shared a smile, and Molly stroked the blue-white-and-pink Pokémon. "She's stronger than a dragon!"

She smiled up at the astonished girls. "Oh – do you want to meet my friends the shiny Legendary Beasts? Ash said they were around here!"

* * *

><p>"This is a great honour," Tamao said, bowing to Suicune. "To meet yourselves is a rare privilege."<p>

Suicune returned the bow. _"You have done your work well, you five of Ecruteak. May you continue to do so – we could ask no more."_

Ash translated, and Tamao's eyes widened. "I – thank you, lady Suicune."

Suicune smiled.

On the other side of the clearing, all three shiny Beasts lay in a circle around Spencer, Molly and her Eevee as she talked about her last couple of months and her time at school.

"Professor Oak is giving me talks about how to study Pokémon! It's good fun – sometimes it's a bit boring, but he's funny."

"_I am sure he is a great man,"_ the Entei said, smiling. _"I have heard he is a great artist, as well."_

"Well, he does sketches. He's shown me some – and his assistant draws too! They drew Eevee in all of her shapes!"

Suddenly, all four beasts present – Suicune and the three shinies – looked up. Their heads turned towards the southwest.

A few seconds later, there was a crashing sound, and a man wearing a black Rocket uniform came through the brush.

"A-ha!" he announced. "Now I've got you! I'll steal that shiny Eevee, and –"

It was at this point he noticed the four legendary Pokémon facing him. Their gradually rising snarl didn't help, either.

"...oh, hell," he said faintly. "It doesn't matter! Koffing!"

Suicune blinked, her snarl faltering. _"Seriously? You... you're still going along with this?"_

"I'll fight you!" Sakura announced. "Eevee, go!"

"Sakura!" Tamao said. "Don't!"

"You want to play, little girl?" the Rocket grunt asked. "Fine, let's play! Koffing, Smokescreen!"

"Eevee, use your Swift!" Sakura called.

The shower of silvery stars punched through the gathering smoke, showing the area next to Koffing.

"Keep it up and aim a bit to the right!" Sakura ordered. "That's right – right there!"

The grunt scowled as his Koffing took a beating from the Swift stars. "Grrah! Right – use Sludge!"

"Quick Attack, Eevee!" Sakura said. "Get in too close for him to hit you!"

"_Right!"_ her Eevee said, running forwards into the smoke. There was a moment of confusion, and then Eevee jumped up through the smoke to hit Koffing dead-on.

"You'll pay for that, girlie," the Rocket told her As her Eevee jumped in again, he pointed. "Koffing! Explosion!"

There was a frozen instant, too short for anyone to react, and then the Koffing exploded.

"Eevee!" Sakura called, heart in her mouth.

Before she'd finished the one-word cry, the Rocket grunt was bowled over by four hundred pounds of Legendary Pokémon.

Suicune growled at him, flashing her teeth right up to his face to make her displeasure clear.

"Eevee, are you okay?" Sakura shouted, running into the smoke.

The smoke rippled, then pulsed and expanded outwards in a spherical wave of force.

_I think I am,_ her Pokémon informed her. _I feel fine._

"Ee – Espeon?" Sakura corrected herself. "You evolved!"

_For you, Sakura,_ Espeon said. He leaped into the arms of his trainer, and she stroked his soft fur with a smile.

"I'm so glad you're okay..."

Molly's Eevee turned into an Espeon, for solidarity, and added her congratulations.

"_Ash?"_ Suicune asked, one paw still on the chest of the Rocket grunt. _"What should be done with him?"_

Ash thought about that for a moment. "Tamao? Can you take him to the police station?"

"I most certainly can," the girl confirmed. "Despicable person!"

* * *

><p>Jessie sighed, tapping the projector screen. "We're going to keep having these talks until you idiots listen. This boy is <em>bad news!<em> Quite apart from his team, Legendary Pokémon seem to appear out of the woodwork when he's around."

"Yeah," Meowth agreed. "An 'dat's why Joseph ain't getting' broken out of prison. Da team ain't gonna spring morons!"

"Far too expensive," James agreed.

* * *

><p>"Okay," Misty said, addressing all her Pokémon. "You heard about the letter?"<p>

Nods.

"Right. That means I'm going to need to choose which of you should be on the team." She shot an apologetic glance at Togekiss. "Sorry, love, you're disqualified."

"_I don't mind,"_ the Normal/Flying type said with a smile. _"I was expecting it."_

"Thanks." Misty smiled back. "Now, let's see... what do I know about how the Elite Four work..."

She snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right – they need to have a counter for everything that would normally be a way to easily beat their type. Like how... I saw a match where Flint from Sinnoh was doing a demonstration battle against Steven Stone, and Flint's first move was to use Sunny Day."

"_Oh, I get it,"_ Psyduck nodded. _"So Water type moves weren't as useful."_

"More than that – half his team can Solarbeam," Misty clarified. "It was a pretty intense match."

"_Ah."_ Psyduck winced.

Misty looked along the row. "Staryu, you're my primary way of stopping Electric-types."

Staryu nodded. _"Got it!"_

"As for Grass-types... who knows Ice Beam or something else Ice-type?"

Several fins, flippers or hands went up.

"_I know Flamethrower, too!"_ Gyarados volunteered. _"Bet that would surprise Grass-type users!"_

"That's great!" Misty smiled. "Now... okay, do any of you know Hydro Pump? That's a good, powerful Water move to start with."

"_I do,"_ Gyarados said.

There was the sound of hooves.

"_I do as well," _Keldeo said. _"Sort of. I'm not very good at it."_

"Okay." Misty frowned. "I know – you can learn how to use it with the rest of us. Can you show me what your Hydro Pump is like?"

Keldeo nodded. He stepped back a little, took a calming breath, and – used Hydro Pump.

The result was, for Misty, a little surprising.

Water sprayed in all directions as four focused jets of high-pressure water went straight down – coming from Keldeo's _hooves_, of all places. The force of the jets was such that Keldeo rocketed up into the sky, wobbling erratically as his legs trembled with the effort to stay straight.

"_That's... bizarre,"_ Politoed said. _"How does that work, exactly?"_

Keldeo landed in a huge splash of water, some way across the clearing.

"Actually, the strangest thing is where the water's coming from," Misty said, scrutinizing the results and thinking them over. "He's got a _lot_ of output on that, though."

Keldeo cantered back over, a little unsteady. _"There – is that alright?"_

"Yes, actually," Misty said. "I think I've got an idea. Can you balance on your two right legs?"

The Water-type legendary gave her a confused look. _"I... I guess I might be able to..."_

"Okay," Misty said. "The important thing about Water-type moves which use large amounts of water, like Hydro Pump, is – recoil. They've got a lot of it."

She frowned. "Let's try just one, first. Can you raise your foreleg and aim at that tree over there, then use Hydro Pump with just that leg?"

"_I'll try."_ Keldeo braced himself, and then pointed the hoof in question. _"Here goes!"_

A jet of high-velocity water very briefly connected with the tree, and then Keldeo fell over.

"Thought so," Misty said. "You're having recoil problems."

She looked around at the rest of her team. "Everyone else paying attention?"

Psyduck raised a flipper.

"Yes?"

"_How are you producing that much water?"_

"_It's not that hard,"_ Gyarados cut in. _"Just do Water Gun, but... more."_

"_You're the size of a building!"_ Psyduck retorted._ "Of course you can do more water than I can."_

Gyarados hrumphed. _"How does Keldeo do it, then?"_

"_He's a Legendary!"_

"Both of you, quiet!" Misty said.

They turned to look at her.

"Anyway, Totodile can do it," Misty pointed out. "We'll have to practice, but I think you can all try at least."

She turned back to Keldeo. "Okay, I'll catch you if this goes wrong. Raise your right foreleg and point it at the target... good... now, when I say, raise your right hind leg, point it behind you, and use hydro pump on both those legs. Understand?"

Keldeo nodded. _"Got it."_

"Now!"

This time, the burst of water hit the target and stayed there. Keldeo's other raised leg produced a similar blast of high-pressure water, stabilizing him and preventing the recoil from blasting him over.

"Good!" Misty shouted over the roar of rushing water. "Now, reduce how much water's coming out of your rear leg until you feel a bit unsteady, then reduce your foreleg a bit and repeat that!"

Keldeo's face screwed up with the effort, and he stepped down his power output in careful stages.

Eventually, his rear leg was producing barely a trickle, and his foreleg was firing a still powerful but much lesser stream.

"Now put your rear leg down," Misty continued.

Keldeo duly did so, and then finally stopped his Hydro Pump and started panting.

"_I... thanks, Misty!" _he said. _"Now I know how much I can use without falling over."_

"That's right," Misty agreed. "Don't forget to practice, though, maybe you can increase it with training."

"_I will. Thanks again."_ Keldeo bowed to her. _"I'll leave you to what you were discussing."_

"Right." Misty nodded.

When Keldeo was gone, she looked along the line of her team. "Staryu, you're in... so is Gyarados, because he's probably the strongest Pokémon I've got in terms of pure strength."

Gyarados gave a very happy roar.

"Kingdra, you're part Dragon, which is great news for avoiding trouble with Electric types as well. You're in."

Kingdra bobbed his head. _"I'll try to do you proud."_

"As for the other two slots..." Misty shrugged. "If I had to decide today I'd say Politoed and Psyduck, but that's subject to change once I get a strong part-Rock type."

Kabuto clicked something morose.

"Oh, don't think I've forgotten you," Misty assured him. "I'm looking forward to when you're a Kabutops, to see how strong you are, but you're already a good Pokémon."

A happier click.

"That's alright." Misty clapped her hands. "Now, who wants to learn Hydro Pump?"

* * *

><p><span>Recording completed<span>, Dexter reported quietly.

"Thanks, Dexter," Ash said. "And thanks, Keldeo."

"_Was that alright?"_ Keldeo asked. _"She certainly helped me, but was that enough to count?"_

"I hope it'll do," Ash told him. "And yes, that was fine. I'm looking forward to using you in a gym battle!"

"_That sounds fun!"_ Keldeo agreed. _"I wonder how I'll do..."_

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Ash shouted up at the sky. "Give that back!"<p>

The murder of Murkrow chuckled amongst themselves, and continued flying off.

"What did they steal?" Brock asked.

"Three of my Kanto badges, my Hive badge, and my Indigo badge!" Ash said, voice a little raw. He swallowed. "They're not getting away with that! Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded, cheeks sparking. _"All at once or one at a time?"_

"Ash, don't!" Misty said, running past and rummaging at her belt. "You'll damage the badges!"

She plucked the first Pokéball, opening it with a flare of white light. "Politoed, try your Hydro Pump!"

Politoed nodded, face set in determination, and fired.

The thieving Murkrow was rather surprised to be hit by a high pressure stream of water, and stumbled in the air before falling – his soaked wings no longer able to successfully carry him.

"Psyduck! Catch the badges!" Misty went on. "Okay, Starmie, your go! Same as Politoed!"

Ash slowed to a walk, blinking, as Misty released Gyarados. She grabbed the Atrocious Pokémon by the fins and swung onto his back, Starmie hovering alongside and pumping huge amounts of water from its arms.

"...she's motivated," he said weakly.

Another Murkrow fell from the sky in a cloud of water and feathers.

* * *

><p>"Thanks, Misty," Ash said, inspecting the (wet) badges. "Good thinking."<p>

Misty smiled.

"Those Murkrow..." Ash added, shaking his head. "Right, from now on I'm keeping that case locked unless I need it open."

"Talk about closing the barn door after the Ponyta's bolted," Brock commented.

"Why would a barn door stop a Ponyta if it wanted to get out?" Ash asked, confused. "Couldn't they just burn their way through the door?"

Brock started to answer... and stopped, frowning. "Actually, now you mention it..."

"It's..." Misty shrugged. "It's just one of those sayings."

"Huh." Ash shrugged. "Well, I'm glad that didn't go as badly as it could have."

* * *

><p>"Where's that, again?" Ash asked, pointing into the distance.<p>

"That's Remoraid Mountain," Brock answered, looking at the map. "It's got Remoraid Lake on top of it, it's near the Remoraidian Ruins which used to be inhabited by the ancient people called the Remoraidians, and you'll never guess what Pokémon are up there."

"Octillery," Ash deadpanned.

"Probably," Brock agreed. "Misty? Should we go up there?"

Misty thought. "Nah," she said after a moment. "I'm pretty much fine with my team as it is, actually – well, if you count the ones we've not picked up again yet."

"Right, that's a miss..." Brock noted that down. "Next up, then, is the Sunflora Lodge – a couple of days away."

* * *

><p>"Wait a second," Ash said, shading his eyes. "Is that... Todd! Hi, Todd!"<p>

Todd Snap paused, looking back along the road. "Oh, hi Ash!"

"Great to see you!" Ash smiled, shaking his hand. "Where have you been?"

"Here and there," Todd told him. "I've been travelling far and wide in search of a chance to photograph a legendary Pokémon!"

Brock and Misty exchanged a glance, then started sniggering.

"Hey!" Todd said, hurt. "That's not very nice of you!"

"No, sorry," Misty assured him, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. "It's not..."

Ash shrugged a bit awkwardly. "What Legendary are you looking for?"

"Well, I've heard there's an Articuno around here," Todd told them. "So let me know if you see any sign of one – but any Legendary would do, really."

There was the faint sound of a Pokéball opening.

"_Hi!"_ Keldeo said.

Todd blinked. "I've never seen that Pokémon before..."

"_I'm Keldeo,"_ Keldeo introduced himself, bowing briefly. _"I'm travelling with Ash, because I owe him a debt I'd like to repay."_

"He's also one of the Swords of Justice," Ash added, and Keldeo smiled at the words. "They're Legendary Pokémon from Unova."

Todd shook his head. "When I saw it was you, Ash, I _told_ myself not to be surprised. I really did – I thought I was ready for whatever you were going to pull out of nowhere. And now..."

He sighed. "I don't think I really _want_ to take a photo of Keldeo, though – it seems too easy. No challenge in it."

"I can understand that," Ash agreed.

Keldeo frowned. _"Awww... a photo would have been nice."_

"Well..." Todd thought. "I guess I could take a photo of you, just not treat it like a Legendary one."

Keldeo perked up. _"That'd be nice. I'd like to have something to send back to Cobalion and the others."_

"That sounds fine," Todd agreed. "What do you want to be doing in the photo?"

"_...hmmm... what about having everyone's teams in it?" _Keldeo suggested. _"Everyone Ash has, and also all the Pokémon Brock and Misty have!"_

He shrugged. _"I'd like to have Iris and Cilan in, too, but that's... pretty much impossible."_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "That sounds like a great idea!"

He took Dexter out of his pocket. "Can you call the Professor, please?"

* * *

><p>Some time later, Todd put down his camera.<p>

"Well, that was a productive half hour or so," he said with a happy sigh. "I appreciate you getting hold of your Charizard and Lapras as well, Lapras especially are hard Pokémon types to photograph."

"Really, it's not a problem," Ash assured him. "They wanted their photos taken too!"

Behind them, Keldeo extended a hoof to Lapras to shake. _"Thanks for helping us get to Kanto, Lapras. I didn't make the connection until now."_

Lapras grinned, taking the hoof with his flipper. _"Ash has a way of bringing people and Pokémon together, doesn't he? Even if you hadn't met him yet."_

"_He does,"_ Keldeo agreed. _"I can see that being with him isn't going to be boring, at any rate..."_

There was a sudden blast of chill wind.

"_What was that?"_ Keldeo asked, looking up.

With a _thud_, a Sunkern encased in ice landed a few feet from Ash.

"Whoa!" he said, wincing. "That could have been pretty dangerous... we should get him out."

"_I'll handle that!"_ Squirtle volunteered. _"Scald!"_

"Wait!" Misty said. "Don't, it might hurt it!"

"_Why?"_ Squirtle asked. _"It's better than using a Fire attack!"_

"He's right," Brock confirmed. "Sunkern are Grass type, so Scald is several times less dangerous to them than a Fire attack."

Misty blinked. "...right."

She turned to Squirtle. "I'm sorry, Squirtle, I'm so used to you suggesting over-the-top answers to things that I didn't consider that you might have a good reason for this one."

Squirtle winked at her. _"Got to keep you guessing somehow, haven't I?"_

He turned back to Sunkern. _"Okay, let's get this seed thawed! Hey, swordface, get that pair of hooves of yours over here!"_

Keldeo blinked. He turned to Lapras for advice. _"Does... does he mean me?"_

"_Probably,"_ Lapras agreed.

After confirming that, Keldeo cantered over. _"What do you need me to do?"_

"_Simple!"_ Squirtle said. _"Soak this Sunkern in water, so it heats up slower!"_

"_Okay,"_ Keldeo said, raising his hoof, and fired a low-powered stream of water. _"What now?"_

"_My burning spirit knows no bounds!"_ Squirtle announced. _"This Scalding water has but a tiny facet of the heat I hold within!"_

Steam hissed up from the resultant water jet, and began rapidly eroding the ice.

* * *

><p>"What I'm still worried about is how the Sunkern got frozen," Ash said, fidgeting with the Sun Stone in his pocket. "I've got this ready for when we've solved the problem, but..."<p>

He looked around, and came to a decision. "Charizard?"

"_Yeah?"_ Charizard replied, a grin spreading across his face.

"Let's see if we can find where this cold snap is coming from!"

Charizard nodded. _"You got it!"_

* * *

><p>Leaning over, one hand firmly on Charizard's neck for support, Ash scanned the area. "Any ideas?"<p>

Charizard shrugged, rolling his wings as he circled.

"I think... gah, it's hard to remember this kind of thing," Ash said, frowning. "The big stuff is easier, but... what was it..."

He snapped his fingers. "Ah, got it! It was an Articuno messing with the climate!"

"_What, again?"_ Charizard asked, a little startled. _"How often does that happen?"_

"All the time!"Ash said forcefully. "Strange thing is, other Ice-type legendaries seem to be better about it – Kyurem, say, he managed to go through a city without leaving any real trace the next morning."

"_Huh."_ Charizard shrugged.

"Guess it – wait." Ash pointed. "There. That mountain's got a snow-cap, and it goes down much lower than the ones on the other mountains."

"_Good spot."_ The big Fire-type trimmed his glide slightly, and they descended towards the peak.

* * *

><p>"<em>Why didn't he take anyone else?" <em>Pikachu asked, squinting up into the blue. _"He could at least have taken me!"_

Misty shrugged. "It's Ash," she said, that being the best explanation she could come up with.

* * *

><p>Charizard flared his wings, shedding speed, and hammered the air as he alighted.<p>

Ash slid off his back and began to trudge forward through the snow. "You ready for this, Charizard?"

The big Fire-type nodded, his tail flame burning up a little, and he started to melt himself a path through the drifts.

A few minutes of walking took them to the mouth of an icy cave, which stretched away into the mountains.

"Articuno!" Ash called.

For several seconds, there was only the faint crackling of Charizard's tail flame and the fading echoes of Ash's shout. Then a voice came back up the tunnel.

"_A human?"_

The temperature dropped. Ash shivered, and Charizard spread his wing out to give the human a little shelter.

"Thanks, Charizard," Ash said quietly, then turned his attention to the cave. "I'm not here to fight you, or catch you!" he assured. "I just want to talk."

Several seconds more of silence.

Then, gliding almost effortlessly on glacier-blue wings, Articuno drifted into the open.

"_Merely to talk?"_ Articuno confirmed. _"How unusual."_

"_Ash is an unusual person,"_ Charizard said proudly.

"I'm here because you're altering the weather," Ash went on. "It's driving Pokémon like Flying- and Grass-types away from the area."

"_I see."_ Articuno considered that, drifting down to a landing, and leaned forward to peer at Ash.

Charizard growled warningly.

"Don't, Charizard," Ash said, touching his side. "We're not here for a fight."

"_You seem surprisingly calm around a Legendary Pokémon,"_ Articuno said, then blinked as both trainer and Pokémon laughed. _"What is it?"_

Charizard waved it off. _"You wouldn't believe us if we told you."_

"I know you live here now," Ash said, resuming the argument. "But you're making it harder for other Pokémon to live here too. Can you try and control how much you affect the climate?"

Articuno frowned, rolling his neck. _"Why?"_

"To be a good neighbour," Ash informed him. "Even Legendary Pokémon can't live in isolation from _everyone_ – Lugia has a mate and a child, and I know he regularly talks to a Slowking on Shamouti."

"_I thought it was her mate who – oh, I see."_ Articuno nodded. _"So, you've met a different Lugia to the one I was thinking of."_

He shook his wings, producing a flurry of snow. _"But how can I be safe, if the weather is not too cold for humans to reach me with ease?"_

Ash shivered – Articuno wasn't exaggerating, and his toes were going a bit numb. He pulsed Aura into them to help strengthen them, and that pushed back the effects of frost a bit.

Before Articuno had time to properly realize what he'd just done, Ash was talking again. "If you know and talk with the other Pokémon in the area, they can help protect you instead – and anyone who wants to catch you will find it harder that way."

Articuno thought about that for some time, and Charizard blew hot air over Ash to keep him warm. Then the Blizzard Pokémon slowly nodded.

"_Very well, then. I will give it a try."_

"Thanks," Ash said. He moved back past Charizard's wing, and climbed aboard. "Sorry, but I've got to go before I freeze!"

* * *

><p>"Well?" Todd asked, taking in the melting snow on Ash's trousers and the frost on his hat.<p>

"I think I got Articuno to turn it down a bit," Ash replied. "Now – ah, there you are, Sunkern!"

The Sunkern looked at them.

"I think I know somewhere around here you're going to do great," Ash told the little seed-like Pokémon.

* * *

><p>"It feels warmer already," Brock said, as the newly evolved Sunflora posed with hundreds of his fellow Sun Pokémon – and with the elderly couple who lived in the Sunflora Lodge.<p>

Todd's camera whirred. "That's great! Just one more!"

"Everyone say Sunflora!" the old man joked, and his wife laughed.

That done, Todd approached Ash. "Uh – Ash, you said you spoke with... I can't believe I'm saying this... Articuno?"

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "Want a lift?"

"No!" Todd denied quickly. "No thanks. What I wanted to know is – where does it live? I want to travel there, and take a photograph, but I want to do it myself."

"Sure," Ash nodded. "See that mountain over there..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

The Kimono girls try, they really do. And Misty is taking this quite seriously.

Also: poor Todd Snap. He was really _trying_ not to be overwhelmed by Ash, he _was..._


	70. Johto 16

"It sure is a long way from Ecruteak to Olivine," Brock said, shading his eyes. "Of course, that might be partly because of the route we're taking."

"What's the point going straight from A to B if it means you miss all the stuff on the way?" Ash replied, smiling. "Besides, it's kind of nostalgic to retrace our steps."

Misty nodded. "It lets us get in a lot more training, too. How's yours going, Ash?"

"Still no luck with Sacred Sword," he reported. "But Keldeo and I are getting better at working together with Hydro Pump."

"Yes, I saw the splashes last night," Brock agreed. "You're able to stay on his back for, what, all of forty seconds now?"

"...that's still an improvement," Ash insisted. "Anyway, he's working on Aura Sphere, too, because that gives him a good ranged attack."

"_And-"_

Pikachu was interrupted by a roar from ahead.

"What was that?" Brock asked.

"It sounded..." Ash blinked. "Vaguely familiar..."

There was a crackle like thunder, and Raikou burst out of the bushes.

"_Aha!"_ he said. _"Ash Ketchum, I challenge you to a race!"_

Ash raised his hand. "Actually... this isn't a great time."

"_Not a great time? Not a great time!?"_ Raikou shook his head, growling softly. _"Well, that's _fine_ then, I'll come back after lunch – of course it's a good time! Come on!"_

"No, I mean..." Ash stopped, and started again. "Look, Charizard is part of an exhibition team Liza is taking to Hoenn for talks, Pidgeot's off at Shamouti, and I can't ride Keldeo for any length of time. I can't _give_ you a race because none of my fast Pokémon are to hand."

Raikou blinked.

"_...well, damn and blast it. I was looking forward to this!"_ Raikou slapped the earth with his paw. _"Got all worked up for it, and everything..."_

Misty cleared her throat. "I've got an idea..."

* * *

><p>"Dexter?" Ash asked.<p>

Recording.

Misty bowed to Raikou. "I challenge you, Raikou, to a battle. I will use no more than two Pokémon at any one time, and whoever wins you are free to go."

Raikou rumbled, a sound like thunder on the distant horizon, and nodded.

"Go!"

Misty released Staryu first. "Okay, Staryu! Cutting Water Dance!"

Raikou blinked. _"Never heard of that one before..."_

Staryu's gem glowed, and it began to shoot thin jets of water from its lower arms – slowly rising into the air on recoil. It then began to spin, quickly accelerating until it was a brown-and-yellow blur.

At that point, Raikou noticed that the water it was jetting out wasn't falling to the ground. Instead, it was being swept along in the powerful vortex generated by the spinning.

"Now!" Misty said, pointing, and Staryu changed the angle of its spin so it was facing straight up before accelerating towards Raikou.

The Electric-type Legendary jumped back, out of range of the attack – no matter it was Water and he was Electric, that was a lot of very fast moving water. _"Thunderbolt!"_ he called, tail snapping with electricity, and whipcracked a bolt of lightning towards Staryu.

The bolt of yellow electricity slashed forwards, hitting Staryu's attack – and promptly vanished.

"_What the- whoa!"_ Staryu's attack slashed at him with high speed air and water, and Raikou was forced to turn and open the distance with Extremespeed.

Slowing down at the other end of the clearing, Raikou charged up another Thunderbolt and threw it, watching closely this time to see what happened.

As the bolt hit the perimeter of Staryu's Cutting Water Dance, it ran into a misty haze of air and water moving at high speed. The thunderbolt vanished very quickly, producing an almost invisible blast of water particles out from the point of disappearance.

"Keep it up, Staryu!" Misty instructed. "And use Power Gem!"

Raikou jumped over the incoming rock, blasted out another bolt of lightning – which fared no better – and used his considerable speed to disengage again.

What _was_ she doing?

Unless...

Suddenly, Raikou realized what it had to be. She was forcing there to be so many water droplets of such small size – barely above an aerosol – that it was drawing all the power he put into the attack off as static!

Well, he could work with that.

Raikou built another charge, and the air took on a greasy feeling. This time, rather than fire it off, he kept it stored in his shaggy thunder-cloud mane and charged forwards.

"Brine!" Misty snapped as Raikou came charging in, the water dance absorbing his charge but not managing to deplete it.

"_Hiyah!"_ Staryu replied, gem pulsing, and a wash of much denser water blasted out from its arms – soaking both it and Raikou in the salty water.

There was a thundrous CRACK as Raikou's Wild Charge snapped across into Staryu, knocking the Pokémon out.

"Nice work, Staryu," Misty said. "Okay, Goldeen and Gyarados!"

Goldeen splashed down into one of the puddles left by Starmie's attack, righting herself with difficulty. For his part, Gyarados crashed to the ground and roared at Raikou.

Raikou snarled back, and snapped off a Thunderbolt – which went nowhere at all, not even leaving his tail.

He blinked, glancing back at himself. _"Wha-?"_

Gyarados used Dragon Rage, and a torrent of swirling energy rammed Raikou backwards.

* * *

><p>Todd Snap trudged up the side of Snow Top mountain, leaning on his walking stick as he walked.<p>

It was certainly _cold_ enough for an Articuno to live here, he supposed...

At least there was a reasonably good path.

As he continued, Todd heard the call of a Pokémon. He turned, adjusting his snow goggles as he tried to work out where the sound was coming from.

"Who's there?" he asked, pitching his voice to carry.

The snow ruffled, about forty metres off.

"Hello?" Todd called. "Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you!"

Slowly, the head of a Sneasel Pokéd up over the edge of a hollow in the snow.

"Oh, you look lovely!" Todd smiled.

The Sneasel slowly smiled back at him, then flinched back when Todd reached for his backpack.

"It's okay," he assured it. "I'm just getting a camera."

Moving slowly, Todd took his backpack off and deposited it in the snow. He took his prized camera out, and raised it – again moving slowly – to his eye.

He snapped two pictures, compared them, and turned on the miniature printer he also carried. A few minutes' work, and he had the better of the two pictures printed.

"See?" he said, holding the small square of glossy paper up. "It's just a picture of you, nothing more."

The Sneasel cocked its head, frowning, and then darted forwards and snatched up the photo. It retreated until it was a few dozen metres away, and inspected the photo – blinking, as it recognized itself.

"Keep it," Todd said, waving, and put everything back in his backpack. "It's the least I can do. Thanks for the photo opportunity!"

He swung his backpack back on, and resumed climbing with a spring in his step.

* * *

><p>"<em>This is rather inconvenient,"<em> Raikou said, as another blast of dragonfire from Gyarados blazed across his flank.

The salt water drenching him was drying, but there was still enough left to make using Electrical attacks inconvenient – he tried again, and the attack just conducted across his skin into the ground.

But that wouldn't last much longer, and when it ran out then he'd be able to use Electrical attacks again.

"Goldeen!" Misty called. "Drill run!"

Raikou jumped out of the way as a rapidly spinning fish nearly hit him. _"Right!"_

Shaking his fur out, he leapt after the fish as she splashed back to the water, and pulled in electrical energy once more. It sleeted into the ground, but he kept charging it anew, and he jumped at Goldeen in a snapping, arcing Wild Charge.

"Look out!" Misty shouted.

Gyarados roared, and surged forwards to knock Raikou aside – too late.

The Beast of Lightning connected with a loud _bang_ of discharging electricity, went over, and skidded to a halt on the other side of his targets' pond.

"_Right, now-"_

Gyarados hit him, right on the heels of a Bulldoze shockwave.

"_Thunder!"_ Raikou roared, and lightning crashed down from the sky.

_Not_ at Gyarados.

Raikou set his paws, digging into the ground, and forced Gyarados off him with an almighty burst of strength before looking around to see what had happened.

"Seaking," waved the newly evolved Pokémon, her horn occasionally crackling with bolts of residual energy.

Then she launched an Ice Beam at him.

* * *

><p>"Huh," Misty said. "Lightningrod. That's useful."<p>

"Is it going to be confusing that you've got a female Sea_king_?" Brock asked.

Misty shrugged, as another huge blast of electricity drained without any fuss into Seaking's horn. "Okay, Gyarados – Earthquake!"

Raikou roared something uncomplimentary as Gyarados slammed the ground with his tail, setting it shaking.

* * *

><p>"How's tings?" Meowth asked, then ducked. "Yowp!"<p>

"_My apologies,"_ Cubone said, catching the bone on the return. _"I hadn't expected to be interrupted."_

"I'll be sure ta knock next time," Meowth said. "Anyway, how is it?"

Cubone considered that for several seconds. _"Good,"_ she said eventually.

"Well, sure, don't give no details or anythin'..."

"_Allow me to elaborate,"_ she smiled. _"My marble, as a whole, is no longer so easily accessible. I lack the raw power and fury which brought it entire into the world, and without it I cannot resist the pressure of how things should be for long."_

"Dat sounds bad," Meowth said.

"_On the other hand,"_ she went on, and formed a pair of bones. She spun them around her hands twice, shifting them from femurs to dewclaws and back again, and then dismissed them and produced a single shield-shaped bone instead. _"My lesser shaping is... well, not precisely easier, but... less instinctive."_

"...ain't that harder, then?"

"_It is."_ Cubone nodded to him. _"But it's like your own speech, I think – with practice, it's learned as well as anything that's instinct, and on top of that it is better understood."_

Demonstrating, she formed a wicked-looking sickle-shaped bone.

"What's dat from?" Meowth asked.

"_It's not quite Absol,"_ Cubone informed him. _"I've altered the shape slightly to make it easier to hold – something I could _not_ do before."_

"Dat's pretty cool." Meowth nodded, then raised a claw. "Hey – question. Ya mentioned your _entire_ marble. A reason for dat?"

"_Indeed."_ Cubone beckoned. _"Come at me."_

"Uh... sure." Meowth nodded, and gestured. Three coins formed between his fingers, and he threw them in a dense pattern.

"_They are always with me,"_ Cubone said, and a patch of grass flickered beneath her feet for a moment. When it faded, she was holding a Bronzong-shield, which deflected the coins effortlessly.

"_It is a little tiring, but I can summon just enough of the marble that I can conjure what I need instantly,"_ she explained, letting the shield dissolve. _"My hope is that, with time, it will become faster and more efficient."_

"Fair enough," Meowth agreed. "An' can I just say, it's a pleasure ta see you happy."

Cubone smiled. _"It's much nicer on the inside, as well."_

* * *

><p>Todd squinted into the teeth of the gale, trying to see where he was going.<p>

The blizzard had intensified just in the last few minutes... he had to be close.

Then, with a soft whispering sound, a blue shape came gliding through the hail and snow from his left.

Todd swung his backpack down and quickly readied his camera, fumbling in his haste, and managed to snap a picture before Articuno disappeared.

Unfortunately for him, the flash was engaged. A bright pulse of light illuminated the snowy sky brightly enough to take a photograph of a Sableye in a pitch black cave.

"...uh oh," Todd said, wincing.

As he watched, the Articuno lowered its right wing and raised its left. It turned, banking casually through the snow as if it was nothing, and bore down on him.

"Wait!" Todd shouted, lowering his camera and raising empty hands. "I'm sorry – I'm not here to hurt you! I was only coming up to your nest so I could get a photograph!"

At his words, the Articuno slowed. It alighted in front of him, about ten feet distant, and cocked its head to one side before looking down at the camera.

Todd looked down at it too. "Do you want to see?"

Articuno considered him, then nodded slowly.

Picking it up, Todd disengaged the flash and pointed with gloved hands at the bits of the camera. "This is the lens – it's what focuses the light. I look through here to see what it's pointed at, and I press this button to capture the image."

Under the scrutiny of the Legendary, he went through his bag, pointing out everything. His sleeping bag and tent, several packaged meals, and his other photographic paraphernalia.

"See?" he said, shrugging as he repacked it. "No Pokéballs at all. I'm sorry I was coming up to your nest without permission, I'll be going now."

Articuno cawed – sounding, to Todd's ears, a little puzzled.

"Your... nest?" Todd repeated. "A friend told me a couple of days ago – you live up here on Snow Top Mountain. Right?"

That didn't seem to help – at first. Then the Blizzard Pokémon blinked, glanced upslope, and took off in a flurry of snow.

Todd got a couple more pictures as it left, then frowned. "Wonder what was so hard to understand about that..."

Puzzling it over, he started to head downslope again. It was a much easier task, but he slid occasionally and had to check his downwards slide.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hm. Interesting."<em>

A Lucario looked up, and inclined his head respectfully. _"Thank you for delivering this."_

The Staravia bobbed his head in return, and flew back out the high, open window.

The Lucario examined the letter one more time, and then stood. Folding it up, he exited the building himself and broke into an easy, ground-eating lope across the wide open fields all around.

* * *

><p>For all its size, the Lucario Kingdom did not take long to cross – at least, not for those Pokémon for whom it was named. Half an hour saw letter and Lucario alike arriving at their ultimate destination.<p>

"_My lord and lady,"_ the messenger said, voice betraying no hint of his run. _"We have a letter from one of our fosterlings."_

Saying no more, he handed it over.

"_Thank you,"_ the female said, with a smile. _"I believe we both appreciate your prompt delivery of this note."_

Her mate nodded his agreement, opening the letter. _"Ah – interesting. It seems that he has evolved, a few months hence."_

"_So soon?"_ the female said, blinking. _"That was quick."_

"_It seems we made the right choice,"_ the lord smiled. He continued reading. _"Well, he's certainly had an adventurous life thus far. He notes that he is only mentioning the highlights, but they include encounters with almost every Legendary living within a hundred mile radius of Kanto."_

"_If those are indeed the highlights, then that is quite the life,"_ the lady agreed. _"What else?"_

"_He will be sure to visit us when he and his trainer travel to Sinnoh, though he notes that may be between two and three years from now. So it seems we will have to wait."_

"_A pity,"_ she agreed.

"_...hm, this is interesting."_ The male Lucario ran a finger along the last few lines of the letter, and gave it to her to read.

"_You're right,"_ she agreed after a moment. _"Do we have any young ones who qualify?"_

"_Not at the moment, no,"_ confirmed the messenger. _"There are five young Riolu who are training here, and seven eggs – though, of course, we can't tell if an egg will be shiny or not when they hatch."_

"_So..."_ the lord said, looking across at his mate. _"What do you think? Assuming the option is available, should we take it?"_

The lady frowned.

"_Not at the moment,"_ she said, eventually. _"But I think that someone should examine this candidate – see if she is, as he says, possessed of a good heart."_

"_And a strong mind?"_ her mate inquired.

"_No, that can come in time. A good heart is the most important."_

He nodded. _"Very well. I concur. We will arrange to send one of our number to scout the situation at the next meeting."_

Turning to the messenger, he waved a paw. _"Our thanks for your speedy action. Please return to your duties."_

Thus dismissed, the Lucario rose and ran off.

"_Until then,"_ the lord added, picking up his pot. _"These trees need tending."_

Forming metal claws, the highly experienced Lucario started trimming a bonsai tree.

It was an activity which promoted inner peace, especially when done as a couple.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hi-yah!"<em> Raikou jumped over Gyarados, avoiding his thrashing tail, and kicked off towards that irritating Seaking.

One powerful blow with Extremespeed, and Seaking was finally out for the count.

Misty didn't miss a beat, returning Seaking and releasing Politoed in the same move.

"_Encore! Encore!"_ Politoed clapped, sending a ball of white light towards Raikou and surrounding him in sparkling light.

Bewildered, Raikou found himself unable to use any Electric attacks. He was still able to use his Extremespeed, and made good use of it to dodge out of the way as Gyarados continued to alternate blasts of intense energy and earthshaking Ground-type attacks.

Raikou had to admit, though, this was _marvellous._ Who would have thought he'd be getting such a challenge?

Then he had to use another speed boost to get out of the way as an Ice Beam played over the ground near him, nearly connecting with his knee and icing him up that way.

As he landed, he noticed that the sparkling light had faded.

Grinning, he charged up another Thunderbolt and, for once, it worked. Gyarados was blasted backwards across the clearing, clearly unconscious.

Misty withdrew Gyarados and sent out her fifth Pokémon for the battle, her Kabuto.

"_...what?"_ Raikou asked. He sent a bolt of lightning in the direction of Politoed, and prowled forwards to inspect the little trilobite. _"Seriously?"_

Kabuto clicked, and hit him in the face with a Mud Shot.

"_Agh!"_ Raikou stamped down, paws glowing with electricity, and they crashed to the muddy ground either side of Kabuto. Electricity snapped across the gap, delivering a series of little shocks to Kabuto's cephalon, but the non-conductive shell saved him from any serious damage.

At about that point, Politoed landed on his back from a Bounce.

"_Ow!"_ Raikou pulsed out a Discharge, hitting both Pokémon and sending Politoed bouncing away from him, then pawed at his streaming eyes and flipped Kabuto over before knocking him out with a Thundershock.

He turned, growling. _"Is that it?"_

Kingdra informed him that, no, it wasn't. By hitting him with a heavily boosted Outrage.

* * *

><p>Todd flicked through the pictures on his camera, contemplating which one would look best.<p>

The one he'd gotten with the flash was a bit of a wash from the point of view of showing Articuno _as_ Articuno, but it had quite a nice atmosphere to it – the flash picked out ice crystals in the air, illuminating them and making it extra clear that this was a scene shot in the middle of a blizzard.

So, in a way, it portrayed Articuno as it really was. A Pokémon of elemental air and ice.

Then there were the ones he'd taken later on. One was with Articuno with folded wings, aloof, but clearly there and clearly a Pokémon rather than a barely-scene shape of glacier blue in the darkness.

The other one was, in his opinion, just what he was after. It was Articuno leaning in curiously, inspecting him – and, as such, demonstrating that it was just as curious and real – and had just as much of a _personality_ – as any normal Pokémon.

It was a rarely seen side of the legends, and he liked that.

Movement drew his attention, a little downslope. A moving shape of bluish black, with a little tuft of short red just visible over-

"Oh, hello!" he said, waving. "You're that Sneasel I met earlier, aren't you?"

The mustelid froze for a second, and then nodded.

"I'm surprised you turned up again," he added, walking forwards again slowly and non-threateningly. To reassure... _her_, he thought, the ear feather was too short for a male... he aimed considerably to the right of her, so he wasn't walking directly at her and as such didn't appear threatening.

To his surprise, though, the Sneasel started to approach _him._ Still warily, looking around for trouble, but definitely making the first move.

He stopped moving, and sat back to let her approach. Deciding to take a chance, he got the camera out, and took photo after photo as she got closer and closer.

Focusing almost entirely on the view through his camera, adjusting the zoom to frame her as best he could, it took a moment to realize that he couldn't zoom out any further because she was standing, essentially, right next to him.

Hesitantly, he lowered the camera. "Hello?"

The Sneasel cocked her head on one side, took a steadying breath, and then took one final step forwards and touched his hand.

"..._oh,_" Todd said, a suspicion arising. "You... want to come with me?"

Sneasel nodded.

"Well, I'm honoured," Todd told her. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Unfortunately, I don't have any Pokéballs..."

She looked a bit disappointed at that.

"But – but that doesn't mean you can't come with me, I guess!" Todd went on hurriedly. "I've never had a Pokémon, but... I guess I could use an assistant?"

Sneasel contemplated that, and then nodded firmly.

A high call drew both their attention, and they turned to look back up the slope.

Todd gaped. "What the-"

The blizzard was fading, the sun breaking through harsh grey clouds to light the entire mountain a dazzling white. And, high overhead, were _two_ Articuno.

Todd's camera came up almost without conscious thought, and he trained it on the two Legendaries overhead. The shutter clicked, and then again as they flew closer together.

"Whoa..." he said softly, as they banked in unison towards the north. Then one of them peeled off and dove, calling in shimmering tones, and the other responded by climbing into the heavens and giving a slightly differently-pitched call.

Sneasel made a noise of sudden understanding.

"Of course," he whispered, as the low one climbed and the high one dove, and they swapped places in a twirling one-and-a-half barrel roll. "That one I met _wasn't the one Ash met._ And I just told _her_ where to find _him._"

Swallowing, Todd made sure to get as many photos as he could.

The courtship rituals of a legendary Pokémon were the kind of sight you rarely got _one_ chance to see.

* * *

><p>"<em>Thunder!"<em>

Kingdra grunted as the potent Electrical attack slammed down into him, but stayed up – his Dragon typing negating his weakness. Using the shallow water as best he could, the Dragon closed back in for another Outrage, and swallowed his Persim berry to ward off the disorientation it was producing.

The impact sent Raikou skidding backwards across the muddy battlefield.

"_All right, enough is enough!"_ Raikou roared, digging in his paws and coming to a halt. His fur stood on end as he Charged. _"Zap cannon!"_

There was a very, very loud bang.

* * *

><p>When their ears had stopped hurting, the spectators saw Kingdra lying in the mud. Unconscious.<p>

And, panting heavily, Raikou standing in the middle of the battlefield.

Raikou seemed a little dazed by it all. He blinked, focused on the defeated Kingdra, and then shook his head.

After padding a little way towards the humans, he placed his paws with care on relatively untouched sections of ground, drew a deep breath, and roared his triumph to the heavens.

Then he turned back towards Misty, and bowed.

"Uh..." Ash raised a hand. "How come you're frowning like that?"

Raikou's answer was to smile, and then he broke into booming laughter.

"_That was marvellous!"_ he roared, shaking his head and chuckling. _"I will never underestimate my sister – or her type – again!"_

Regaining his composure, he nodded to Ash. _"A fine substitute, young trainer. We will meet again, though, and you had better be ready _next_ time!"_

With that, he turned, and loped off.

"...wow," Brock said, finally. "Misty, that was amazing!"

He counted on his fingers. "Okay... I counted Lightningrod, that Brine trick, the Cutting Water Dance, a quick Encore, using mud to make it harder for his attacks to conduct, just plain getting dirt in his eyes, and finally Kingdra's unusual typing. How many ways do you have to neutralize an Electric type?"

Misty shrugged. "We travel with Ash, and I spar with Pikachu. Are you surprised?"

Pikachu grinned. _"It was nice to see her using them on someone else for once!"_

* * *

><p>The door crashed down.<p>

Vicious, the Iron-Masked Marauder, turned with a smile. "Ah, I see that Giovanni has sent me some assistance."

"Think again, Vicious," the Admin leading the group said. "The boss heard about your plan. He doesn't approve."

"Oh?" Vicious sighed, as the Rockets released their Pokémon – Houndoom, Venomoth, Seviper, Skarmory, Machamp and Poliwrath. "And I was so hoping he'd sent me more men... I used up the ones I had."

He tapped his Pokéballs, and his Scizor and Sneasel emerged. "Well, at least it's a nice, unfair fight... five against three."

"Pardon?" the admin said, blinking. "No, it's six against two."

Vicious pulled three of his Dark Balls from their slots. "I disagree. Hm... I don't think the Machamp or Poliwrath will do... oh, nor will the Seviper, it's got a Psychic weakness."

He threw the three Dark balls. "Thank you for the reinforcements."

As the Rockets gaped, seeing their Pokémon turning against them, he smiled thinly. "Inform the Boss I'll be going my own way now."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Check another requirement off Misty's list.

That Sneasel, meanwhile, is _not_ Todd's. He hasn't caught it, so it is technically wild.

And – I know the Lucario Kingdom isn't quite like that in the anime as such, but I basically assumed that a Lucario Kingdom had Lucario in it.


	71. Johto 17

"Huh," Ash said, reading the flyer. "Pokémon sumo wrestling. Any of you want to get involved?"

"What's the rules?" Misty asked.

"Uh..." Ash read on. "No attacks, just pure Pokémon bulk and pushing. And Pokémon have to weigh more than eighty kilos."

"Hmm." Misty frowned. "I guess Gyarados must be at least that heavy."

"So is Steelix," Brock agreed. "But I think Snorlax is the heaviest of the lot."

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "This should be easy for Snorlax!"

* * *

><p>The friends winced as Snorlax was picked up, shaken back and forth, and then thrown out of the arena.<p>

"...didn't expect that," Ash admitted. Aiming carefully, he returned Snorlax before the big bear landed and broke something.

"Who'd have guessed someone would have a Metagross here?" Brock sighed. "Well, so much for that."

"Couldn't Steelix give it a try?" Ash asked.

"Ash, that Metagross just threw Snorlax. Snorlax weighs more than Steelix does."

Ash blinked. "How? Steelix is made of, uh, steel."

Brock shrugged. "Personally, I'm kind of glad Steelix weighs that much – it means he's less likely to smash through floors."

* * *

><p>In the next match, Steelix fared no better against his opponent. The big Feraligatr used Steelix' finlike metal protrusions as grips, hunched down, and slowly forced Steelix out of the ring.<p>

Brock shrugged. "Oh well. Nice work, Steelix, this just isn't something we trained for."

The ground shook slightly.

"My go next!" a man wearing hiking gear said. "I'm in the semifinal against that Metagross!"

"Oh – well, good luck," Brock said, nodding. "You're the one with the Aggron, right?"

"That's correct." The hiker drew out his Pokéball. "He's an especially heavy one – 'bout double the normal weight of an Aggron."

Brock did some calculations in his head, and winced. Then ran off to find the contest organizer.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me?" Brock asked. "I was wondering – how much weight is this stadium rated to take?"<p>

"Don't worry," the organizer waved. "It's rated for a full ton of weight, so no worries there."

Metagross and Aggron stomped onto the stage, faced one another, and moved forward to grapple.

Then there was an earsplitting _crash_, and the whole thing collapsed. Both Pokémon had just enough time to look surprised before dropping through the arena floor and landing in a cellar with a _crunch._

"...yeah," Brock said. "That Aggron weighed over seven hundred kilos, and the Metagross was half a tonne itself."

"Our arena!"

* * *

><p>"It's rare we do that much worse than the first time around," Ash commented, as they left Rikishii town. "At least we didn't need anything from there – Misty's already evolved her Pokémon."<p>

"True," Misty agreed. "I just wish the arena had been... well, larger. Gyarados and Steelix were too close to the edge when the match started."

Brock shrugged. "Their match, their rules, I guess."

* * *

><p>"<em>I hate this place,"<em> Pikachu muttered, the next morning. _"This is draining my electrical charge..."_

"Why is that, actually?" Ash asked, hoisting Pikachu up onto his shoulder. "What's so special about this place?"

Brock spoke up. "The rocks here are high in piezolectric materials, which means they use electricity to shift their shape. I guess they're drawing it out as we go past."

"Right." Ash winced. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"_I'll manage,"_ Pikachu said, forcing a smile. _"I wouldn't say no to a top-up, though..."_

Ash thought, then smiled. "I know! Houndour?"

The canine Pokémon emerged from his Pokéball. _"What is it?"_

"Do you know Thunder Fang?"

Houndour nodded. _"I do. Do we have a fight on the way?"_

"Not so much." Ash indicated Pikachu. "Think you can give him a top up?"

Houndour glanced at Pikachu, then his eyes widened slightly in understanding. _"Oh, right. Got it! Sure, I can try that."_

He opened his mouth, lightning crackling over his canine canines, and Pikachu hopped down from Ash's shoulder to get closer.

"_Shouldn't we be doing this in a circus?"_ Pikachu quipped, reaching into Houndour's mouth and touching the fangs one at a time. Electricity transferred in a crackling stream, and Houndour waited until Pikachu was clear before closing his mouth again.

"_That do you?"_ he asked.

"_Yes, thanks!"_ Pikachu beamed. _"I feel much better."_

He hopped back up on Ash's shoulder. _"Probably better if I stay up here, though."_

"Any excuse for a carry..." Ash smiled.

Houndour looked up, sniffing. _"Someone's coming."_

The humans and other Pokémon looked as well, just as a man came over the nearby hill.

"Oh, good afternoon!" he said, waving. "Everything all right?"

He approached the travellers. "I'm Simon. I run a rest stop a little way down the path. Everything all right? I know Electric-types can have a little trouble on the hike."

Pikachu shrugged. _"Fine, thanks."_

"Oh, well, that's all right then." As Pikachu did a double take, Simon blinked at the sight of Keldeo. "I've never seen a Pokémon like that before."

"_I'm Keldeo!"_ Keldeo said, smiling. _"Nice to meet you."_

Simon's jaw dropped. "I... I never thought that..."

"Oh, that's right," Ash said, grinning. "Keldeo can use Aura to make sure humans understand what he says. Lucario can do it too!"

That seemed to make Simon very sad. "Oh. Sorry, I thought..."

"_Wait a second!"_ Pikachu said, drawing all eyes to him._ "He – I'm pretty sure he understood me, too, just then!"_

Simon frowned, concentrating. "I think... surprise, confusion... oh, I see. Yes, I can sort of understand what Pokémon _mean_, even if I'm not quite able to get the exact words."

Keldeo cocked his head on one side. When he next spoke, his voice was devoid of the usual Aura tricks. _"Can you understand this?"_

Simon's hand went to his chin. "I... I almost had that."

This time, the Colt Pokémon pushed just a _little_ Aura into it – less than normal, not enough to translate his voice alone. _"What about now?"_

"Yes!" Simon's face lit up. "I got that! Clear as day, clearer than I've ever heard it before!"

Ash and Keldeo exchanged glances.

"I think I know what's going on," Ash said. "You've got a natural talent with Aura – a kind of life energy that all humans and Pokémon have at least a little of. With enough of it, humans can understand what Pokémon say, or Pokémon can make their speech understood by humans."

Simon nodded, rapt.

"By the sounds of it, you've not had any formal training, but you've clearly got a lot of natural skill..." Ash frowned. "Dexter? Do we have any basic guides to how to use Aura?"

Not available at this time. I could try and put one together from the more basic material.

"Do that, please," Ash requested. He shrugged. "I think we can give you a bit of training – Lucario, Keldeo and I – and we do need a bit of a rest anyway."

"That would be wonderful," Simon said, tears starting in his eyes, and he shook Ash's hand. "Thank you so much."

* * *

><p>The next morning, as they were getting up, there was a rap on the door.<p>

Simon walked over, blinking sleep from his eyes – it had been a late night with the Fighting-types and Ash for him, though he begrudged not a moment. "Who is it?"

He opened the door, revealing the local Jenny. "Oh – what is it, officer?"

"Simon, I am taking you in as a suspect for a crime," Jenny informed him. "There's been reports of fake Pokémon interpreters running a scam in the area."

"I'm-" Simon shook his head. "But I'm a real interpreter – and this is no scam! I've always had some talent, and recently I've made a breakthrough with help from some-"

"Tell it to the judge," Jenny said, shaking her head. "You're not going to sweet-talk me. No humans can understand Pokémon, and no Pokémon can understand humans."

Ash Pokéd his head around the door. "Excuse me?"

"Sir, please stand back, this is an arrest in progress," Jenny informed him.

"Uh... Officer?" Ash pressed. When the policewoman looked at him, he went on. "Officer, I could have sworn you just said Pokémon couldn't understand humans..."

Jenny shrugged. "Yes. So?"

"Have you _ever seen_ a Pokémon battle"?

Jenny shrugged. "I don't like sports."

Ash rubbed his temples. "Oh, for... do you _have_ a Pokémon?"

"Of course I do! Growlithe!"

Her Growlithe duly formed, taking up a position at her heel.

"You can understand me, right?" Ash asked the Growlithe.

It nodded, wagging its tail.

"Do you prefer tea or coffee?"

"_Ooh, tea please! Black, one sugar."_

Ash nodded. "If you don't mind, Simon?"

"Oh, not at all," Simon assured him.

Jenny looked a bit nonplussed. "As entertaining as this is, you're still a suspect. Unless you can prove that you, personally, can talk to Pokémon..."

Lucario stuck his head around the door where Ash had been. _"If I might offer a suggestion?"_

* * *

><p>"Okay," Ash said. "This is what we were using to test whether Simon was getting it right. There's five cards on the other side of that screen. You pick one, show it to your Growlithe, and then Growlithe goes to Simon and tells him what it was."<p>

Jenny looked dubious, but nodded. "Okay, let's give this a go."

She picked up a card, and showed it to her Fire-type. He looked at it briefly, nodded, and padded around the side of the screen.

Jenny heard a quiet bark from her Growlithe.

"Star," Simon said promptly.

She looked down at the card. Star.

"Again," she said, picking another card.

"Cross."

"Again."

"Star."

"Again."

"Circle."

"Ag-" she stopped herself, and took a deep breath.

"Right." She nodded. "Okay, I'm convinced. That's pretty impressive."

"Thank this young man here," Simon told her. "He gave me the help I needed."

Ash grinned, waving.

"Incidentally, your Growlithe feels like he'd like to evolve," Simon went on. "But he wouldn't mind staying a Growlithe if that's what you'd prefer."

Jenny looked down at her Fire-type, who wagged his tail and nodded.

"I see. Well... thanks, I suppose."

"Any time." Simon waved.

* * *

><p>"That was interesting," Ash said, as they headed onwards under a bright morning sun. "It's nice helping someone like that."<p>

"_Yeah,"_ Keldeo agreed. _"I've never had much of a problem with speaking to humans _or_ Pokémon – the Swords – the _other_ Swords of Justice helped teach me the aura trick."_ He shrugged. _"But I can see it would be frustrating to not quite be properly understood."_

Ash nodded. "You're right – I can hardly imagine life before I became able to talk to Pikachu, now. And..." he frowned. "Actually, that reminds me – you knew Iris and Cilan, but I don't think you ever met N. He lived in Unova too, and he could talk to Pokémon."

"_That's nice,"_ Keldeo said. _"Maybe when I go back there I can meet him..."_

* * *

><p>"This is pretty cool," Ash said, looking around. "It's a street fair?"<p>

"I think so," Brock confirmed. "Lots of attractions – hey, look, a test your strength!"

"_Can I-"_

"No," Ash said.

"_But-"_

"No, Lucario. You'd break it, you know that."

Lucario grumbled, but had to admit that it was true.

"What happened when we were here..." Misty mused, frowning. "I'm sure there was something."

Ash shrugged. "If it's still something we need to do, it'll come right up to us. Things have a way of doing that."

On cue, Misty pointed. "Hey, look, fortune telling!"

* * *

><p>"So, uh..." the boy swallowed nervously. "Ready, Naughty?"<p>

His Natu gave a chirp.

"Right. Uh..."

Ash spoke up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" the boy said, and took a couple of deep breaths. He glanced at his father, standing patiently by the stage, and swallowed again.

"You know," Ash said quietly, "I heard a good way to avoid stage fright is to wear a mask."

The boy blinked, then looked up at his father. "Uh..."

After thinking it over, the man decided to take pity on his son. "Go ahead, McKenzie. I'll do them, and we'll practice later."

"Thanks." McKenzie collected his Natu, and shrank back behind the stage.

"Perhaps we could help train his Natu, too," Ash suggested. "One of Misty's Pokémon had trouble using psychic powers at first."

"Could you?" the father asked, grateful. "Thank you. Now, I'll read yours."

He went through the full routine, complete with all the elaborate steps and incantations, and his Natu followed suit – the token, the washing of the wings, the rocks, the bell, and the box.

Picking it out of the air, the man opened it. "Huh. That's unusual."

"What is it?" Ash took the fortune. "What does 'tilt' mean?"

The showman exchanged a look with his Natu, who shrugged and chirped quietly.

"Oh. He says he can see about four days, for you, then everything gets very complicated. Perhaps you're not the best person for my son to practice on..."

"Oh well." Ash shrugged. "I'm sure we can help with training his Natu, at least."

* * *

><p>"Hey, uh... McKenzie?"<p>

"What?" the boy asked, looking up. "Oh – sorry. Hi, I guess..."

"It's okay," Ash shrugged. "I know kind of what it feels like, and it's really uncomfortable."

"It's not just that!" McKenzie shook his head. "I just realized now – you're the most recent Indigo Champion, aren't you?"

He sighed. "Now I feel stupid..."

"Aw, come on!" Ash said, sitting down next to him. "I may have won the League, but that doesn't make me any more scary, right?"

Misty waved a hand. "Eh, I think it does."

"That's cold, Misty..." Ash shrugged it off. "Anyway..."

He rummaged in his bag. "Where was it... aha!"

Retrieving the CD, he held it out. "Here – you can borrow it if you want. It's a Calm Mind TM."

"A TM?" McKenzie repeated. "These are really expensive! Would you really-"

Ash coughed. "We worked out how to make them multi-use."

"Yeah," Misty smiled, sitting down next to them. "My Psyduck's already used it. It really helped."

McKenzie looked between them, then broke into a smile. "Thanks! Come on, Naughty!"

The little Natu chirped enthusiastically.

"Uh..." after that, McKenzie looked a bit embarrassed. "How do you use these?"

Misty chuckled. "Just put it on his forehead! I know, it's strange, but it works."

"Right." McKenzie took the TM, and placed it against the feathery forehead of his Natu.

Several seconds passed.

"_Wow, I feel much better now!"_ Naughty said, flapping into the air. _"McKenzie, can we try it now?"_

McKenzie beamed, holding out his hand for Naughty to alight on. "Thanks – can I call you Ash?"

"Sure," Ash nodded. "And it's a pleasure, really."

"Can you do mine, please?" Misty asked.

McKenzie nodded. "Right."

* * *

><p>"What did you get, Brock?" Ash asked.<p>

"Tilt," Brock said, holding it out.

"Huh," Misty said, glancing at Ash. "Same as... both of us got. That might not be a good sign."

Lucario was too busy eating some candyfloss to comment.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked. "Okay, Misty... you're the Water-type expert. Explain this."<p>

They watched the surfing Rhydon.

"I... actually can't," Misty admitted.

"Actually, Rhydon are surprisingly light for their size," Brock explained. "And it's not the only Rock-type that can swim – as well as all the Rock/Water types, there's also Tyranitar and Rampardos."

He shrugged. "I learned _that_ here last time..."

"Yeah, but you're talking about swimming," Ash rejoined. "That is _surfing._"

With a huge splash of water, the Rhydon landed on the shoreline of a nearby island. He placed his board in the sand, and walked up to an apple tree to start eating.

"I see you've seen him too," said a girl. "Hi, I'm Pietra."

"Nice to meet you," Brock said, nodding to her. "Do you have any idea why he's using that surfboard?"

Pietra shrugged. "I don't know. I've been trying to catch him for weeks – perhaps he overheard when I mentioned it was called Surf."

She sighed. "I keep trying to challenge him to a battle, but he never listens long enough to fight me."

Ash thought about that. "Hold on, I'll give it a go."

Setting his shoulders, he strode out across the lake.

Pietra blinked. "...is... this...?"

"Yeah, basically," Brock said. Misty nodded.

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Ash called. "Rhydon!"<p>

The Rock-type growled, dropping an apple and turning to him. _"What?"_

"Just wanted a talk, that's all," Ash said, sitting down.

Rhydon seemed a little taken aback by that. _"A talk? But..."_

"Yeah, I can understand you," Ash clarified. "Anyway, there's a girl over there on the shore who wants to battle you."

"_Yes, I'm aware,"_ the Rhydon said. _"Why should I give her the time?"_

"Well..." Ash shrugged. "I guess you don't have to. But – I know she's only got one Pokémon with her, her Marill, but I think she's a pretty honest trainer."

There was a silence for a moment.

"She wants to catch you, you know," Ash said. "And – of course, you don't have to let yourself be caught. But there's two _reasons_ she wants to catch you. One is to help her with digging a tunnel through a mountain, and the other... the other is that she thinks you're magnificent." Ash smiled. "After all, who ever saw a swimming Rhydon?"

Rhydon nodded to himself. _"I suppose..."_

"By the way," Ash asked, curious. "What's with the surfboard?"

The big Rock-type shrugged. _"It's funny."_

As Ash got up and turned to leave, Rhydon looked past him. Then asked a question. _"Is that Pokémon on the lakeshore yours?"_

"You mean Lucario?" Ash checked. "Yeah."

"_Interesting..."_ Rhydon thumped his tail on the floor. _"You have a Pokémon who could, most likely, defeat me – but you nevertheless use talk instead. Very honourable of you. Very well – I will consider it."_

"Thanks," Ash said, and walked back across the lake.

Since he was facing the wrong way, he missed the Rhydon's jaw dropping.

* * *

><p>"Right," Misty was saying. "Bubblebeam is <em>like<em> bubble, but the bubbles are packed with more energy and fired faster. It's also more tightly focused, so they all strike one point. I can demonstrate if you want."

Marill nodded. _"Sure!"_

"Oh, hey, Ash!" Brock said, waving. "How'd it go?"

"Nothing certain," Ash called back. "But he seemed interested, I guess."

There was a splashing sound behind him, and a horn emerged from the lake. This was followed by the rest of Rhydon. _"Did you just walk across the lake?"_

"Yeah," Ash confirmed.

"_Oh."_Rhydon frowned. _"Okay then. And – let the girl know. If she catches me, she should know I may want to evolve to Rhyperior at some future date."_

With that, he dropped back underwater.

* * *

><p>Pietra panted, feeling every bit as drained as her Marill. "Nice work, Marill..." she said.<p>

She looked down at the Pokéball in her hand. "We... we did it."

"You sure did!" Misty said. "Your Marill picked up Bubblebeam quick, too – which is great!"

Marill smiled tiredly.

"Well." Pietra sat down. "I guess I'm buying a Protector sometime soon..."

* * *

><p>"Welcome," Giovanni said, indicating the chairs. "Do sit down."<p>

"Thanks, boss," Meowth said, taking his seat. "Don't mind if we do!"

"Indeed," Giovanni said cryptically.

After the two humans were also seated, Giovanni gave them a forthright look. "I'm afraid there is some bad news."

"Did ya waste money on ya car insurance?" Meowth asked, and got a quelling look for his pains. "Yipe! Guess not..."

Giovanni looked at Meowth for a moment longer, then sighed. "Sometimes I wish all my agents were as competent as you."

To the time-displaced Rocket cell, this was... not exactly on their list of top ten most likely phrases for The Boss to say.

"What happened?" James asked.

In reply, Giovanni brought up an image on the monitor. It was a grainy shot of a thickset man, with dark brown hair and a tufted beard.

"This is the only confirmed unmasked shot of Vicious, the Iron-Masked Marauder," Giovanni informed them. "He doesn't know I have this – which is as it should be, of course... in any case. Following your tip-off, I sent a number of Rockets led by one of our middle-ranked Admins to... teach him the error of his ways."

Jessie and James nodded, knowing what that meant. Either a beating, or something worse, depending on how defiant the man was.

"I guess it didn't work," Jessie ventured.

"You presume correctly," Giovanni confirmed. "He easily subdued the team sent after him, including stealing half of their Pokémon with his Dark Balls – one Houndoom, one Skarmory, and one Venomoth. Purely based on the typing, this confirms your estimate of his intentions."

He paused. "Good work, though it's a pity the team didn't take countermeasures such as a Psychic-type. In any case, he has officially gone rogue. As of now, your assignment is simple – stop him from obtaining Celebi, at all costs."

"Right!" the trio said in unison, standing and saluting.

"You can count on us, boss!" Meowth added.

"Oh, I certainly hope so," Giovanni said, almost too quiet to hear.

When they had gone, he tapped the side of his chair for a moment.

"Persian?" he said, raising his voice slightly.

The panther-like Pokémon slinked out from behind a sofa, purring softly.

"If they don't manage this, it's entirely possible we will never have met," he informed Persian. "For that reason, irrespective of any other, I hope they succeed."

Giovanni's most loyal – and skilled – Pokémon locked eyes with him, and briefly closed them with a small nod.

Giovanni also closed his eyes, and when he opened them he was all business again.

"Send in Petrel, please," he requested.

Without any need for orders, Persian prowled around the back of a different sofa and out of sight. Giovanni knew that the classy cat was poised, ready to intervene in a flash if his visitor turned nasty.

It was, of course, a paranoid habit. But paranoid habits like that were why Giovanni was still the boss of Team Rocket.

* * *

><p>"Ugh." Gary swung up on one hand, and drove in the next piton with his other.<p>

The rock face about three yards to the right of him shifted, then collapsed, and Furfrou peered out – fur in a Heart trim as it had been since yesterday. _"This seems overly complicated."_

Her trainer hauled himself up again on the set of ropes. "It's... the principle of the thing."

"_Seriously, you have a Psychic-type. Can he not simply levitate you up the cliff?"_

Gary hissed through his teeth, and unhooked the hammer from his belt. "Like I said."

Reversing the standard geological hammer, he dug into the layer of softer rock with the pick-like head and hauled some poorly consolidated sand out.

"_I could just get that for you, you know..."_

"Where's the fun in tha-whoa!"

Gary's hands went to his rope as he swayed backwards, panting, and hung there until the gust of wind subsided.

_I caught you the hammer,_ Alakazam reported, levitating it back up to Gary.

"Thanks," Gary nodded. "Right."

Gritting his teeth, he swung the hammer again.

"_That is not going to work,"_ Furfrou informed him.

"Why-" Gary sighed, and slipped the hammer back into its holder. "Why not?"

"_Because I got bored, and retrieved the stone while you were holding on."_ Furfrou held up a large lump of pale blue crystal.

Gary gaped, then sighed. "Of _course_ you did."

"_Are you coming down now?"_ Umbreon asked. _"I know I can't come up because Alakazam can't catch me, but this is quite nerve wracking."_

* * *

><p>"Okay," Gary said, now firmly on solid ground, as he inspected the crystal. "Well, this is certainly a mega stone..."<p>

Turning it, he examined the multicoloured fleck within. "Dark blue edge, with white in the middle and a little bit of lighter blue above it. And the crystal as a whole is pretty pale blue itself. Any ideas?"

Shrugs.

"One of these days, I'm going to find out how to identify these," Gary resolved. "Right, I mentioned the gym challenge, and it's looking like that might be required given how much it'll cost to cut and set these. Who should we do first?"

Umbreon raised a paw. _"The psychic one, please!"_

* * *

><p>"Please tell me this one's got a challenge?" Aaron asked, giving 'his' Pokémon a look. "This lot are getting unruly."<p>

_Oh, there's a challenge all right,_ Arceus informed him. _Good news – you're going to face multiple legendary-grade challenges._

"Right." Sir Aaron nodded. "That'll help."

* * *

><p>"<em>Are we going to get a turn?"<em> asked Palkia, as Giratina blasted Gallade repeatedly with Shadow Force.

_Yes, you'll get your damn turn!_ Arceus snapped. _Honestly..._

"See what I mean?" Aaron asked.

There was a loud _thud_, and Gallade plowed a furrow in the ground.

"Well done!" Kenshin called. "I see that you are a mighty warrior. As such, I will face you and yours in triple battle!"

Dialga and Palkia perked up, and lumbered forwards to stand beside their brother.

"Mewtwo!" Kenshin called.

Three Mewtwo flashed onto the field, and walked forwards. They came to a halt opposite the Creation Trio, levitating so their feet were barely touching the ground.

"_Uh..."_ Dialga frowned. _"This seems a bit samey."_

_Hold on, still writing the dialogue... there we go!_

Kenshin held up a glowing crystal. "Now, face the might of the God of War! Mewtwo, Mewtwo, show them your power!"

The two Mewtwo on either end of the line held up stones themselves, and power crackled across them. Then, one flashed with orange energy and floated entirely into the air, a large tail-like appendage forming from the back of its head, while the other bulked up and set its feet firmly on the ground.

"Mega Mewtwo, times two!" Kenshin pronounced. "Go forth, my warriors!"

Sir Aaron blinked. "This is a thing now?"

_This is a thing now,_ Arceus confirmed. _Well, the mega evolutions are natural, but since you lot were complaining... anyway, you know the whole strongest Pokémon in the world thing?_

Aaron nodded. "Yes?"

_Not hyperbole. I'm fairly sure that these could give me a run for my money._

"Ah." Aaron looked around. "I'll be hiding now."

_Probably best, yeah._

Putting action to words, Aaron threw all three orbs at their respective Pokémon, and looked for a convenient hill to hide behind.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Right. _Now_ it's basically time for the movie.

The Pokémon Sumo tournament was interesting to research – Keldeo is something like a quarter the weight or less of the other Swords of Justice, and Heavy Metal Aggron is actually heavier than any non-legendary-or-Mega Pokémon. (Wierdly, because it loses the ability on mega evolving, a Heavy Metal Aggron is _lighter_ when it becomes Mega Aggron.)

Simon, meanwhile... his episode doesn't quite jibe well with the rest of the canon. There's a Jenny insisting that Pokémon can't understand human... which does rather beg a few questions.

Incidentally, this whole region of the anime is a bit filler-y. I've tried to pick the more interesting ones.


	72. Voice of the Forest 1

This is the first of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>"Right – so it's kind of an expression of your internal Aura?" Ash asked. "Is that why you have to change form to use Secret Sword?"<p>

"_Pretty much,"_ Keldeo agreed. _"Both Sacred and Secret Sword work in similar ways, but Secret Sword relies on the strength within – it acts almost like it isn't even a physical attack."_

"Huh, interesting."

"_It almost sounds like a differently shaped Aura Sphere,"_ Lucario volunteered. _"Perhaps that is a way to approach it?"_

Keldeo frowned. _"I know I'm coming at it from the opposite direction, but what I know about Aura Sphere... yeah, I guess it is close in some ways."_

"But perhaps-" Ash began, then interrupted himself. "Hold on a minute – look!"

Both Fighting-types followed his gaze, and Brock and Misty looked up too.

Suicune essayed a bow. _"Greetings, Chosen,"_ she said, pacing closer. She cleared her throat, and spoke formally. _"Are you in fit state for a challenge?"_

"I guess – hold on a sec," Ash requested. "Dexter? Is Pidgeot-"

She is. Please give me a minute, she wants to make arrangements with the Professor.

Ash nodded. "Okay, you heard him... don't think I want to grab anyone else."

Suicune nodded, understanding. _"That is fine. While we have the time..." _she shifted her gaze to Misty. _"Raikou has told us of your battle. Well done – for representing Water as well as you did, Misty. I admit, I am interested to hear how you did some of what you did."_

"Well..." Misty shrugged. "The cutting water dance is one I came up with to deal with Pikachu. It-"

Ash waved his hands. "Misty! Don't give her your secrets yet, I'm just about to have a chase with her!"

Misty snorted laughter. "Sorry, Ash!"

"_Drat, foiled again,"_ Suicune said, deadpan. _"So, how have you been?"_

"Pretty good," Ash told her. "It's been a quiet few weeks, which is... actually the longest quiet period I've had since I was eleven."

"_Fair enough."_

"_We've been using the time to work on Aura together,"_ Keldeo supplied. _"I'm getting quite close to managing Aura Sphere."_

"_A useful addition to any arsenal,"_ Suicune agreed.

There was a clatter as a Pokéball landed next to Ash.

"Ah, good," Ash said, opening it. "Ready for this, Pidgeot?"

"_I certainly am!"_ Pidgeot replied.

Ash returned Lucario and Keldeo, checked Pikachu was in his usual place, and swung aboard Pidgeot. She took a couple of deep breaths, rolling her wings to be sure she was ready, then nodded.

"_Ready?"_ Suicune checked.

"Yeah!" Ash confirmed. "Let's do this!"

Suicune smiled. _"Very well, Chosen One. Try to keep up!"_

She reared, spun on her hind legs, touched back down facing away from Ash, and shot off.

Pidgeot took off in an incredible rush of wind. She spun an air control layer which coiled around for a moment at her departure site, and then just as she began moving forwards it manifested as a tailwind.

Wings of air snapped out, and Brock and Misty heard the sonic boom mere seconds later.

"...well, I guess we'll see him later," Brock said.

* * *

><p>Ash clung onto Pidgeot's feathers, squinting against the residual wind leaking through her air control as she accelerated.<p>

Miles disappeared below them, towns whipping past on either side in less than a minute and villages in seconds.

Ash closed one eye, finding the moving dot of Suicune's potent Water-typed Aura. "Okay, Pidgeot!" he shouted. "If she changes course, I'll let you know – for now, you're going the right way!"

Pidgeot responded by accelerating further.

Sparing a glance to one side, Ash saw that her wings of air were at least five times as broad as her actual physical ones. Behind, there was a swirl of displaced air and the occasional very surprised Spearow.

"Can you get close enough for Pikachu to attack?" Ash asked.

Pidgeot shook her head. _"At this speed, I'd overshoot by almost a mile if she decoyed me."_

"Right." Ash squared his shoulders. "Let's see how long she can keep this up, then... where are we headed?"

"_South."_ Pidgeot rose as a saddle-pass approached, clearing the lip of the pass a few seconds after Suicune ran across it.

"Got her again," Ash reported. "She changed course – a bit to the right... there you are."

"_Thanks."_

* * *

><p>Suicune did a tight little S-curve, turning her head at the point where she was at the greatest angle to her base course, and caught sight of the Pidgeot following her – not closing the distance much, either, content to pace her.<p>

She smiled. So, they wanted a long chase?

She could give them a long chase.

Accelerating, Suicune topped a hill and saw that she was reaching the outskirts of a city. Thinking fast, she plotted four possible routes through it, and selected one in particular as it would do the least collateral damage.

The north wind coiled around her, speeding her travels - and taking the edge off her shockwave, reducing it to window-rattling rather than window-breaking. She had no desire to shatter windows across the whole of Olivine City, after all...

She darted down the hill, flitting between trees with sure paws and sending twigs flying in her wake, and then pushed off as she reached a road cutting. Her leap took her clear across the road and onto the roof of a warehouse, and she sprinted across the roof before leaping to another – bearing a little to the right, and choosing taller and taller buildings as she went.

* * *

><p>"<em>I lost track,"<em> Pidgeot reported. _"Has she doubled back?"_

"I- no!" Ash overrode himself. "She's heading for the river!"

Pidgeot duly banked to the right, heading for the river mouth. Her wings of air reconfigured, going from speed to manoeuvre, and she dropped subsonic.

"Right!" Ash called. "I think she's going to run out to sea – Pidgeot, that means we have to follow her right down near sea level, otherwise it's going to be too hard to spot her again if I lose her. If we do that, we can follow her wake."

"_Got it!"_ Pidgeot dove slightly, and spotted the splash as Suicune reached the river. _"Do we just chase her until she stops?"_

"No, that might take hours," Ash replied. "Days, even. Pikachu, think you can get her with a Thundershock? How close do you need to be?"

"_I can just about hit her at a quarter mile, I think,"_ Pikachu judged. _"More than that and it's a little too hard to aim right given how fast she's going."_

"_Right!"_ Pidgeot reconfigured her wings again, and dove. The shock cloud from the sound barrier formed and broke around them in a flash, and Pidgeot stooped towards the moving blue dot of Suicune.

* * *

><p>Chief mate Blake squinted into the morning sun, as the Aqua heeled over and turned for harbour.<p>

It would be good to get back on dry land again. Normally he enjoyed spending time at sea, but this was different – he was owed drinks by half the crew of the S.S. Aqua, because he'd finally managed to get his Masters' certificate approved.

He'd be moving up to Master of a new ship, now – and he'd miss the Aqua, but maybe he'd be aboard her again someday. Possibly even as her captain.

Then a blue blur shot past the starboard side of the ship.

"What was that, chief mate?" the captain asked.

"Don't know, sir," he replied. "Looked like a Pokémon, but I don't know what-"

Then a Pidgeot rocketed past on the same side, below the level of the deck.

Gaping, Blake ran to the rail and looked out astern. As he looked south, he saw that the blue blur had indeed been a Pokémon – and that the Pidgeot was chasing it, and that it had gigantic white wings which cut into the water at the lowest point of their travel.

Even as he watched, the two Pokémon dwindled until they were mere dots, then vanished out of sight.

* * *

><p>Pikachu's cheeks crackled. <em>"Sorry, still too far – I'm getting closer, though."<em>

Another Thundershock snapped out, hitting the water just to one side of Suicune and producing a small splash of water. In response, Suicune swerved to the right – though still maintaining her course south – and kicked off a wave, leaping into the sky. She rolled forwards in a somersault, shooting an Ice Beam back at them, and Pidgeot had to swerve wildly to avoid being hit.

Ash held up a hand to shield himself from the plume of water that threw up. "Okay, Pidgeot, maybe we should head a bit higher."

Below and ahead, Suicune landed in a plume of water and shot quickly back to full speed.

"_I can do that,"_ Pidgeot said, and angled up slightly to gain height. _"I'll need to get closer to her for Pikachu to be able to hit her, but the height will help."_

"Good." Ash glanced ahead. "Looks like we're coming up on an island..."

"_Oh, hey, I recognize those,"_ Pidgeot cooed, as they approached – her wings beating slowly, relatively speaking, but moving so much air that they were cruising at around the speed of sound. _"Those are the whirl islands – look!"_

Ash did. "Wow... hey, there's a Lugia!"

"_It must be the mate of the one we met in Shamouti,"_ Pikachu said.

"_Yes, it is, I recognize her."_ Pidgeot dipped her wings. _"Let's say hi! We're going to go right past anyway, so..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Don't stay out too long, Silver,"<em> the female Lugia said, smiling tolerantly at her son. _"That human you know is pleasant, but remember that not all humans are so nice."_

"_But Papa knows a nice human!"_ Silver said. _"Remember? We met his Pidgeot!"_

"_I know, dear, I just said that not all humans are nice. I know there are nice humans."_ Lugia nuzzled her child. _"Be back for lunch, okay?"_

"_I will, Mama – what's that?"_

Lugia blinked, looking off to the north. _"I... that's very strange, that almost looks like-"_

In a flash of azure blue, Suicune shot past. The wind of her passage ruffled trees and feathers all around the small cove, and stirred up a rush of sand.

"_Hi Lugia, hi Silver!"_ she said, voice dopplered by speed but still audible thanks to her tailwind shaping it, and then she was gone.

"_Hi Suicune!"_ Silver said, waving his wing. _"She was in a hurry, Mama. Why's that?"_

Lugia was looking back along the path Suicune had taken. _"That's – that's your Papa's friend Pidgeot. What's she doing-"_

With a thunderous _CRACK_ of displaced air, Pidgeot flew past. Once more, the wind following the speeding Pokémon slowed and carried words to the ears of the two Lugia.

"_Hi, Lugia! You're looking well, Silver!"_

"Hi! Nice to meet you!"

"_See you some time!"_

When the wind had died down, Silver spat out some sand that had gotten in his mouth. _"What just happened, Mama?"_

"_I... don't know..."_

* * *

><p>Suicune smiled broadly, teeth bared, and luxuriated in the feeling of running flat out.<p>

This was absolutely _glorious!_ Running, as fast as she could manage, across the ocean under a strengthening morning sun. Running with the north wind at her back, every fiber of her being working in harmony to push her to her limits. And running a race – one she was _losing._

To do as much as one could, and to find at the last that there was a worthy challenge... that was _living._

Suicune leaped into the air again, this time using it to check her position. Coming to a decision, she turned a little to the west.

A Thundershock snapped at her heels. Glancing back, she saw that Pidgeot was flying at about a forty degree angle above the horizon from her, and quite close.

She decoyed right, then left, then turned right a bit more, and the Electric attacks died down for a moment.

They were connecting occasionally, though, wearing her endurance down much faster than the run alone did.

_Glorious!_

* * *

><p>"How long have we been going?" Ash asked, glancing at the sun.<p>

"_A bit over an hour, I think,"_ Pidgeot answered him. _"It looks like we're heading almost back towards the north again by now."_

Ash pulled out Dexter. "Where are we?"

Approximately fifty miles south of Shikoku. At current speed, we will make landfall in between five and six minutes.

He paused. Calculating... this has been a trip of around six hundred and seventy miles. A gigantic circle out in the middle of the ocean accounts for much of that.

"Wow," Ash said. "How are you holding up, Pidgeot?"

"_I'm fine,"_ she told him promptly. _"I can certainly make it back to Brock and Misty, at least."_

"Good," he told her. "Wait – I can see land!"

* * *

><p>Pidgeot flared her wings, huge white crescents supporting her and slowing her down as she shed the speed she had carried for most of the last hour.<p>

Her feet came down, and she splashed to a halt in a shallow river running right out of the cliffs that backed a large beach.

Suicune stood on a rock, waiting.

"_A marvellous run, Chosen,"_ she said, panting. _"I believe that I will tire before your Pidgeot, but I suspect you do not want it decided that way alone."_

"That's right," Ash agreed, getting off Pidgeot.

"_A deal, then. Your Pidgeot takes no further part in the fight, and I will not flee this beach until there is a victor in our match."_

"Fine by me!" Ash nodded. Pikachu agreed, his cheeks sparkling with electricity.

Suicune jumped down from the rock as Ash returned his Flying-type.

"_Very well, then,"_ she said. _"Let us begin."_

* * *

><p>Ash opened by sending out Ivysaur. "Sunny Day!" he instructed.<p>

Trusting Ivysaur to manage that, he added Lucario and Bayleef to the mix.

Bayleef set her feet on the shingle of the beach, and shook the big leaf on her head. _"Petal dance!"_

Suicine leapt out of the way of the blizzard of petals, and then again out of the way of a Thunderbolt from Pikachu.

Lucario rammed two Aura Spheres together, producing a cloud of seeker spheres, and she blocked them with an instant spherical eruption of water – though one less powerful than usual, as the Sunny Day effect Ivysaur had set up weakened her command of her element.

She took a Thunderbolt to the flank, the electricity crackling over her, and then Bayleef managed to redirect her petal storm into the blue Water-type.

Suicune almost vanished for a moment in the swirling pink Petal Dance, and then shot ice back out of the vortex and hit Bayleef in the chest.

Bayleef cried out, losing control of her attack, and it blasted in all directions for a moment before fading out.

At that point, Ivysaur's Frenzy Plant arrived.

Suicune jumped from root to root as they emerged, avoiding their grasping attempts to grab hold of her with difficulty, and took another blast of electricity for her pains. Growling, she fired a Hydro Pump at Pikachu, making sure to break the stream before it connected so it only blasted him backwards.

Lucario pushed off from the ground in a prodigious leap, and rammed home a Thunderpunch into Suicune's flank.

Suicune grunted at the impact. She kicked out at him, pushing him backwards just in time to avoid another Thunderpunch, and jumped into the air herself.

Inhaling, she let a Blizzard build for a moment, and then fired it down at the Pokémon below.

She managed to get Ivysaur, Lucario and Bayleef in the same attack. The two Grass-types were already drained from being hit and from using such a powerful attack respectively, and both were knocked unconscious.

Lucario, however, was much less injured by the Ice-type attack, and retaliated with another Aura Sphere. It curved to follow Suicune as she dropped back to the shingle, and she barely managed to avoid taking the blow.

Pikachu reminded her that he was around as well with a Thunderbolt.

Suicune could feel her stamina fading – quite fast, actually. The Sunny Day was a very clever idea on Ash's part, hampering most of her attacks effectively, and the seven hundred mile run wasn't helping matters much.

Two targets left.

She went for Pikachu first, darting in with Extremespeed. The Electric-type was just a little too slow to react, as she slammed both her paws into the shingle in front of him and fired off a Bulldoze.

Pikachu went flying, dazed but not defeated, and Suicune turned her attention to Lucario.

She met another Thunderpunch coming the other way. This one really hurt, and sent her skidding several feet across the shingle.

Electricity crackling around her, she ran out into the surf to gain a bit of distance.

Bulldoze would work on Lucario, too, but he wasn't going to be as easy to hit now he knew the attack was coming. So, digging deep, Suicune built up energy for one more attack.

She took a steadying breath, calming her mind, and called upon the North Wind.

"_Air slash!"_

"Look out!" Ash called. "Behind you!"

Lucario spun, hands shimmering with Protect, and the powerful buzz-saw-like blade of wind coming in from the north impacted his shield.

At that point, Suicune rammed into his back at full Extremespeed. His Protect broke with the surprise, and the Air Slash connected.

Lucario was blasted backwards by the blast, out to sea, and splashed into the water some distance out.

Feeling very tired indeed, Suicune looked over at Pikachu. He was dripping wet, soaked with seawater.

"Oh, no..." Ash said. "Can you still-"

Pikachu replied by firing a Thundershock. It grounded across his fur, going no further than an inch from his body, and he shrugged.

Suicune turned back to Ash._ "Well. It seems that-"_

She stopped. _"Is that a Fire-type?"_

Quilava waved. _"In the name of the sun, I will defeat you! Solarbeam!"_

* * *

><p>Fortunately, it looked like Suicune had forgotten the Sunny Day boost was still active.<p>

As soon as the attack connected, Ash's hand went to his pocket. "Fast ball, go!"

He'd asked for them, many weeks ago, for exactly this reason. If the Beasts didn't qualify, nothing did.

The lightning-flash-marked Pokéball shot out, connected with Suicune's flank, and pulled her in in a flash of light.

Ash watched, heart in his mouth.

The ball wobbled... wobbled... and clicked.

Ash let out an explosive rush of breath.

"I... I actually did it," he said, falling to his knees. "I did it! I caught a Legendary Pokémon – myself!"

"_It's better than that,"_Quilava said, sitting next to him. _"Who did you use?"_

Ash counted it up. "Well... Pikachu, Lucario, you, Bayleef, Ivysaur... and... and Pidgeot."

Quilava smiled. _"Just six."_

"Wow."

With a splashing sound, Lucario waded back through the surf. He was tired too, but not too tired to collect Pikachu from the shoreline and walk over with him.

Slowly, Ash picked up the quiescent Fast Ball, and opened it.

"_I did not expect that,"_ Suicune said, and bowed. _"Well done, Chosen!"_

She nodded to Quilava. _"Beaten by a fire-type, too, I see. Well, well..."_

"_It's nice to have you on the team,"_ Lucario said, inclining his head.

"_Yeah,"_ Pikachu agreed.

"Oh, that reminds me – I never had to use him." Ash released Keldeo. "I guess you overheard?"

Keldeo confirmed that with a nod. _"Yeah! That sounded like a really impressive battle!"_

"_Oh, it was. It was."_ Suicune smiled. _"Savour your triumph, Ash Ketchum – and I imagine I will be getting to know all of you soon."_

"Actually," Ash said, glancing over at Keldeo. "I said this to Keldeo, and I'll say it to you. I know Legendaries have responsibilities, so – if you need to go somewhere, go. If you have something to do, do it. Only ask if you have time, and assume the answer will be yes."

"_My thanks,"_ Suicune said, nodding. _"I have trained up Molly's friend to the point she can do most of my duties, but in extremis I will endeavour to inform you first."_

Dexter made a ringing noise.

Ash picked it up. "What is it – Misty?"

"Ash!" she called. "Bad news – we just ran into Mr. White. Remember, the guy who runs the ferry service to Arborville?"

Ash worked it out, and went white. "Okay, Misty, we'll get back there as soon as we can!"

He stood in a hurry, grabbed Pikachu, and returned Keldeo and Lucario. Clipping the balls to his belt, he then returned the two unconscious Grass-types.

"_Have I missed something?"_ Suicune asked, as Lucario and Quilava also went back in their Pokéballs.

"Last time – back before the time travel," Ash clarified, releasing Pidgeot, "Someone tried to capture a Celebi. He nearly succeeded – he _did_ succeed, and turned it evil, and you and I just about managed to stop him."

Suicune shuddered. _"That is ill news."_

"I know." Ash jumped onto Pidgeot's back. "I don't know if we have time, but I'm stopping by at Olivine Pokémon centre – too many of my best Pokémon are tired. Including you."

Ash held out the Fast ball, and Suicune let herself be returned without fuss.

"Okay, Pidgeot!" Ash said. "Olivine City – fast as you can!"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Congratulations, Ash.

I hope this whole sequence worked. I tried to portray – a Legendary Pokémon is very, very powerful and fast. But not invincible.

If anyone's confused where the chase goes, it starts a little west of Kyoto (Ecruteak), goes south through the port of Olivine and threads through the Whirl Islands, traces a large circle in the Pacific Ocean and makes landfall on the southern part of the island of Shikoku.

Also – oh dear. Ash is several hundred miles out of position.


	73. Voice of the Forest 2

This is the second of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>With a sound like a ringing bell, a pulse of distortion washed over the forest.<p>

"I guess we know what that is," Misty said. "Come on!"

Brock nodded, and they hurried towards the centre of the disturbance.

"Togekiss," Misty said, grabbing the Pokéball as they were moving, "Can you keep an eye out for us?"

Togekiss nodded, and took to the sky. _"Sure thing, Misty."_

It was a short trip to the shrine, which was quite close to Arborville, and so they got there just about as Celebi's time jump completed.

Brock pointed. "Misty, can you grab Celebi? I'll make sure the boy's okay."

Accepting that, Misty knelt down next to the tired Grass-type Legendary. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Celebi blinked, and looked up at her. A moment of confusion, and then Celebi jumped and hovered away slightly. _"No! Stay away!"_

"We're not here to hurt you," Misty soothed. Unbidden, Togekiss floated down behind her trainer, and smiled reassuringly. "Poor thing – you're hurt, aren't you?"

"I think Sammy's okay," Brock reported. "Still breathing, and his pulse is strong. I'll give him some water."

"Good idea, Brock," Misty said. "Make sure he doesn't choke."

"I have studied this," Brock pointed out. "I'm not a complete idiot."

"Eh." Misty shrugged, and turned back to Celebi. "Don't worry, you're among friends now."

Celebi blinked slowly, looking from her to Sammy and Brock. _"What..."_

"_She's right,"_ Togekiss said. _"Isn't there a lake around here which can heal Pokémon? Let's get you there right away."_

Misty nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

The Legendary frowned. _"I... I think... okay."_

She glanced over at Sammy. _"Is he alright? He tried to save me, in... in the – I think I jumped forwards, so the past."_

"He seems fine," Brock reported. "Wait – he's waking up."

Celebi floated into the air, which clearly took a lot of effort, and hovered over Sammy as he woke.

"Celebi?" he asked, and blinked. "Did... where's that poacher!?"

Brock caught him as he surged upright. "Don't worry – Celebi time travelled with you, you left him in the past."

Sammy glanced at Celebi, who bobbed up and down before sinking tiredly to the floor.

"Okay," he said, accepting that, and also deciding these people had to be okay if Celebi wasn't trying to run away from them. "How far did I go?"

"Well... not sure," Brock said, glancing at Misty. "We met someone called Towa, who warned us about the Voice of the Forest..."

"I met her too!" Sammy said. "She was an adult – I don't know exactly how old, maybe a bit more than twenty?"

"Then I guess you came forward something like forty years," Brock said.

"Forty years..." Sammy repeated. "Wow."

He glanced around. "Wait – where's my sketchbook?"

"She might have it," Misty suggested. "Brock, do you think you can take him-"

"I'm called Sammy," Sammy supplied.

"Thanks," Misty said. "I'm Misty, and you heard he's Brock. Brock, can you take _Sammy_ to Arborville? I'll try and get Celebi to the lake of life."

"Wait," Sammy said. "I want to make sure Celebi's okay. I'll come with you."

"Sure," Misty said, thinking. "Okay – Brock, let Towa know what's going on. Togekiss, did you see which way the lake was?"

Togekiss nodded. _"Follow me – I'll lead the way."_

Sammy reached down and picked up Celebi, cradling her in his arms and making sure to support her head. "Let's hurry!"

* * *

><p>Flaring her wings, Pidgeot dumped speed. She decelerated from near-transsonic cruise to landing speed much faster than normal, trying to waste as little time as she could, and Ash jumped off her back before she'd quite stopped moving.<p>

Returning her, he hurried into the Pokémon centre. "Uh... Nurse Joy?"

The Olivine Joy looked up. "Oh – hello, young man. Are you in a hurry?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded.

"Well, it's not busy, so that should be fine. I'll handle yours right now."

"Thanks," Ash said with a quick smile. Pikachu hopped up onto the counter, and as Joy took him Ash also passed over five Pokéballs.

"Thank you. Oh, might I ask what they are?" she said, running the scanner over Pikachu. "If I can set the computer up ahead of time it goes quicker."

Her Chansey looked up, ready to enter the information.

"Let's see..." Ash pointed. "That's a Lucario, those two are Ivysaur and Bayleef..."

"_Ivysaur... and Bayleef..."_ the Chansey repeated, typing away.

"The final Pokéball is Pidgeot."

"Oh, the one you arrived on?" Joy asked. "I saw you through the door. Did you go overhead a bit more than an hour ago? Several people have mentioned it."

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "The Fast Ball is Suicune."

Joy dropped the scanner. "Pardon? Did you just say _Suicune?_"

"Yeah," Ash said, with a nod. "Still amazed I caught her, but... there it is."

"Well... goodness," Joy said faintly, and picked up the scanner again. She completed her examination of Pikachu, and nodded to Chansey. "Just a bit tired, two ccs of ether and one of regular potion should be adequate."

Chansey nodded, picking Pikachu up and taking him into the back.

"Do you mind if I scan, uh, Suicune next?" Joy asked. "I've only ever heard stories before."

Ash nodded. "Go ahead, she might actually be the worst off."

Joy picked up the lightning-marked Pokéball, and opened it. For a moment, she just stared at the stately blue Pokémon who emerged, then she shook her head and started running the scanner again.

"I don't have a baseline for you," she apologized, glancing between Suicune and her screen. "So I'm going to be guessing slightly..."

Suicune shrugged slightly, and smiled at Ash. _"This is convenient, I must admit – Entei was recovering for days after your match with him."_

"Really?" Ash blinked. "I thought he was still pretty well off..."

"_He tricked you, I see,"_ Suicune smiled. _"No, that was Lava Plume, not Eruption."_

"But that must mean I... wow," Ash said, shaking his head. "I didn't realize I was that close."

"_You weren't supposed to,"_ Suicune reminded him, then winced slightly as Joy sprayed something over part of her leg. _"What was that?"_

Joy could tell Suicune was curious from body language and the tone of her voice. "It's a spray of test potion – it lets me see how well your body reacts to it... okay, I think I've got a dosage ready."

She tapped it into the computer, and took the resulting printout. "Take this to Chansey, please."

Suicune nodded, carefully took the printout in her mouth, and padded into the back room as Joy started scanning the unconscious Ivysaur.

Ash glanced at the clock. "Man, I hope this doesn't take too long..."

"I'm not exactly dawdling," Joy said, a little peeved. "If I go any faster, I might miss something important. Using just potions like this is quicker, but I have to get the dosage right."

"Right," Ash said, trying to calm down. "Sorry – I found out a short while ago that there's something important going on, and I don't want to be late."

"With a Pidgeot like the one you have, you certainly _shouldn't_ be late," Joy said absently. "Wow, this Ivysaur is tired. What's he been doing? Frenzy Plant?"

"Yes," Ash said simply.

"...oh," Joy replied, blinking.

* * *

><p>As they hurried along the forest trails, following Togekiss, both Sammy and Misty noticed the occasional forest Pokémon examining them – seeing if they were a threat.<p>

The result tended to be that the Pokémon melted back into the mists, though one Furret did run alongside them for the whole rest of their journey, dodging in and out of the undergrowth.

After some minutes, they came to the shores of a large, clear lake. The far side was almost shrouded in mists, but a few trees could be seen there rearing out of the mist.

"This must be the Lake of Life," Misty said.

Sammy nodded, looked down at the Celebi cradled in his arms, and stepped into the water. "Okay, Celebi. I hope this works."

He knelt, not caring that his trousers were soaked by the lake water, and placed her into it.

Celebi shifted slightly, seeming to breathe a little easier.

A crashing sound made Misty turn. Crobat glided through the trees, and then Brock came through at a run with Stantler beside him.

"Hey, Brock," Misty said, as the older boy skidded to a halt at the side of the lake. "Why's Stantler out?"

"It made it easier to explain to all the forest Pokémon," Brock said. "But I haven't seen any for a few minutes – look!"

Misty followed his gaze.

Standing by the lakeside, at the other side of a large embayment, were dozens upon dozens of forest Pokémon.

"I... guess they're here to make sure Celebi gets healed," Misty said – she'd never quite had that _explained_ to her, but it made sense. "Maybe she needs to be a bit deeper in the water?"

Sammy nodded, and immersed the Legendary more fully. She fluttered her small wings, then seemed to perk up slightly, and swam out of his arms deeper into the water.

A little green light appeared, visible through the water. It brightened, strengthening as they watched, and got faster and faster.

Then Celebi burst through the water, glowing with psychic energy. _"Yay!"_ she called, spinning around as water droplets fell around her. _"I feel much better!"_

"Celebi!" Sammy called. "You're all right!"

Celebi smiled at him, and at Brock and Misty – then stopped, looking into the distance. _"Wait – what's that?"_

A beam of orange energy slashed out of the trees, barely missing her, and blew a tree to splinters – scattering the forest Pokémon.

Misty winced. "Oh, no..."

The giant spider-like war machine of the Iron Masked Marauder stomped into view, with a Tyranitar by its side and crackling with dark energy.

"At last!" the Marauder said, triumph in his voice. "I've found you, Celebi!"

He looked down at Tyranitar. "Get it!"

Brock and Misty exchanged glances, then both sent out every Pokémon they had.

"Leave Celebi alone!" Sammy shouted, taking his own handmade Pokéball and opening the top. "Charmeleon – we're going to help Celebi too!"

Tyranitar fired another Hyper Beam at Celebi, again narrowly missing, and then Misty's Gyarados slammed into him and drove him backwards.

Vicious scowled beneath his mask. "Right – you asked for it! Skarmory, bring me that Celebi!"

Brock blinked. "He didn't have a-"

With a flash of light, a Skarmory materialized overhead. It cawed, a horrible tooth-grating sound, and swooped in towards Celebi.

Panicking, the little Psychic-type fired an Extrasensory attack and dove out of the way of Skarmory's attack.

Vicious released several more Pokémon – dark-balls producing a Houndoom and a Venomoth, who started attacking Brock's Pokémon, and regular Pokéballs producing three more. The Weavile, Scizor and Girafarig teamed up on Misty's Pokémon, quickly forcing them away from the Dark Tyranitar.

Around this point, Sammy noticed a strange noise. He pointed up. "What's that?"

Brock and Misty followed his finger.

"I... don't know," Misty admitted. "Well, it's some kind of flying machine, but..."

She stopped talking as it transformed, flipping up the outer half of each wing so the propellors on the outer edges were now facing down.

"Prepare for trouble!" boomed a very familiar voice.

It didn't get much further, though, because they had to jink out of the way of a powerful Psybeam from the Girafarig.

"Hey!" shouted another voice. "You wrecked da motto! Now dis is personal!"

The tiltrotor moved to the right, avoiding another attack by one of Vicious' Pokémon, and opened up with its chin gun. Dozens of small bullets per second sprayed across the war machine, denting the armour, though Vicious himself escaped harm by way of a quickly-deployed armour plate.

"Scizor!" he snapped. "Stop them!"

* * *

><p>Ninetales snatched her tails away from a powerful Dark Pulse, and snarled at the Houndoom who had fired it. Her tails weaved together a low-powered Fire attack – a little below even an Ember – and shot it at the Houndoom.<p>

It splashed across him without making a mark, and she hissed – Flash Fire. That would make things tricky, not that they weren't already.

Another Dark Pulse shot out, forcing Ninetales to jump away from it, and then Growlie landed on the Houndoom hard enough to crack the floor underneath him.

"_We've got to stop meeting like this,"_ she quipped, glad to see him, and he grinned.

The Arcanine then turned towards their foe, frowning in confusion. _"Wait a minute-"_

Houndoom nearly took his leg off, erupting forwards and slamming his jaws together in a Crunch which went where Growlie's knee had been a moment before.

"_Well, I suppose it wasn't going to go that easily,"_ Growlie commented, licking his fangs as they circled Houndoom.

There was an ear-splitting _crash_ as the giant robot threw an Ursaring into a tree hard enough to crack the heartwood.

"_Any ideas?"_ Ninetales asked, feinting forwards with her tails and decoying a Dark Pulse out of Houndoom – then wincing as it blew several branches off the tree it connected with. _"Well, that wasn't a good one..."_

"_I know,_" Growlie said, turned his back, and ran.

Ninetales didn't follow his movement – knowing she _could_, but also that it might be a terrible mistake to do so. Instead she built purple witchfire on her tails and spun forwards a Hex – the best of a bad lot, for the moves she knew.

Houndoom didn't even bother to dodge, taking the attack with a contemptuous ease, and then pounced forwards to use Crunch on her.

He was slightly wrong-footed by an Earthquake some way across the chaotic battlefield, but recovered before he even reached Ninetales. His jaws opened-

And closed on air, as her illusion dissipated.

Ninetales slapped him with all nine tails, bundled up into a single package, and he staggered sideways slightly before recovering. He barked, hugely, the sound lashing at Ninetales' ears, and leapt forwards again.

Several seconds of snarling, biting combat on the forest floor, and she was more grateful than ever before for her dates with Growlie. Their play-fighting had given her a few tricks for this very real fight, and she managed to avoid taking a Crunch anywhere important.

Eventually, she managed to get her feet between them, and pushed him off with a grunt of exertion. Hurriedly coming back to her feet, she was able to stop him simply jumping back at her by dodging out of the way.

A few more seconds of circling, and this time it was Ninetales who jumped in. Houndoom feinted left, then came forwards and in under her guard.

At that point, Growlie arrived with another bone-shaking high speed impact, knocking Houndoom sprawling. He followed up with a powerful series of blows, taking a few hits in return as he focused entirely on hitting Houndoom instead of defence.

That clearly hurt, but it didn't take him out of the fight either. The Houndoom blasted a Fire Blast at Growlie at point-blank range, producing a huge explosion of flame which didn't harm the Arcanine but did startle him, and then followed that up with a Dark Pulse and made it clear.

Rather than follow up, Houndoom turned his head and blasted Crobat out of the sky with an Inferno, then turned back to the other two Fire-types as if daring them to react.

"_You son of a-"_ Ninetales bit the words off, because they were unhelpful and also true, and swirled her tails around again. Both she and her mate vanished from sight.

Houndoom spat a Dark Pulse, which hit nothing, and started sniffing – trying to locate his opponents by scent.

* * *

><p>Cubone ducked, barely avoiding being hit by a leg of Vicious' war machine.<p>

Forming a large femur, she swung it at the closest bit of it she could reliably reach – another leg – then jumped back as the retaliatory blow from one of the arms came in.

This all posed an interesting question. How did she kill a machine?

Normally the answer to that would have been easy – pull it into her Marble, then hit it with bones until it stopped moving. But that was... less of an option, since she could no longer sustain the Marble for long.

So she was reduced to the _other_ kind of brute force attack. Try things until something broke.

Forming a knucklebone from something large, she used her Thick Club to hit it like a baseball into the body of the machine. This produced a clang, a curse, and a ball of Grass energy from Vicious' Girafarig which she barely evaded in time.

Cubone switched tactics, throwing a pair of bones on long, looping trajectories out into the distance. They curved back in on themselves, and she judged the timing by eye – then threw two more directly at the machine.

All four hit at the same time, and the whole complicated war machine rang like a bell.

Cubone watched it vibrate, seeking out the points which might be vulnerable. They weren't very vulnerable – the spider-tank was well armoured – but they were there, which was good enough to be going on with.

Jumping forwards, she avoided another Energy Ball and sent a Bonemerang back at the Girafarig to keep him busy. At about the same time as that connected, a Stantler charged in, and got blasted backwards by a Psybeam.

Cubone formed a set of Sharpedo teeth, concentrating to maintain them all at once, and used them as pitons to start climbing the side of the striding war machine.

If she could hit the weakest point enough, it might work...

More than once, she had to stop climbing and just cling on as hard as possible to avoid being flung off, as the machine shook its leg hard to try and dislodge her.

The tough Ground-type had a good grip, though, and managed to avoid being shaken off. A few minutes had her next to what she thought was something important, and she began driving a chisel-like modification of an Omastar spine into the weak spot.

Then she had to fend off a snapping grabber-arm as the Marauder noticed what she was doing, and abandoned her break-in attempt for now.

* * *

><p>Gyarados – both Gyarados – roared, blasting away at the corrupted Tyranitar with Dragon Rage and Hydro Pump respectively.<p>

Their target roared back, taking surprisingly little damage from the blow, and blasted a Hyper Beam back at the collection of Water-type Pokémon in the lake. The impact knocked Politoed flying before he managed a single attack, and Kingdra dove underwater to avoid being hurt.

The Tyranitar stepped a few paces further forwards, producing splashes of water as he walked into the littoral of the lake, and stamped down hard in an Earthquake. This destabilized several of the Water-types by making the water they were resting on shake back and forth, and threw their attacks wild until they restabilized.

Meowth, riding on James' Gyarados, plinked away with his coins using Pay Day – it didn't do much, but it made him feel better.

"Any idea how we can actually hurt dis guy?" he asked. "I'm open ta suggestions – yipe! Look out!"

An Ancientpower rock went just overhead, and Meowth swore he felt his fur ruffle as it shot past.

Gyarados roared again, firing a Hyper Beam back.

"_Jump kick!"_ Stantler said, galloping forwards. His Soothe Bell jingled, announcing his presence even before he started the attack, and Tyranitar slapped him aside with his tail with contemptuous ease – barely needing to exert any effort at all.

"Kid!" Meowth called, concerned. "Ya okay?"

Then he spotted something, gaped, and shut his mouth quickly.

Switching topics, he tapped his mount on the head. "Don't ya know any better Water attacks? Dis is barely hurtin' him!"

Gyarados' reply was to thrash his tail, sweeping a deluge of water forwards with Aqua Tail, and the impact – coinciding with a Hydro Pump from Misty's Gyarados – made his target skid backwards a bit.

Another Hyper Beam roared out in response, sending Seaking staggering backwards and barely conscious in spite of the shielding effect of the water. It also clipped across Kingdra, knocking that Pokémon backwards, and knocked Starmie out with relative ease.

"Ah, great..." Meowth said, looking for Politoed and seeing him still knocked out. "Looks like da lake's already busted... ain't no healin' for us."

Tyranitar slammed his tail into the ground, this time producing a shower of rocks in Stone Edge. Meowth was the only Pokémon to escape injury out of the half-dozen or so targets, and it also finished Seaking off.

"Dis ain't goin' as well as it could," Meowth winced.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ice punch!"<em>

There was a sound like a beautiful crystal sculpture hitting a bouncy castle.

"_Night Slash!"_

This one sounded like an exquisite katana being driven into a large blancmange.

"_Icicle Crash!"_

Wobbuffet rocked backwards as the attack hit, then rocked forwards again and released a pulse of energy which struck Weavile and made him wince. _"N-ice try, there, but not good enough! Want to go for the double hit?"_

"_Punishment!"_

"_Yes, I do a lot of them, don't I?"_ Wobbuffet agreed, unfazed.

"_Shut up! X-Scissor!"_

"_I prefer my scissors to still be intact!"_ The patient punster returned this attack as well, grinning all the while. _"And that's nothing to Sneasel at!"_

Weavile looked like he might be about to have some kind of breakdown. Snarling, he formed shadow claws and slashed them across Wobbuffet's face.

Then got hit by the Counter of _that_, too.

* * *

><p>Misty spoke softly. "How long can you keep this up?"<p>

Stantler turned to her, bereft of his usual Soothe Bell to avoid the betraying jingle. _"Quite a long time, as long as it doesn't get attacked."_

"Right," Misty nodded, again softly. "Did you put us anywhere?"

"_I made you run into the trees,"_ Stantler supplied, turning back to watch the air over the lake and concentrating – directing an illusion of Celebi dodging and weaving around the Venomoth. _"And I made my double crawl into the undergrowth before he vanished."_

"You're getting really good at this," Brock said, approvingly, and Stantler smiled.

Misty pointed. "Hey – look! To the south!"

Brock, Sammy, Stantler and Celebi turned to follow her finger.

A tiny line of white, visible in the bright blue sky overhead. And, in the centre of it, a cream-brown dot...

"That's Pidgeot," Misty identified. "That means-"

"It's Ash!" Brock said, just about remembering not to raise his voice.

"Who?" Sammy asked.

"Ash Ketchum," Misty clarified. "He's our friend – he wasn't here when you came back, but I phoned him to let him know to get here fast. He's a really strong trainer, and-"

Pidgeot arrived. Her white air-control wings beat once, moving a huge volume of air, and a Gust attack so strong it was visible blasted out along her line of attack. It reached the spider-walker moments before she did, making it stagger, and then the remnants of her sonic boom slammed into it moments later.

* * *

><p>As Pidgeot shed speed, pulling up into a wingover, Ash let himself fall clear of her back. He twisted himself in the air as he fell, aiming to land on his feet somewhere clear, and a branch of Pidgeot's tailwind carried him to the ground a little faster and more smoothly than he would have managed alone.<p>

"_You love making an entrance, don't you?"_ Pikachu quipped, jumping from his shoulder and building his first electrical charge. As he did so, Ash grabbed two Pokéballs and released Bayleef and Lucario, then another two which produced Primeape and Muk.

For now, the Legendaries would be his reserve. He didn't want the Marauder to know they were around.

"Guys!" Ash called, taking in the situation. "Try and get his Pokémon! Then focus on the tank!"

Pikachu opened the hostilities by charging a Thunderbolt, and then fired it off at the Tyranitar. Unlike its earlier evolutions, Tyranitar was not immune to Electric attacks, and the hit made it turn slightly to examine the new arrivals.

* * *

><p>Ninetales' latest illusion dissolved as Houndoom bit into it, and then shook his head like he was worrying at a Ratatta.<p>

That done, he looked around, sniffing, and followed the scent.

"_Any plans?"_ Growlie asked, keeping his voice down.

"_I lure him, you hit him,"_ Ninetales summarized. _"You're the one with a Fighting move, it's the best we have."_

"_Fair enough,"_ he replied, and nuzzled her briefly. _"Be safe."_

"_He won't get any more than the tips of my fur,"_ she told him – then broke cover, running at an angle to Houndoom's path, and fired a Dark Pulse. It didn't do much to the Dark-type, but it was better than a Fire attack, and he bounded after her with a howl.

Then something blue and black and moving very fast indeed cannoned into his flank, bowling him over. Houndoom rolled over with the force of the impact, came to his feet, and had just enough time to begin to snarl before Lucario kicked him in the chin.

Following up from that blow, he delivered another kick to Houndoom's chest with his other foot, and then kicked off into a handspring which took him out of the way of a retaliatory Flamethrower.

"_Hello,"_ the Fighting-type said, glancing at Ninetales for a fraction of a second. _"Need help?"_

"_It wouldn't go amiss,"_ Ninetales summarized.

Lucario nodded, and blocked a Flamethrower with Protect. It kept coming, though, a continuous rolling stream of fire, and he charged an Aura Sphere with his free hand before throwing it just as he dove aside and let his Protect collapse.

Houndoom began to turn his Flamethrower to follow, then noticed the blue-glowing Aura Sphere, and had to jump out of the way of the attack instead. The Sphere tracked around to follow him, and collided with a fallen log.

The Fire-type snarled at his opponents as the log showered him with splinters, then shot a Dark Pulse at Growlie as his prowling around for an opening revealed him.

That took his attention off Lucario for a moment, and the Fighting type capitalized to the full.

Lucario's muscles bunched up as he channelled Aura to his feet, crouched, and kicked off with startling speed. He wrong-footed Houndoom by going overhead, launched an Aura Sphere as he went past, bounced off a tree and slammed both feet into the canine's rear leg.

Houndoom stumbled forwards as that leg abruptly refused to bear any weight, and Lucario pressed his advantage, ramming home a series of Force Palm strikes and finishing up with a paralyzing Thunderpunch.

"_There,"_ he said, stepping back, and looked around for how else he could help.

* * *

><p>Primeape ran through the undergrowth, focusing Aura into his hands. Compressing it gradually tighter and tighter, building a reserve for the fight to come.<p>

Arriving at the battle, he skidded into a tight turn. His feet produced a huge sweeping wave of water as he turned a complete half-circle running on the lake surface, and launched himself at Tyranitar with fist cocked back.

The saurian Tyranitar growled at him, then went skidding slightly backwards in the lakeshore mud as Primeape's punch hit with a hollow _boom._

Roaring, the Tyranitar switched his attention fully from the Water-types to the irritating Primeape. His foot slammed down in a Stomp, aiming for the Pig Monkey Pokémon, and hit nothing.

Primeape jumped back, skidding along the surface of the lake as though it was an ice rink, and then his feet abruptly dug in and used it for purchase. Water fountained back in recoil as he launched himself forwards.

A Close Combat hit Tyranitar with a hollow boom, sending him rearing backwards again, and he screamed his rage before firing a Hyper Beam.

Primeape grinned beneath his fur.

He raised his right hand, and the Aura in it became a visible bluish-silver layer. Then he scythed it forwards just as the Hyper Beam hit.

The impact sent him crashing backwards several feet, feet sinking several inches into the water surface as his water-walking aura trick began to cut out, and orange energy sparked and crackled off in all directions.

He raised his other hand to supplement it, feeding in more and more energy to his unorthodox form of Focus Energy, and the Hyper Beam continued to push him back and claw at his control.

Then, slowly, the attack dissipated.

Tyranitar panted, staring at the fuzzy Pokémon facing him.

"_Revenge!"_ Primeape shouted, and pounced. His silver-blue right hand, now cloaked in a layer of orange energy from the Hyper Beam, hit with a _BOOM_ which shook the ground as Rage fed into Revenge fed into Primeape's diamond-like control of his own Aura.

The impact knocked Tyranitar backwards again, and he staggered. His tail went out to support him, preventing him from falling over, but it was a near thing.

"_Focus Punch!"_ Primeape added, leaping into the air and pulling back his other fist.

What Primeape hit Tyranitar with was not a Master Blow – but the main way of telling that was that Primeape was not completely exhausted by the devastatingly powerful impact. It produced a series of concentric ripples in the lake centred on the point of impact, and there was a telltale _crack_ which indicated that the punching fist had gone supersonic at the moment of impact.

Tyranitar finally overbalanced from that blow to his chin, teetering backwards and then crashing to the floor like a felled oak.

Panting, Primeape landed back on the water of the lake, and smirked slightly.

* * *

><p>Bayleef exchanged a look with the Scizor facing her.<p>

She remembered this Pokémon from last time this had happened.

Specifically, she remembered that she had _beaten_ him. Despite his being a Steel/Bug type, and her being a relatively recently evolved Grass-type.

"_How long have you been a Scizor?"_ she asked, a little curious.

Scizor blinked. _"About three days,"_ he said, then scowled. _"Hey! Don't try to distract me! X-Scissor!"_

Bayleef's vines whipped out behind her, latching her to a tree, and she pulled herself backwards and out of the way of his close-quarters attack.

She released the vines at the point of greatest extension, drawing them back in, and swirled the leaf on her head as Scizor charged in again.

He was so new to his new body that he didn't know about the greatest advantage a Scizor had... its armour.

"_Petal dance!"_ she called, unleashing a storm of unnaturally sharp cherry blossom.

Scizor blinked, waving it away from his face using his pincer-like claws, and advanced steadily through it. He readied another X-Scissor, and Bayleef's vines lashed out again – forwards this time, past him on either side.

She used them for a sudden burst of forwards acceleration, using her blizzard of petals to hide her position until it was too late, and kicked off his forehead on the way past to disorient him.

Bayleef landed a bit badly, and stumbled as she turned. The potion hadn't properly fixed her up – not really – and she was already feeling the pang of fatigue from earlier.

But she just had to – there!

She'd been focusing her petals on one very specific spot on the armour, scratching away at it again and again. Now she'd gotten through it, and Scizor didn't notice because he was unused to how his new Steel-typing made him so much tougher – the pain, slight as it was, should have been an alarm bell.

Bayleef lashed out with her vines one more time. This time, she put more energy into it than was probably wise, and her Power Whip smashed into the weak spot hard enough to send Scizor flying backwards into a tree.

She panted, but grinned on seeing the small cracks around that weak spot on his armour. She'd got him! The triumph felt good, blowing away her fatigue, and she called up her Petal Dance again to hit him there once more.

Stumbling to his feet, Scizor scowled at her and charged-

And a Flamethrower hit him in the side.

A Charmeleon she recognized as Sammy's waved at her. _"Nice work, Meganium!"_

It was at that point she realized she'd evolved.

"_Huh,"_ she said, glancing down. _"Didn't expect that..."_

* * *

><p>Ash winced as Ivysaur's Leaf Storm attack crashed into the Marauder's Girafarig without any noticeable effect, and then the Psychic-type retaliated with a Psybeam.<p>

"Ivysaur – fall back!" he called. "It must have Sap Sipper! Pikachu, can you handle him?"

Pikachu nodded, running forwards. _"Take this! Volt Ta-"_

Ash spotted the object at the same time Pikachu did – a sliver of a second before it hit.

"Look out!" he shouted, though far, far too late.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

I feel sort of sorry for that Joy... incidentally, this is my way of getting game healing in the anime. Carefully measured potion doses. Less effective, but much quicker.

The Marauder came prepared this time. If nothing else, he's been watching some of those lectures Jessie and James gave.

That's what in our world is an Osprey the Rockets are using, by the way – in this world, of course, it's got a different name.


	74. Voice of the Forest 3

This is the third of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>Pikachu saw the ball coming – just.<p>

By the time it hit, he'd already started to build a charge to fire at it, but didn't have time to launch off even a Thundershock before the phenomenally powerful 'ball pulled him in.

It wasn't like a regular Pokéball. Those were disorienting, but nothing more than that – and Pikachu had heard you got used to that, after a while.

It was a lot more like the dark Pokéballs Mewtwo had used back on New Island – a horrible tugging sensation, seeming to be trying to pull him inside out, and then blackness.

Pikachu started struggling, trying to get back out. He knew regular Pokéballs could be broken open, could this-

And then came the **pain.** All-encompassing, surpassing, omnipresent **pain.**

It seemed to play directly on his nerves, sweeping across in horrible disorienting waves, and Pikachu screamed.

* * *

><p>Ash froze. He couldn't help it.<p>

This was... as bad as it could possibly be.

All over the lakeshore, the fighting stopped for a moment, as everyone – even Vicious' Pokémon – turned to look.

Ash tried to think, to work out what to do to save his best friend, as the sphere of metal crackled with dark lightning and the Marauder caught it in his open palm.

Ash couldn't hear anything. There was a kind of rushing sound in his ears, shock drowning out the outside world.

And at the same time, perversely, he could hear Sir Aaron's voice with crystal clarity.

* * *

><p>"<em>I can see how that would be useful, I guess," Ash said, once Sir Aaron had finished describing the Aura Purge. "But – uh, what did you use it for?"<em>

_The ancient knight winced. "Nasty stuff, this – shadow Pokémon."_

"_Shadow Pokémon?" Ash repeated, frowning. He remembered hearing some news story which mentioned those..._

"_There are two ways they were made, back in my time – both difficult," Sir Aaron went on. "First way is accidental. A Pokémon who's kind of unstable loses a well-loved trainer, and... goes kind of out-of-control. On a rampage."_

_Ash nodded along._

"_When that happened, we had to stop them. This was a... well, basically a safer way – it let the fight take place inside the Shadow Pokémon instead of on the outside. And even if it didn't work, it gave people time." Sir Aaron shrugged. "Anything you can get."_

_He rolled his shoulders. "The second way is... deliberate. Capture a Pokémon, stop it escaping – doesn't matter how – and torture it until it breaks."_

_Sir Aaron's expression turned sombre. "I've seen the results. They're more dangerous than the first kind, because they follow orders – of the one who made them what they are."_

* * *

><p>"Pikachu..." Ash whispered. Spots swam in front of his eyes, and he took a sudden breath. "Pikachu!"<p>

* * *

><p>Vicious smiled as the Dark Ball's indicator lit up, signifying the process was completed.<p>

_Excellent._

Those idiots in the tiltrotor trying to stop him _had_ been helpful, in a way. When the boy had shown up, he'd known exactly which was his most dangerous Pokémon.

And now that immensely capable Pikachu was _his._ Possibly his greatest weapon, even _if_ he managed to capture Celebi...

Seeing the young trainer beginning to run forwards, Vicious opened the 'ball, releasing _his_ new Pikachu.

It was almost the same as it had been – a fairly typical Electric Mouse in appearance, though there were those strange cheek pouches... but the eyes told the story. They were full of rage, but behind that... emptiness.

"Pikachu!" Vicious said, pointing. "Thunderbolt that boy!"

"Chuu!"

A smirk played over the Marauder's features, as the bolt of electricity slammed into Ash Ketchum just as he jumped to try and get on the tank. It hit with devastating force, blowing the boy backwards through the air and sending him crashing through the upper canopy and out of sight.

"Excellent!" Vicious laughed. "Now – Pikachu, destroy anyone who dares to try and attack me!"

Vicious savoured the results. The first electrical attack that resulted speared out across the lake, hit the V-22 Talonflame that had been firing on his tank, and blew off a rotor.

The second one took a second longer to charge, and blasted off into the sky – and, two seconds later, a Pidgeot crashed into the lake in a huge plume of spray.

Vicious laughed. "Excellent!"

Then he noticed his Dark Venomoth looking confused. Hadn't it been fighting the Celebi?

The answer quickly presented itself. There was a small knot of people on the lakeshore – with Celebi cradled against the chest of another boy, and a Stantler standing next to them looking as shocked as the rest of them.

Vicious got the attention of the Venomoth, and nodded towards the group on the lakeshore.

* * *

><p>"Ash! Pikachu!" Brock shouted, as the dreadful events unfolded.<p>

They'd all forgotten about how the Dark Balls worked. Of course, the friends had known they needed to keep Celebi away from the Marauder – but the idea that he might try to capture _any_ Pokémon was something they hadn't expected.

Pidgeot crashed into the lake a few hundred yards out, electricity crackling across her feathers.

"How did-" Misty began, then stopped herself. "Of course – Dark Balls force the Pokémon to use all the power they have..."

"And Pikachu's always been trying not to hurt his friends," Brock added softly.

Sammy gaped. "That's... horrible!"

Brock patted him on the shoulder. "We'll-"

He paused, and looked back towards the lake.

No fake Celebi dodging overhead.

"Stantler – is your illusion still up?" he asked, a horrible suspicion forming.

"_I – no!"_ Stantler's antlers started to glow, as he hurriedly rebuilt the cloaking illusion. _"Sorry, Brock, I-"_

A beam of red energy flashed towards the group. It played across Stantler, Brock and Sammy, before focusing in on Celebi and intensifying into an overcharged Signal Beam.

Celebi cried out, trying to form a shield, which held for a moment before breaking under the strain of the Bug attack.

"Celebi!" Sammy said, moving to shield her. The Venomoth swooped overhead, keeping her in his sights for several seconds before ending the attack.

There was another ear-punishing thunderclap as Pikachu blasted Lucario backwards.

Celebi started to glow. Eyes widening, she struggled against the psychic energy gripping her, and then it pulled her out of Sammy's arms and towards the Marauder and his machine.

"The Girafarig!" Misty realized – stupid! They'd forgotten to stop it!

Togekiss arrived back overhead, blew the Venomoth out of the sky with Sacred Fire, and then turned to watch with the rest of them.

Vicious was already pulling out his next Dark Ball.

* * *

><p>Ash shook his head, trying to gather his senses.<p>

Taking a breath, he opened his eyes and saw he was lying in a pile of broken branches and leaves.

A _crash_ of thunder from some way off jogged his memory, and he started with a jolt. "Pikachu – no..."

His belt flashed.

"_Ash!"_ Keldeo said, helping him up. _"What happened? We heard you shout, but there was too much noise."_

"It was the Marauder," Ash said, catching his breath. "He – he used a Dark Ball on Pikachu. I think – if they work like Sir Aaron said Shadow Pokémon were made, it means he's been tortured."

Swallowing, Ash glanced between the two Water-types. "I... he's not okay, and that..."

He rubbed tears from his eyes. "Sorry, I – he's been with me for years, and..."

Suicune stepped forwards, her muzzle touching his dangling left hand. _"Ash,"_ she said, _"We will save him. That is a promise."_

Ash nodded, swallowing again. "Thanks – yeah, thanks."

The young trainer clenched his fists, breathing more steadily now. "Right. Let's go save him."

Keldeo stamped a hoof, flashing over into Resolute form. _"Yeah!"_

Ash glanced between them. "Only... we need to work out what we're going to do. That tank of his is really tough, and we've got to get past Pikachu – and both of you are Water-types."

He took the final Pokéball at his belt, and opened it. "Quilava – we're probably going to need you to be a distraction."

"_I'd guessed," _Quilava said, nodding calmly. _"I'm not weak to Electricity, so I'm the best choice."_

Ash smiled at her, and she pretended not to notice the tears in his eyes. "Thanks, Quilava."

"As for you two – here." Ash pulled three large Wacan berries from his pack. "They should help with Electrical attacks for a few minutes."

Suicune took one in her mouth, and avoided biting into it for now. Keldeo did the same, and Ash took a quick mouthful of the third.

"They don't work as well for humans," he said around the mouthful, "but they do last a bit longer. Right..."

He looked between the three Pokémon. "Let's go."

There was another crackle-BOOM as they set off, further underscoring the situation.

* * *

><p>"He got Celebi, too," Ash said, noticing the huge floating construct of wood as Celebi pulled it together from the nearby trees. "This isn't good..."<p>

"_What do we do?"_ Keldeo asked, glancing back and forth between Ash and the construct.

"Well..." Ash shrugged helplessly. "Last time, it took Sammy – he's Professor Oak's younger self, brought forwards in time... anyway, Sammy and I were able to convince Celebi to snap out of it."

"_What first?"_ Suicune asked.

Ash frowned. "I think... Keldeo, Quilava, can you keep them busy?"

Keldeo paused, then nodded firmly. _"I can try!"_

"Right. Suicune – we should pick up Sammy, Celebi knows him this time too."

Suicune nodded, and knelt for Ash to get on. As she straightened, she looked at the two Pokémon who were now her teammates. _"Good luck, you two."_

They nodded their thanks, then ran out into the open.

* * *

><p>"<em>Why! Won't! You! Shut! Up!"<em> Weavile ranted, slashing both sets of claws forwards in an X-Scissor.

Wobbuffet bounced backwards, halted for a moment nearly parallel to the ground, then came back and cracked Weavile on the chin with stunning force. _"Because I'm one tough cookie!"_

Weavile paused, thrown, and half-lowered the set of glowing claws he'd been about to use for a Fury Swipes. _"That's not... a pun..."_

"_Actually, it is,"_ Wobbuffet said, with a fixed grin. _"It's called dramatic irony."_

"_Hello,"_ a thick, gloopy voice added behind the Ice/Dark type.

Weavile turned, and saw a Muk.

"_Maybe you'll be easier to handle, then!"_ he said, raising his claws again. _"Icicle-"_

Muk opened his mouth, and then all Weavile knew was pain.

* * *

><p>Suicune halted in front of Ash's friends, and Ash swung down.<p>

"Ash!" Brock said. "Are you all right?"

"What do you think?" Ash snapped, then shook his head. "No, I... sorry, Brock. No, I'm not – that's my _starter_ over there!"

There was an explosion of electricity and water, and he glanced back. Seeing Keldeo using his Sacred Sword to block an escalating series of thunderbolts, he winced.

"What do you need us to do, Ash?" Misty asked.

"Do you have any Pokémon left?" Ash began, then rubbed his temples. "No, silly question – I can see Togekiss and Stantler, and all the rest are out there either knocked out or fighting."

"_I can help,"_ Togekiss volunteered.

"No, keep Misty and Brock safe," Ash told her. "As for – Sammy, right?"

Sammy blinked. "How do you-"

"That doesn't matter right now," Ash interrupted. "Celebi knows you. She trusts you, and so we're going to need your help to save her. Climb on!"

* * *

><p>Professor Oak blinked.<p>

He looked around, wondering what could have caused the sudden attack of nausea. It felt like he'd stood up too quickly – everything went fuzzy for a moment.

Shrugging it off, he returned to the email he was reading. It was Gary's latest about the two Mega Stones he'd managed to acquire so far, and the similarities and differences between their properties.

Interesting reading, though the Professor still awaited the day he could study the transformation in person.

A few paragraphs later, he had a second inexplicable feeling of... the world, shifting under his feet. A bit like a ship in a storm, when the cargo in the hold slid from one side to the other, and the comfortable patterns you hadn't even noticed in how the ship rolled and pitched were suddenly gone.

* * *

><p>Vicious laughed, as his new base was formed out of vines and roots and branches.<p>

The Pikachu was nice – very helpful, even now it was blasting away at a Ninetales which had been positioning to blast him – but _Celebi_, now, that was the true prize.

With such a powerful Pokémon under his command, he could remake Team Rocket in his own image!

Speaking of Team Rocket, those irritating enforcers seemed to have survived for now. There were two large parachutes draped over a tree near where their Talonflame tiltrotor had gone down.

Pity.

Another crash of electrical energy drew his attention. The Pikachu was firing at...

At...

Vicious didn't actually know _what_ it was. It looked a little like a Rapidash, or perhaps a Ponyta, with a shaggy red mane... but the rest of its colours were entirely different, and it didn't _look_ like a Fire-type.

It also had a huge glowing blade extending from its forehead, and was using it to parry the electrical attacks Pikachu was putting out. Which was – impressive.

And discomfiting. Perhaps he would need to make that Celebi's first target.

As he thought that, an orange blur drove directly at him. It got close, then bounced off the shields, and he grinned as the blur slowed and revealed itself to be the Aura adept's Quilava.

That was probably about it for Pokémon, then. If he was using the Quilava, then that meant the biggest threat of all – the Charizard – was unavailable.

_Excellent._

Vicious clenched his fist in triumph as an attack finally made it through to the strange equine Pokémon. He flinched as the electricity played over him, then rallied, and jumped out of the way of the follow-up attack and began sprinting around the tank faster than Pikachu could turn.

The Marauder blinked. Was that Pokémon shooting _water_ from its _hooves?_

Very strange.

But, as his gaze followed the sprinting Pokémon, he spotted something else.

Back over with the boy who had tried to save the Celebi, there was the Aura adept – and a _Suicune._

Where the Darkrai had _that_ come from?

As he wondered, there was a sudden – and very final – _clunk_ from the body of his walking tank. It shivered, seized up, and the shield powered down.

Vicious winced. That took away his protection.

"Celebi!" he shouted. "Bring me up to my new base!"

Celebi's psychic grip reached out, took Vicious, and pulled him off the war machine just before it collapsed.

* * *

><p>Cubone grinned behind her mask, triumphant.<p>

It had taken a while, but she'd finally managed to hammer her way through to something vital.

Crawling back out of the hole she'd made, her first sight was Pikachu standing there with his cheeks crackling.

"_Hi,"_ she said. _"Any idea where Jessie and James are?"_

Pikachu gave her a dispassionate look, then blasted her with a Thunderbolt.

Cubone waited until it had finished, then gave him a puzzled glance. _"Why? Sure, I've got Lightningrod, that's not going to hurt me... but why blast me at all?"_

Pikachu frowned slightly, then jumped forwards at her with his palm glowing. Startled, Cubone barely formed a Shieldon-derived shield in time to block.

Then the Girafarig hit her with an intense Solarbeam.

* * *

><p>Muscles bunching, Suicune ran towards the giant plant construct.<p>

As she approached, though, a bolt of lightning crashed her way from the wreckage of the tank. It fouled her approach, and she had to break away.

Her second attempt met much the same fate, despite a wall of water that her tailwind whipped up alongside her. Pikachu's powerful Electric attack punched straight through the shield, and nearly hit her even though her position was obscured by the wave.

"Suicune!" Ash shouted, bent over to avoid the wind. "This isn't working! We're going to have to stop Pikachu first!"

Suicune nodded – she could see the logic. _"Got it."_

This time, when she made her run, she turned aside the moment the lightning bolt started. Producing a gigantic wave as she cornered at half the speed of sound, she dove in towards the wrecked tank preceded by a swirling cold wind.

As they closed in, Keldeo lunged forwards. He spun on two hooves, directing his fore left hoof at Pikachu, and blasting him with a stream of water mirrored by one coming out of his rear hoof for balance.

Pikachu took the obvious counter-attack, firing lightning at the jet, and Keldeo cut it off just before the Thunderbolt could have used it as a conduit to electrocute him.

Though it did almost no damage, the jet of water did physically knock Pikachu backwards. His slashing follow-up blow took just a bit longer to prepare than it would otherwise have done, and so Keldeo was able to block it with his Secret Sword before volleying in a Focus Blast – at the Girafarig.

Blindsided, the Psychic/Normal Pokémon was knocked out by the powerful attack, and his Solarbeam went unfired.

Despite this, however, Suicune and her passengers did not get a clear run in. Pikachu sensed their approach, whether by sound or by feeling the breeze on his back, and slashed out another Thunderbolt.

Suicune winced as it blazed into her forelegs, hampering her and making her lose speed. She jumped over the next attack, and shot an Ice Beam back at Pikachu which collided with the follow-up Zap Cannon.

The resultant explosion blew Ash and Sammy off her back.

The moment she landed, Suicune located the still-falling Sammy. Bursting into motion again, she managed to catch him before he hit the beach.

Ash landed in a crouch, having had enough time to stabilize himself in mid-air.

"What now?" Sammy asked, looking between the three remaining Pokémon.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked warningly, and Ash stepped forwards between him and Suicune.

"Pikachu!" he said, voice raw. "Stop! Please!"

* * *

><p>Ash had eyes only for Pikachu, desperately trying to see if he was getting to his first Pokémon. "Pikachu! I – don't listen to him!"<p>

Those horribly blank eyes were unmoved. Then they tightened, just slightly, and Ash got a Protect up just in time to avoid the Thunderbolt hitting him.

Keldeo started to move forwards, and Ash shook his head slightly. "Wait."

"_But Ash, if you keep this up then-"_

"I said _wait_, Keldeo!" Ash repeated, and the pain in his voice stopped Keldeo more than the first direct order Ash had given him.

The Colt Pokémon stopped moving, setting his feet ready to spring forwards if he had to but not doing so for now, and Ash exhaled.

"Pikachu," Ash began, trying to find something – anything – that might get through to the Electric-type. "Remember when we met, Pikachu?"

Pikachu fired another Thunderbolt, and this time Ash didn't block it.

"_Ash!"_ Keldeo shouted as the attack hit. _"Suicune, we have to-"_

"_Look!"_ Suicune said, nodding sharply, and Keldeo followed her gaze.

Ash was still standing. A bit of residual electricity crackled between his fingers, and he forced a chuckle.

"Yeah, that's... pretty much how we met," he said, sounding like he was surprising himself with how he sounded. "Man, but you couldn't stop shocking me..."

Another Thunderbolt came in. Again, Ash didn't stop it with a Protect.

"You shocked me, you shocked Professor Oak, you shocked half the town, and you certainly didn't shock any Pokémon," Ash went on, doggedly, and missed the little gasp from Sammy. "Not ones I told you to, anyway. But... I don't know quite how, but we got to know each other."

Pikachu blinked, frowning, and then launched forwards another Electric attack. This one was less powerful than the previous one, though, and his eyes were no longer blank and dead – instead, full of a deep confusion.

"There are three things I learned about you, Pikachu," Ash said. "Firstly, you're one stubborn Pokémon, and nothing will stop you for long. Secondly, you're the best friend any boy could have. And third – you hate Pokéballs."

_That_ prompted a reaction. Pikachu flinched, and electricity crackled between his cheeks and ears. None of it came forwards in an attack, though.

Ash crouched down, rummaging in his pouch, and pulled out a lightning-marked Pokéball. "This is yours, Pikachu. I've never used it, not that I can remember, but I still kept it around for some reason..."

Pikachu stared at it, and his hackles started to rise.

Ash expanded it out, and then rolled it gently forwards – with nowhere near enough force to actually reach Pikachu. It went forwards, slowly trundling across the ground, then hit a stone and stopped about halfway between them. "Do what you want with it."

None of the spectators was daring to breathe.

Pikachu blinked, slowly, and looked again at the ball. His cheeks crackled, as he built up a charge... then it dissipated.

Confusion rose into his face, several half-formed emotions fighting for dominance. "Pi...ka?"

"It's yours," Ash repeated. "Destroy it if you want. We're friends anyway, it doesn't matter what some ball says."

Again Pikachu built up the charge for an attack, and again he let it die away. He took a hesitant step forwards, then his face scrunched up in pain and he clutched his head.

* * *

><p>"There!" Vicious pointed.<p>

Celebi complied, and fired a powerful blast of Psychic energy at the forest.

There was a huge explosion, and bits of tree and earth went everywhere. His corrupted Skarmory was buffeted by the blast, but continued doggedly obeying orders.

Vicious squinted through the smoke, looking for a sign of the irritating duo who had done such damage to his plans.

"Looks like you missed them again, Celebi," he said, and chuckled. "No matter. They've got to be in here somewhere. Attack again! There this time!"

"Biiiiii!" Celebi intoned, and another Psychic attack started to charge.

A crackling sound caught his attention. "Eh?"

Looking down at his collar, he saw one of the dark balls was crackling with eerie violet energy.

Expanding it out, he examined it.

"What's causing this?" he asked. "Why is it – that can't be normal, that's how it normally acts when it's catching a Pokémon!"

* * *

><p>Pikachu cried out in pain, dark energy crackling over him.<p>

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, running forwards. "Are you alright?"

He hit Pikachu's Pokéball with his foot in his haste, and it bounced across the muddy lakeside to skid to a halt near the knocked-out Cubone.

Reaching Pikachu, Ash picked him up – heedless of the dark energy skirling around him – and hugged him to his chest. "Please be okay, Pikachu..."

"Pika..." Pikachu reacted on instinct, and returned the embrace.

Ash was here. It would all be fine.

Ash felt tears soak into his jacket, and hugged tighter.

After a few seconds, a weak voice reached him. _"Ash... thank you. For everything."_

* * *

><p>"Ah!" Vicious shouted, as the Dark Ball exploded in a flash of light and smoke.<p>

Stumbling slightly, he looked down at the remaining five. Tyranitar, Venomoth, Houndoom, Skarmory – all still there, though three were marking their linked Pokémon as unconscious and even as he watched the fourth joined it.

Too close to one too many of Celebi's Psychic attacks.

Celebi was, self-evidently, still there... so that meant...

Vicious clenched his fist, looking back towards the site his tank had been.

How had they _done_ that? Even when a Pokémon _died_, the ball just lost the connection!

Squinting, he just about made out the boy, the Suicune, and that other Pokémon.

And a tiny little yellow dot.

* * *

><p>"I'm so glad you're okay, Pikachu," Ash said, voice raw. Tears dripped freely down his cheeks. "I thought I'd lost you."<p>

"_I'm so sorry I hurt you, Ash,"_ Pikachu said. His voice fell over itself in the attempt to apologize. _"And I'm sorry I hurt everyone-"_

"It wasn't your fault, Pikachu," Ash interrupted. "It's no-one's fault except his."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked.

Suicune cleared her throat. _"I am very glad indeed to have you back, Pikachu,"_ she said, in a steady voice. _"But we have unfinished business with the Iron Masked Marauder."_

Keldeo nodded. _"Yeah – he's going to pay for hurting my friend!"_

Pikachu looked between them, still clinging to Ash's shirt, and smiled wanly. _"Thanks, guys."_

Ash glanced over to make sure Sammy was still there, and then swung aboard Suicune – being careful not to jostle Pikachu. "Come on – we've got to stop him!"

Sammy nodded uncertainly. "Uh... okay – look, did you just say Professor _Oak?_ Because that's my-"

Suicune started running across the water, heading for the root-and-branch construct, and Keldeo followed alongside.

Ash looked back. "It's a long story!" he shouted. "Really long!"

Sammy nodded again, still frowning. "Because I know we're forty years in the future, and you knew my name, and-"

A pulse of distortion came out from the huge floating simulacrum, interrupting him and making all five – person and Pokémon alike – grimace with pain.

"_I'll help!"_ Togekiss announced, matching speed with them.

"Togekiss?" Ash asked. "I thought you were keeping Misty and the others safe!"

"_His Skarmory went down a minute ago – I saw it! Now you guys are the only ones who need protecting!"_

Another pulse of distortion.

* * *

><p>"Celebi!" the Marauder snapped. "Stop them – by any means necessary!"<p>

Celebi was the Time Travel Pokémon.

Her eyes glowed as she summoned up the energy for a targeted time jump to throw them into the distant future – making them no longer any sort of a threat.

* * *

><p>"Ash?" Sammy asked. "Am <em>I<em> Professor Oak?"

* * *

><p>Time finally had enough.<p>

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

This was tricky to write.

I hope I pulled it off well.


	75. Voice of the Forest 4

This is the fourth of four chapters today.

* * *

><p>A globe of crackling energy blossomed out from Celebi. It engulfed her, Vicious, the entire construct, a saucer-shaped portion of the Lake of Life, Ash, Sammy, Pikachu, Togekiss, Keldeo and Suicune.<p>

And then vanished with a thunderclap.

* * *

><p>Suicune's steps slowed, as she and all the rest of them looked around at what had abruptly replaced the shoreline of the Lake of Life.<p>

In all directions, swirling white nothingness was all that could be seen. The water they were stood on or floating over extended about forty metres behind them, and seemed to be in a rough circle around the construct. Aside from that, there was very little else.

"What just-" Ash began, then stopped – unable to find the words.

"This is like when Celebi brought me forwards," Sammy said, looking around. "But that only took a couple of seconds."

"_Ash?"_ Suicune asked. _"Is Sammy right – is he the young Professor Oak?"_

"Yes, he is," Ash confirmed.

"_Then I think we just came unstuck in time. Celebi, and all of us. There were too many contradictions – for one, I know I was not your Pokémon the previous time, and the difference postdates Sammy's original time."_

"Right." Ash nodded. "I guess that makes as much sense as anything."

"What does?" Sammy asked. "I couldn't understand what Suicune said-"

The world shifted.

Suddenly, rather than swirling white energy, there was something else. A time and a place.

The stump of a burned tower, crackling with the remnants of the fire which had destroyed it.

Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon, hunched over the ruins – feathers glowing, as he poured energy into the ruins.

Suicune gaped. _"That is... where I was born."_

As she said that, three shapes – blue, yellow and red – walked slowly out of the ruins and stood before Ho-Oh.

Then the scene dissolved, going back to the swirling white.

"That was where and when you were created?" Ash repeated. "A hundred years ago?"

Suicune nodded.

The sound of shifting plant material reminded them where they were, and both Water-types jumped aside in different directions before Celebi's attack hit.

"Climb onto the plants!" Ash instructed. "She can't hit us there so easily – then we can try to reach Celebi!"

As he said that, there was a flash of something else outside. Just for a moment, Ash saw himself – lifting a trophy he'd never seen before.

Pikachu had seen it too. _"Was that the future?"_

"I have no idea," Ash confided, clinging on as Suicune sprinted towards the plant construct and then jumped on board.

Vines came crackling out of the woody leg, trying to ensnare her with a Grass Knot, and she avoided them with difficulty.

"_I'll help,"_ Pikachu said, taking a deep breath. He jumped down, landing next to Suicune, and used Iron Tail to hack at the reaching vines.

Just as he did, there was another flicker in the walls of the bubble. A Pichu, flashing white and evolving to Pikachu.

* * *

><p>Sammy clung on to Suicune, trying to get his head around all the shocks that had happened today.<p>

He would become a Pokémon professor?

This boy – Ash – had known him as a grown-up?

Then there were all the _Pokémon_ Ash had. Sammy knew vaguely what a Suicune was, but had never even heard of this _Keldeo_ – and he knew a Pikachu, or a Pichu, wasn't the normal starter, so that was unusual too.

The thought of starters brought a sudden stab of fear. _Charmeleon!_

Where was _his_ starter? He'd gone off to fight the Scizor, but hadn't appeared again – was he okay?

After a moment, Sammy realized that was probably not the issue here. Charmeleon could look after himself, especially against a Scizor.

Suicune blasted ahead of them with a Bubblebeam, knocking some kind of construct-thorn down. Glancing across at the other leg, Sammy also saw the white flying Pokémon – Togekiss? – helping Keldeo scale that one.

The wall shimmered again, and another image appeared. A young brown-haired man – Sammy wasn't sure of his age – triumphantly lifting the Indigo League trophy, with a Dragonair and an Arcanine either side of him.

The image was gone in a flash, and Sammy tried to work out what it meant.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ha! Take that!"<em>

Keldeo's sword flashed, cutting away roots and branches which impaired his progress, and he took a single precious step forwards before they became too thick again.

Next to him, Togekiss frowned, exerting Extrasensory on the vines below and behind him to make sure they didn't grow back.

This was taking a long time, but they were still managing it. They'd make it to the top, it would only be a matter of time!

Then Togekiss gasped.

"_What?"_ Keldeo asked, sweeping his horn and its blade along the surface of the leg they were climbing to cut away at new growth.

He looked, and blinked.

Two Togetic were tending the eggs in their nest, and then an earthquake struck. It produced an avalanche of rock and dirt, knocking one of the eggs free, and carrying it down the cliff side.

As it bounced and rolled, an Aerodactyl swooped down to try and grab it. Before it did, though, one of the rocks hit it and stunned it.

Going limp, the Aerodactyl fell into the stream of rock alongside the egg.

After a surprisingly short length of time, the avalanche crashed into the sea below. It buried a couple of Omastar and Kabutops, and then subsided – egg, Aerodactyl, Kabutops and Omastar all gone under the pile of rock.

Then the whole scene vanished again.

"_What was-"_ Keldeo began, then felt the vines on his hooves. _"Gah!"_

He pulled his left forehoof up to his horn and used the shimmering blade to cut the vines attempting to gain purchase.

For her part, Togekiss was somewhat subdued. _"I think... that was my egg, Keldeo. Back when it got buried."_

Keldeo frowned. _"You'd know more than I-"_

Another flash of other-time. This time, it was-

"_That's me!"_ Keldeo gaped. _"Me fighting Kyurem!"_

And, in the distance, there were the other Swords of Justice, frozen in ice.

But... how could that...

* * *

><p>"Who's that?" Ash asked, seeing Suicune fighting a young man wearing dirt-stained overalls. As he watched, Suicune summoned a wave of water to knock a Ferrothorn backwards, and the man promptly released a Tropius which took to the sky.<p>

"That's Malcom!" Sammy said, jaw dropping. "He's the newest member of the Elite Four!"

"This is giving me a headache," Ash said, as Suicune forced herself forwards another step. "Is Celebi directing this?"

"_I don't think anyone is,"_ Suicune replied. _"If Celebi were controlling it, then it would have already dropped us somewhere we would be at a grave disadvantage."_

* * *

><p>Vicious snarled, stumbling slightly as the construct shook.<p>

Celebi had done... something, and now they were... somewhere.

He _hated_ not knowing. Not being in control.

"Celebi!" he shouted. "Stop this!"

Celebi responded, but it didn't seem to help. The white-grey surrounds swirled once more, and then shifted – showing a young boy starting out on his Pokémon journey.

Vicious blinked. Expensive shirt, well shined shoes, five empty Ultra Balls on his belt... and a Meowth, walking alongside him.

Was that-

Then the image vanished, snatched away by the swirling timestream, and there was a sound of audible sharpness as the equine Pokémon hit something with that horn of his.

The Marauder wondered briefly if he could un-key one of his four remaining useless Dark Balls and then capture the Suicune, or this other Pokémon... or perhaps Pikachu again.

Actually – how long would that take? Not very long.

He was about to begin, when the mists of time parted again and revealed a very familiar scene.

A young boy who Vicious recognized, training his Croconaw by a riverside.

"Stupid oaf!" the boy shouted, kicking the Water-type. "What good are you?"

Vicious' mouth moved along with the words as he remembered.

"If I tell you to use Surf, you do it! Fainting isn't an option! You cost us that gym badge!"

Croconaw growled something, flinching back, then – pushed beyond endurance – dove into the river and swam away.

"No!" the young trainer shouted. "Come back! I'm Victor, your trainer! I order you to come back!"

As he reached for the Pokéball, a beam of ice hit it. The Pokéball bounced to the ground and smashed.

Turning over on his front once the Ice Beam had connected, the Croconaw swam downstream – free.

"Celebi!" Vicious shouted, as the scene disappeared. "Why did you do that? Why remind me of it?"

Celebi gave no reply.

Irritated, he got to work on the Dark balls – unkeying them from the Pokémon he'd stolen from Team Rocket.

* * *

><p>In the workroom of Kurt, Pokéball maker for over fifty years, a shelf shook.<p>

The gold-and-silver GS ball trembled, then fell off the shelf and vanished before it hit the floor.

* * *

><p>Ash wobbled, nearly thrown off Suicune's back. "Suicune – can you get much further?"<p>

She growled, biting at the latest vines twining around her legs.

"_I might be stuck," _she said, after spitting that one out. _"I'm too big – the vines are getting too dense. Go and make sure Celebi's okay, the two of you!"_

"Sammy," Ash said, turning to the boy. "Celebi knows you. You need to go and make sure she's safe – that she remembers you."

"What about you?" Sammy asked.

"I'm going after Vicious," Ash replied. He tugged on his gloves, and Aura skirled around them for a moment. "People _don't_ hurt my friends."

"_Are you going to be okay, Ash?"_ Pikachu asked.

"I'll be fine-" Ash began.

The background twisted, images and places swirling, and then stabilized – Pallet town.

"_Look!"_ Pikachu called, pointing. _"That's Molly! This must be – well, just about now!"_

As he spoke, Molly frowned and looked up. She said something, and her Eevee nodded, then came running towards them.

There was a confusing moment of discontinuity, and then Pallet Town vanished again.

But a green shape did not. It phased briefly into the water at the bottom of the time bubble, then reached the leg of the construct, and became a green-brown blur which ran up the leg in seconds.

Molly's Leafeon slowed as it reached them. _"Ash!"_

Ash blinked. "How did you get here?"

"_I don't know!"_ Leafeon replied. _"But Molly told me to help you, and pointed – so I came here!"_

Her tail glowed a bright green and flicked back and forth, and the vines constricting Suicune fell apart – though a moment later more began to replace them.

"_Go with Ash!"_ Suicune told her, mouth glowing with a charging Ice Beam. _"Keep him and Pikachu safe!"_

Leafeon nodded, and ran around to in front of Ash. With a brief flare of light, she switched to brown-and-yellow Flareon, and burned a path through the vines.

"_Come on!"_ she called.

* * *

><p>"Celebi's just through there," Ash said, pointing.<p>

"Right," Sammy replied, looking nervous. "Uh... good luck, I guess, Ash."

"Thanks, Sammy," Ash said. "You too."

That said, he jumped, and caught some of the relatively thick vines. Flareon switched to Espeon, using her psychic powers to help pull herself up, and Pikachu grabbed onto the vines himself.

It wasn't actually a very hard climb – not for the fit Ash, anyway. There were so many vines that there was always a handhold right where it would be most convenient, and it seemed like Celebi's active plant manipulation was still focused on the two Water legendaries.

Grunting, Ash hauled himself up another body length, then looked around as the world changed again.

This time, it was-

Ash recognized him instantly. _Sir Aaron!_ Talking to Lucario, then sealing him in the staff, and walking slowly towards the Tree of Beginning.

The sight filled Ash with determination. Sir Aaron had given up his life for his beliefs, and still found a way to help others.

* * *

><p>Espeon staggered in the air as the construct moved, smashing into her and throwing her some distance away.<p>

With difficulty, she levitated back to the side of the construct, and decided to shift forms.

Several were an option, but she went Jolteon on instinct. Speed was important here.

Jolteon landed on the curving side of the construct, digging her claws in for grip, and clambered up to Ash and Pikachu as they approached the top.

At that point, there was another of those time-distortions.

She saw a damaged Pokémon stadium floor – indoors with no stands, so probably a gym – and Ash and a Riolu standing over Pikachu, doing something to him.

A tiny spark leaped off Pikachu, passed into the time bubble, and crackled home in her green fur.

_Huh._

Not entirely sure what had just happened, she resumed her upwards climb.

In the gym, Pikachu's cheeks flickered between orange and red, then settled on red.

* * *

><p>Sammy clambered through the browned, intertwined roots and branches, heading for Celebi.<p>

This close to the core, they were mostly dried and inactive – making it less difficult for him to get through, as they weren't trying to grab hold of him.

"Celebi!" he called, as he caught sight of her – then blinked, seeing what was _past_ Celebi in the open air of the... time bubble, he guessed.

The same young man who'd won the Indigo League, in the earlier flash. Now several years older, coming down to land with a Dragonite.

As he swung off its back, a man in surgical clothes came out of the building he was landing next to, holding a white cloth-wrapped bundle.

The unknown champion took the bundle, cradling it in his hands, and smiled warmly.

"See, Dragonite?" Sammy heard, very faintly. "Isn't he such a lovely little boy?"

Then the image vanished again.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wait – was that Professor Oak?"<em> Togekiss asked, then returned her attention to the construct. An Air Slash cleared some roots from around Keldeo's feet, and he nodded his thanks before advancing another step and slicing with his Sacred Sword.

"_I don't know what he looks like, not very well,"_ Keldeo replied. _"I only met him once – and he looked different. Older."_

He caught sight of the next scene as it appeared, and stopped dead.

"_What..."_ he whispered, jaw dropping.

Togekiss followed his gaze, and saw-

A very young Keldeo, cantering along behind Terrakion. Virizion running behind him, pushing him when he slowed or stumbled.

Cobalion, sword drawn, covering their retreat.

Two _older_ Keldeo, some distance away and the other side of a hill, charging forwards against an enormous white shape shrouded in incandescent fire.

One of the older Keldeo flashed orange, shifting to Resolute Form, and his horn erupted with light. _"Secret Sword!"_

Then a blaze of eye-hurtingly intense blue fire erupted from the white shape, and at that moment the image vanished.

"_Mom... Dad..."_ Keldeo whispered. He shook his head, and stamped a hoof. _"I won't forget you!"_

Then he turned his attention back to the vines, and began chopping through them with a new determination.

* * *

><p>Ash gaped. "Okay, when the heck did <em>that<em> happen?"

He saw a grassy field, with the three Sinnoh Dragons standing in close formation at the far end of it.

Immediately between them and the time-distortion bubble, though, were three Mewtwo. One who looked like the one he'd met in Unova, one the familiar Mewtwo he knew, and another who looked different entirely – almost as much Fighting type as Psychic.

Ash was fairly sure he'd have heard about _this_ if it happened. Did that mean it was from the future?

Then there was a flash, and Giratina went from Altered to Origin Form. All three Dragons began to charge their attacks.

Jolteon gaped. _"We're about to be hit!"_

She stepped forwards on the uncertain terrain, stopping in between Ash and the battle, and flashed over to Sylveon. Her blue-white tendrils spread, trying to cover both Ash and Pikachu.

"No, we'll be fine," Ash told her, confused. "None of the others have-"

"_But I'm sure-"_

Dialga and Palkia fired their signature attacks at the same time.

Sylveon's fur ruffled as if in a high wind, as the attacks blasted over their Mewtwo targets and violently glowing backscatter slammed into her.

_Only_ her. Not the construct, not the water, not even Ash and Pikachu standing within feet of her. And, despite that, it did her no damage at all.

Then the bizarre battle scene vanished as if it had never been.

"But-" Ash pointed. "How does that make sense?"

Something dropped into his pocket.

He reached in on instinct, and felt the cool metal of a Pokéball. On examination, it turned out to be the GS ball.

Ash held it up to Pikachu, who shrugged – no wiser.

* * *

><p>Vicious grinned in triumph. At last!<p>

Three down, one to go. That meant he could catch all but one of the interlopers, and he started working on that last ball to let him do that as well.

Then there was an earth-shaking concussion that drew his head up despite himself.

A four-legged white Pokémon – was that _Arceus?_ The Pokémon said to be the creator? - stood on a barren, rocky surface striated by veins of magma.

Before him knelt three Pokémon – one two-legged, the Dragon of Space. One four-legged, the Dragon of Time. And one six-legged, the Dragon of Symmetry.

_**THIS WORLD EXISTS,**_ the Creator said, his words like granite imposing themselves on reality. _**NOW LET THERE BE THE ELEMENTS TO CRAFT AND SHAPE IT.**_

Light began to stream towards him from all directions – above, below, every compass point – and solidify into oblong disks which fairly oozed solidity.

_**DRAGON. ICE. ELECTRICITY. FIRE. WATER.**_

Vicious then noticed that there was one place light was not coming from. Here. The time bubble.

Except... there was a sparkling stream of bright pink light, coming from one shoulder of his fortress.

One by one, the Plates formed.

Almost all the light had coalesced, and Arceus began to descend back towards the floor of the barren world, when the stream of pink energy arrived.

_**HM?**_ Arceus sounded confused, as the pink energy began to solidify. _**THIS, I DID NOT PLAN. BUT – VERY WELL. FAIRY.**_

That was the last word Vicious heard, before the time barrier became opaque once more.

* * *

><p>"What the heck just happened?" Ash asked, staring at Sylveon. "The Plates are types, right? So what's Fairy type?"<p>

Sylveon looked down at herself, then shrugged. _"I'm as lost as you are."_

"There you are!"

Ash's head snapped around.

Vicious threw a Dark ball. "Take this, brat!"

The staff came off Ash's back in a single, fluid motion. It hummed, flashing blue and then white with visible Aura in the fraction of a second the swing took, and then blew the incoming Dark Ball into shrapnel several feet short of Sylveon.

Ash's grip on the staff shifted slightly. "You're not going to hurt anyone else, Vicious."

* * *

><p>Suicune bit and struggled at the vines, which had been getting worse and worse as she fought higher on the construct. Freezing them helped, but she had to keep using Ice Beam and it wasn't very efficient.<p>

Growling, she tore at a particularly strong one with her hind legs, and managed to break something inside it.

Her streamers flapped in the breeze, calling an Air Slash, and it helped as well – but fatigue burned in her muscles, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.

Then the vines seemed to slow all of a sudden, becoming less directed.

A high cry of "Biiiiiii!" - no words, just pain – suggested why, but Suicune had no time to spare for thoughts of that. Pressing her advantage, she smashed her way through the latest Grass Knots and leaped clear.

Once more, the mists of time parted. She saw a man of about thirty, maybe a little older, standing on a pier at Pacifidlog in Hoenn.

His hands glowed with Aura, and he looked at them a little desperately – as if this was new to him – but then his stance firmed, and he looked to the horizon.

Suicune did so as well, and saw a wave coming. Rising up as it approached, shoaling and becoming higher and more powerful. A tidal wave, breaking, and about to overrun the floating town.

The man's hands blazed brighter, and then too bright to look at as the wave came in. There was an explosion-

And it rained seawater.

The town was unharmed. Of the man, however, nothing was to be seen.

* * *

><p>Ash feinted forwards with his staff, then kicked out, and Vicious suppressed a yell of pain as Ash's foot crashed into his knee.<p>

"Damn it," he said, walking backwards up the slope towards the construct-head. "You're a tough one."

Ash didn't respond to that, simply advancing – always wary, ready to counter whatever Vicious did.

It was a little scary. Vicious was used to being a figure of dread – it was the reason for his mask, and not a little of why he had created his Dark Balls – and to being in control under all circumstances.

That reminder of his youth had shaken him, though, and the implacable advance of this Aura adept wasn't helping.

Vicious glanced to his side, and saw that the strange equine Pokémon had also made it onto the head.

Away from the boy.

"You'll do!" Vicious snarled. "Dark ball, go!"

A bolt of electricity wider than his hand slammed across his vision. It hit the Dark Ball mid-flight, blowing that one to smithereens too.

Then the staff hit his shins, and Vicious barely avoided going over backwards.

Stumbling, Vicious' eyes flicked to his feet – where Celebi was.

"Celebi!" he ordered. "Kill-"

His command went unheard. Everything went unheard.

Outside their bubble of displaced time was an incredible cacophony of explosions and rain and fire.

The rain drummed on every exposed surface, solid or liquid, and was so intense it was like the sea was falling from the sky all at once.

The sun shone from overhead, cutting through the clouds, and was bright enough that looking at a reflective surface was near-blinding.

The wind howled like a million angry ghosts, punishing the ears.

Volcanoes erupted all around, a constant succession of explosions that caused visible shockwaves through the air.

The sea churned, made to do so by the explosions and by the heat – it was boiling even as it rained – and the wind whipped it to a froth.

In the centre of it all, two Pokémon roared and slammed into one another.

One a huge, red-black monster with a spiked tail and gigantic claws, with yellow-glowing armour beneath which magma seethed. In a circle around it, the rock it stood on was melting, though this seemed not to hamper it.

The other a great blue-purple sea creature with wide clawed arms and a four-fluked tail, and patterns of glowing energy across its body. It swam in a sphere of water, which hissed and bubbled at the point closest to its opponent.

The red one roared something incomprehensible, and rock towers burst from the ground and fell towards the blue one. The blue one endured the blow, and then replied with beams of deep, brilliant blue light which split and resplit until they were beyond number.

Then there was yet another roar.

The seething weather parted, and a serpentine monster of green and black burst through the gap. It swam through the air, streams of bright orange-yellow energy following it, and began to glow with an incandescent green aura.

It slammed into the battling duo, and then the bubble mercifully closed up again.

* * *

><p>Sammy took his hands off his ears, now that the sound had died down.<p>

Celebi was curled into a ball, whimpering.

"It's okay, Celebi!" he said, squirming closer and taking her in his arms. "You'll be fine. I promise."

Celebi's eyes opened for a moment, full of confusion, and then dark energy crackled around her again.

* * *

><p>Back up on the head, Ash was the first to recover. He brought the staff down with a <em>crack<em> on another Dark Ball – one which had fallen from Vicious' collar – and then knocked one out of his hand as he reached for it. Togekiss stooped after it, and blew it to pieces with Sacred Fire.

"Give up!" Ash said.

"Never!" Vicious cleared his throat, and gave the order again. "Celebi! Kill them!"

Nothing happened.

The final Dark Ball Vicious had left started to crackle, rocking back and forth in its holder.

"No!" he said, grabbing at it. "Why is this happening!"

There was a rush of air, and Suicune landed next to them.

"_Because that's not how you catch or train Pokémon,"_ Keldeo said firmly. _"You earn their trust, and treat them well."_

"And they'll never let you down," Ash finished.

Behind them, Vicious saw a battle on a beach. The boy – directing two Grass-types, his Pikachu and his Lucario. Against Suicune.

As Vicious watched, disbelieving, Suicune defeated them one at a time – but clearly had to put a great deal of effort in. Just as clearly, she was having the time of her life.

Then, at the last, Ash pulled out his Quilava – and caught Suicune.

Just as the Fast Ball clicked, the glimpse of the past ended.

And Celebi's Dark Ball exploded.

* * *

><p>Misty's eyes widened. "Where did they-"<p>

With another thunderclap of displaced air, the construct reappeared – much closer. Several thousand tonnes of water splashed back into the Lake of Life, along with the disintegrating construct, and several humans and Pokémon came off it as it fell.

Suicune had Sammy, cradling the greying Celebi in his arms with great care. Keldeo had Ash on his back, with Pikachu riding on his hat and clinging like he never wanted to let go, and Molly's Vaporeon came swimming between them

And Togekiss, an expression of distaste on her face, was levitating the Iron Masked Marauder alongside.

Keldeo reached the shore, and Ash swung off his back. The grateful Colt Pokémon wobbled a bit, and sat down quite firmly on the shoreline.

Suicune's run slowed as she approached the shore – more and more as she got closer. The exhausted Pokémon made it up onto the beach, but then stumbled to a stop, flanks heaving. _"Pokémon... centre... please?"_ she asked, trying to inject a little humour into the moment.

Togekiss unceremoniously dropped her burden on the grass – upside down. Brock and Stantler quickly moved in to secure him, tying his hands behind his back.

"Celebi!" Sammy said, on seeing her condition – not good. "Please be okay?"

Celebi gasped, every breath seeming to be a struggle, and then sighed and stopped.

"What do we do?" Sammy asked, looking around frantically. "The lake – it healed her before, can it-"

Suicune shook her head._ "It is too polluted,"_ she said. Turning to the lake, she took a breath. _"I may be able to purify it, though – not much. It is very dirty, and I am exhausted."_

Sammy gaped. "But – we have to do something! She can't die!"

"_I think she already did."_

Ash tore his gaze from Celebi. "Wha – Meganium? You evolved?"

"_I did,"_ Meganium confirmed. Beside her, Sammy's Charmeleon walked over to his trainer and put a clawed hand on his shoulder.

Meganium took a deep breath. _"Please let this work."_

She bent down towards Celebi, and exhaled.

"Wait," Brock said, eyes widening. "I heard about this-"

Celebi stirred, and some colour came back into her skin.

"They can revive dead plants," Brock finished. "Meganium, that's amazing!"

Wordlessly, Suicune stepped forwards into the lake. She focused her powers, and a small area of the water went from dirty and impure to crystal clear.

Sammy wasted no time. He crouched down, immersing Celebi in the water as much as possible.

Everyone waited with bated breath.

A green glow began to build on Celebi's skin. It started at the tips of her fingers, then spread, flowing into her head and body with increasing brightness until it coloured the whole clear area of the lake.

Then, with an intense flash of light, she soared upwards into the sky – leaving a plume of water behind her.

Dozens of flickering white orbs appeared in the sky, vanishing in a heartbeat after they appeared, and heralded the arrival of dozens upon dozens of Celebi.

They began to dance in the sky, making an intricate pattern, and the Celebi the friends had just helped save joined the dance.

The pattern repeated four times, each time with a slight difference. Then the Celebi broke apart, swirled around, and reformed the pattern.

This cycle continued a total of four times, taking around a minute and a half in all.

Then the Celebi halted, and formed a single circle. There was a pulse of light which ran around the entire circle, and most of them vanished.

Two remained.

They floated gently down to the friends, the glows fading until they appeared no different from normal Celebi.

_Congratulations,_ one broadcast – with a different tone to the one they had fought to save. _You broke time. That's actually quite unusual. But – well, least said soonest mended, I think we can paper over most of the cracks._

Ash winced. "Uh – sorry, I guess..."

_Oh, don't worry. It was for a good cause._ The Celebi shot a vicious look at Vicious, then smiled at the rest of them. _And, like I say, we're working on it as I speak. Well, not _as_ I speak... but in a similar sidereal timeframe._

She waved. _Don't worry about it, it takes degree courses to follow all of this._

"What happened?" Misty asked.

_You should get your personal histories edited slightly shortly. No major discrepancies – we're good at avoiding those. But – well, Togekiss in particular will have an interesting time of it._

"_Why?"_ Togekiss blinked.

_Well, you are a Fairy now. Fitting in a whole new Type will be difficult – but don't worry, we'll put it all together. It's our job._

Smiling, the Celebi turned her attention to Sammy Oak. _I'm afraid that not all of this will seem very clear. Oh, you'll remember most of the important bits, but the details might be a bit... jumbled. That's rather unavoidable, I'm afraid._

Sammy frowned. "That doesn't seem-"

_We'll do the best we can,_ she assured him. _But you might need to learn how to be as discreet as possible – you know a lot of the future, and it'll be hard to make that a stable time loop._

The Celebi giggled, and jerked her thumb at Ash. _Just don't tell him too much._

She did a backflip. _Anyway, I've got timelines to fix, Pokémon to see... the youngster can take you home, Sammy. Don't forget your Charmeleon._

Winking, the older Celebi nodded to him. _And remember – I'm still quite young. Thank you for saving me from the poacher!_

With that, she vanished.

Sammy blinked. "Wait. I thought... but..."

"_I don't understand it very well either,"_ Celebi confided. _"But I understand that, if you don't have a headache, you probably don't understand time travel."_

* * *

><p>Suicune's powers slowly recovered, and after about half an hour she was able to clear the lake as a whole. Once that was done, the cleanup became much easier, as the waters were fully capable of healing those Pokémon who had been knocked out or exhausted – from Sammy's Charmeleon, to James' Arcanine, to Brock's Steelix.<p>

Some minutes into that latter process, a bedraggled and sore-footed Jessie and James emerged from the trees. They had a few choice words for Vicious – still tied to a tree – but then pitched in with the clear-up as much as everyone else.

It was quite a complicated operation. Counting wild Pokémon, something over forty unconscious Pokémon were scattered around the lake and environs, and five of them had been contained in Dark Balls for days or weeks before being knocked out.

* * *

><p>"Right," Meowth said, hefting Cubone's arm and lifting her most of the way off the ground. "Let's get ya – eh?"<p>

His foot nudged something.

Conscientiously, he marked the location for investigation, and dragged Cubone over to the now-sparkling Lake of Life. Once she was in, he wandered back over, and after some effort dug the object from the mud.

It was a standard-issue red and white Pokéball. Utterly unremarkable.

"Wonder whose dis is..." he said, as Jessie and James struggled behind him to get Growlie into the healing waters of the lake.

Turning it over, he gave it a sniff.

"Dis smells like Ash... wait a second!"

Rubbing the mud off, he spotted a lightning-flash mark on it.

"...oh, ya gotta be kidding," he said. "Oi! Jessie! James!"

"What is it?" James panted. "On three, Jessie – one, two-"

"Three!" Jessie said, and they threw Growlie into the lake.

Pausing long enough to check his head was above the water, James turned to Meowth. "What is it?"

"I just found dis," Meowth explained.

James examined it. "So?"

Meowth leaned in. "It's Pikachu's," he explained in a whisper.

James blinked. "Wait, he _has_ a Pokéball?"

"Yeah, guess so," Meowth agreed.

"So... what do we do?" Jessie asked.

They exchanged a glance.

Jessie and James started humming. This went on for at least a minute.

Meowth sighed. "Ya know, dere's only one real choice..."

"Quiet!" James said. "We're thinking!"

* * *

><p>"Ash?"<p>

Ash looked up. "Yeah?"

Jessie tossed him a Pokéball. "Don't lose it again, okay?"

Ash looked down at the 'ball, puzzled, then did a double take as he realized what it was. "Pikachu's – whoa, yeah, thanks, guys!"

"Don't mention it!" James said. "Seriously, don't mention it to _anyone_, we need to keep a reputation somehow!"

"Yeah, as da hard-nosed enforcers!" Meowth added. "'cause dat's important!"

Ash grinned. "Your secret's safe with me." With a practised tap, he shrunk the Pokéball and put it back in his bag. "How are you guys, by the way?"

"We've been better," James told him. "Looks like Team Rocket ended up bailing out again..."

Ash chuckled. "Seriously, though, thanks for your help."

"We'll take any thanks we can get!" Meowth quipped. "Dey ain't common in our line of work – well, not sincere anyways..."

* * *

><p>"Thank goodness, you're done," Aaron said, walking somewhat gingerly back over the brow of the hill he'd been hiding behind.<p>

"_Yep!"_ Dialga said proudly. _"I managed to shout at one Mewtwo so hard he went through a mountain!"_

"_This!"_ Giratina added. _"This was cool, Dad! More of this kind of thing!"_

Silence answered them.

"_Dad?" _Palkia asked, concern entering his voice. _"Are you okay?"_

With a somewhat subdued trumpeting sound, the heavens opened, and Arceus descended from the sky in glory surrounded by his Plates.

"What is it?" Sir Aaron asked. "You seem... preoccupied."

_I am, a bit,_ Arceus confirmed. _Ever discovered you're missing something? You thought you had, say, sixteen of something, and then found you only had fifteen?_

"...occasionally," Sir Aaron admitted. "It is quite worrying, why – wait. Sixteen... Plates? Did you lose a Plate?"

His eyes went to the gently orbiting collection of tablets.

_I'm getting there,_ Arceus said. _And have you ever found you had more than you thought?_

As he said that, a Plate separated itself from the rest and thumped down in front of Sir Aaron.

Frowning, he picked it up. "What is it?"

_The Pixie Plate. The Plate of the Element of Fairy. Which, last I checked, was not a thing – and yet now it always has been._

Arceus sounded a bit miffed. _Ransei even got a new bit. It's a halo shape to the north of the head bit._

"Wierd," Sir Aaron said. "What's a Fairy when it's at home?"

_Apparently, immune to Dragons. Flat immune._

Sir Aaron blinked. "Huh. That _is_ new."

"_Awwwww..."_ all three Creation Dragons said at once.

"_That's not fair!"_ Palkia added. _"What are they weak to?"_

Arceus frowned. The other Plates rose into the air, and hit the Pixie Plate one by one.

_Poison and Steel,_ Arceus concluded. _They are also unable to do much damage to those two types or Fire, are super effective against Dragon, Dark and Fighting, and can resist Bug, Dark and Fighting attacks._

Dialga started doing a happy dance.

"_That's hax,"_ Giratina said very quietly.

* * *

><p>"Goodbye, Sammy!" Ash said, waving. "By the way, my starter Pokémon was caught chewing on electrical power cables the night before!"<p>

Pikachu gave him a look. _"We don't talk about that!"_

"He needs to know," Ash pointed out quietly.

"_...fine."_

Sammy waved back. "Okay – I think! Good luck, Ash!"

"_Here goes,"_ Celebi said, spreading her arms. There was a white flash, and boy and Legendary vanished.

"Well, that's that," Ash said.

Less than a second later, Dexter rang.

"Hello?" Ash said.

"_Ah, Ash,"_ Professor Oak said. _"I understand you have Molly's Eevee with you, and you caught Suicune?"_

Ash blinked. "How do you – oh, right. I think I'm getting another time travel headache..."

* * *

><p>"This is just bizarre," Gary said, frowning. "Gurrkin is now saying that he was taught about Mega Evolutions by someone else entirely, and that they have a Mawile capable of going Mega. I thought it was only in the last couple of years that Mega Evolutions were doable, but now it's like forty years ago they became known..."<p>

Umbreon shrugged. _"I don't understand either... but I don't remember him saying the last couple of years bit."_

Gary winced. "That sounds like time travel to me. I... actually seem to remember him saying both."

He looked down at Dee's screen. "And what the heck is a Fairy type, and why is the local Gym one which specializes in them?"

Umbreon blinked. _"You... don't know about Fairy types? Then something _is_ wrong, you've got at least two I know of. Mr. Mime and Clefable."_

"...Those are Fairy types now?" Gary sighed. "I hate time travel."

* * *

><p>Vicious looked up as Giovanni walked in.<p>

"Oh, the boss comes to gloat." He rolled his eyes. "Spare me, I've already been gloated over by the goody-two-shoes brigade and those enforcers of yours."

"I'm not here to gloat, Vicious," Giovanni said, softly. "Or, to give you your proper name, Victor Renfield."

Vicious flinched. "How did you-"

"I have my ways, Victor," Giovanni said, with a thin smile. "But, as I say, I'm not here to gloat."

He reached down and stroked Persian, quieting his growls. "The cameras are off in this room, by the way. Unavoidable maintenance fault. Incidentally, the man maintaining the building owes the Team a favour."

"What-" Vicious whispered. "You're going to – but you can't! They know you're in here with me, you'll be destroyed if you kill me! There isn't a court in the country who wouldn't convict you!"

"Dear me, Victor," Giovanni said, still with that same thin smile. "You're so naïve – I might disagree with you on the front of who might or might not be convicted of what. But that's not the point."

He shrugged. "No, Victor. I'm not going to lay a finger on you. Nor are any of my Pokémon."

Giovanni cleared his throat. "You betrayed my trust, Victor. My organization built you up from nothing, and now this is how you repay me? But – well, I could forgive that."

The look in Giovanni's eyes suggested otherwise.

"But you also tried to capture a Time Travel Pokémon, and use her to supplant me. That might well mean ensuring I never met Persian."

Another growl from the Classy Cat, quieted again by a gesture from the Rocket leader.

"So," Giovanni concluded. "I won't lay a finger on you."

"I'll talk, Giovanni!" Vicious told him. "You have to know that. No matter what you do, Team Rocket is destroyed – and you with it!"

Persian lazily swiped his paw at Vicious.

"I think not. Come along, Persian," Giovanni instructed. "We shouldn't keep Victor from his important stewing."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Giovanni read the papers with a smile of satisfaction.<p>

"You always were quite an artist with Shadow Claw, Persian," he said, stroking the purring feline. "Fine work."

He folded the paper back up, and read the headline once more.

_'Iron Masked Marauder' suffers stroke before trial – doctors report his condition is incurable._

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Let's do the time warp again.

They go a lot of places, here. Also – this is how I'm adding Fairy types. It's now retroactively done.

Let me know how that went – this film took a lot of effort! It came in at just about twenty thousand words, which is basically a novella, and a lot happened.


	76. Johto 18

About a mile outside Arborville, Brock cleared his throat.

"Yeah?" Ash asked.

"Guys, I think we should stop for today," Brock suggested. "We've been through a lot today, and we should probably get an early stop and... well, decompress, I guess."

Misty nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Yeah, sounds good," Ash agreed.

Brock smiled. "Then it's unanimous." So saying, he walked off to the side of the path and began unpacking their tents.

* * *

><p>Misty frowned uncertainly. "So... new type, I guess?"<p>

"_Yes,"_ Togekiss confirmed. _"My memory about it is... a bit jumbled. I _kind of_ remember being Fairy-type, but most of how I think has me as Normal instead."_

"That's... bizarre," Misty said, then flushed. "Sorry – I didn't mean to be-"

"_No, it's fine, really."_ Togekiss shrugged her wings. _"I understand. It's all very confusing. But... I seem to have a couple of new attacks."_

"Really?" Misty glanced over towards the tree line, looking for a spot that was clear of Pokémon or people to be hit. "Let's see."

Togekiss nodded, and rose into the air. Drifting effortlessly on the air currents, she flew up to about five feet above Misty's head, and then drew her wings back.

Blue sparkles began to appear around her wings, and Misty felt an odd thrill – a feeling that this was _almost_ familiar.

"_Fairy wind!"_

The sparkles whipped forwards, accompanied by a strong gust of wind. They hit with a succession of tiny flashes, damaging the grass in their area of impact.

"Okay," Misty said, nodding. "It's fairly directly named."

"_Yeah, it's kind of like Gust, I guess, but with Fairy element to it,"_ Togekiss agreed. _"There's another one, though."_

Togekiss began to charge this second attack, more of the same particles from before forming around her and gathering on the leading edges of her wings.

"_I'm still... well, kind of unpracticed with this,"_ Togekiss admitted, as the attack built. _"That's why it's taking so long to charge... anyway,"_ she added, as the particles seemed to reach a critical density. _"Dazzling gleam!"_

The layer of sparkling particles crackled briefly, then blasted out in a conical spread pattern.

"Do all of the attacks do that sparkling thing?" Misty asked.

"_Probably,"_ Togekiss agreed. _"I don't know, though, I only have those two attacks."_ She frowned. _"I think I'm also immune to Dragon attacks now. Should we test that?"_

Misty nodded. "I think so, just to be sure. Later, though, we should relax for a bit first."

* * *

><p>"<em>Ash?"<em> Pikachu asked. _"I wanted to-"_

He paused.

"_Are you alright, Ash?"_

Ash looked up. "Oh – yeah, sorry Pikachu. I'm just... I think it actually sunk in."

"_What did?"_

"All of it," Ash replied, waving a hand. "Everything that happened on this crazy day."

He sighed. "I mean – I'm trying not to think about the... you know." He shook his head, and quickly moved on to another topic. "But... I mean, I _caught Suicune."_

Pikachu gratefully accepted the change of subject. _"I know – when I think about it, I'm surprised... it sort of just... happened, almost too fast for me to really take it in when it was happening. And then after that..."_

They fell silent again.

"_Where is she?"_ Pikachu asked, after a few seconds.

"Went to visit her brothers – let them know what happened," Ash supplied.

"_Right."_

The awkward silence returned for a three-in-a-row.

"Pikachu-" Ash tried. "I... I don't blame you."

"_But I should have resisted it!"_Pikachu burst out. _"All it took for you to help me was to remind me what we meant to each other – does that mean I was just not thinking about it? I hurt you, Ash – if I-"_

"Slow down," Ash said, holding up his hand. "I mean what I said – I don't blame you."

He looked at Pikachu, then on impulse reached out and picked him up.

Startled, Pikachu struggled.

"Sssh," Ash said, drawing him close. "Listen to me, Pikachu – _I will never blame you._ Not for this, not for anything, because I _know_ you would never hurt me or my friends if you had a choice."

Pikachu tried to squirm out of Ash's grip for a moment longer, then sighed and went limp.

"_I'm still – I-"_

Another sigh.

"_Okay, Ash. You win. You trust me."_

Ash smiled, brushing away a tear. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Pikachu's mouth quirked in a smile. Then he shook his head. _"But – _I _don't trust me. And I can't help but think I might hurt you again."_

Ignoring Ash's renewed reassurance, he concentrated. After a few seconds, a faint current flowed over his body and into his hands, before coalescing into a small yellow sphere holding a caged lightning bolt.

"_Here,"_ he said. _"I... don't feel I deserve it at the moment."_

Ash caught the Light Ball as Pikachu dropped it. "But – you've had this for more than a year! It's-" he stopped.

"What happened to your cheeks?"

"_My-"_ Pikachu blinked. _"I can't see them,"_ he pointed out.

Ash stared at him for a moment, then sniggered.

"Sorry!" he said straight away. "But – you're right, and I didn't even think of – hold on. Dexter?"

No reply.

Ash took the Pokédex out of his pocket and pressed the power button. "That's enough sleep mode from you, we need your help."

Booting... sorry, I thought you were having a private discussion.

"We were... are... kind of," Ash said hesitantly. "But we need your help. Can you show Pikachu a picture of himself?"

He chuckled. "I've... not got a mirror."

Interesting. So, you're using a self aware computer capable of scanning any Pokémon and even fighting independently... as a mirror.

"Yes?" Ash agreed. "Why?"

I swear, sometimes I wonder about my design parameters. Dexter beeped, and the camera light lit up. Here.

Pikachu examined it.

"_My cheeks are red. That's – why are my cheeks red?"_

He looked at Ash. _"And why couldn't you just tell me my cheeks were red without all that song-and-dance with the mirror thing?"_

"I thought you should see yourself," Ash shrugged. "So – you don't know either?"

"_No. Wait – did the time travel thing undo that?"_

Ash frowned. "I... I don't think so, I'm starting to spot the places where my memories are different and..."

He tailed off.

"Pikachu!" he said. "Catch!"

Confused, Pikachu caught the Light Ball. It dissolved back into his skin, crackling in little lightning bolts all over it.

"Your cheeks went orange again," Ash said. "I just realized – I only spotted your cheeks changing in Vermilion _after_ you got the Light Ball. It was before last time."

Pikachu stared at Ash for a moment. _"That is a _stupid_ form difference."_

Ash shrugged. "Would you rather not have the cheeks at all?"

At that, the Electric-type looked contemplative.

"_I'm not sure,"_ he said eventually. _"I'm actually not sure. I'm kind of used to them now."_

"Well, you've got the choice, I suppose," Ash said.

"_Yeah,"_ Pikachu agreed.

After a few seconds, he took a deep breath. _"Ash – I'm sorry, but I might need a few moments to think about... all this. Can we talk about something safe? Like... if I had that much trouble with Suicune, how do you plan to catch Raikou?"_

Ash shrugged. "Lightningrod, Grass-types, guesswork and Houndour."

"_Should work,"_ Pikachu judged, then chuckled. _"We'll do our best."_

* * *

><p>"<em>She's back!"<em> Entei hissed.

Beast of Thunder, Backup Beast of Fire, Backup Beast of Water and Backup Beast of Thunder looked up.

"_She is?"_ Raikou repeated. A grin formed on his face. _"Well, that's absolutely wonderful! Right, right, everyone ready..."_

When Suicune loped into their clearing about half a minute later, the five other Beasts were lounging around in apparent indifference.

She smiled – she knew how this went. _"I'm back,"_ she announced. _"Did any of you miss me?"_

"_Not really, dear Sister,"_ Raikou yawned, rolling over on his back. _"I mean, we _do_ hang on your every word no matter what when you say anything, but when you're gone it's just a good chance to get some sleep for once!"_

"_Oh, really?"_ Suicune's eyes glittered for a moment. _"Well, since you're all so eager for your much-needed beauty sleep, I won't bore you with the details."_

"_That sounds perfectly acceptable – oh, who are we kidding!"_ Raikou bounced upright. _"What happened?"_

Suicune's lip curled up in a smirk, and she reached under her flowing purple mane.

There was a slight clink noise, and a Fast Ball clattered to the floor.

"_He won,"_ she announced. _"I am, as of this morning, a caught Pokémon."_

Entei shrugged. _"Should have guessed, it was your idea. Of course you'd be first."_

As Suicune picked it up again and replaced it in the bag Brock had provided, her double spoke up. _"So... how did he get you?"_

"_First there was a chase. That Pidgeot of his is pretty amazing,"_ she said, then nodded to Entei. _"You know that, of course."_

"_So do we,"_ the shiny Raikou admitted. _"She gave us a lot of trouble at Greenfield."_

"_So I heard,"_ Suicune acknowledged. _"Our chase went as far as Shikoku, and took something like an hour over the oceans. Then there was a big battle with..."_ Suicune counted under her breath. _"His Lucario, Bayleef, Ivysaur, Pikachu – of course – and Quilava."_

Entei frowned. _"Isn't that last a Fire-type?"_

"_She's the one who finished me off,"_ Suicune confided.

That comment elicited some rather confused frowns.

"_But – there's another problem,"_ Suicune added. _"What does the Fairy type mean to you?"_

"_That's... rather a simple question, isn't it?"_ Entei said, puzzled. _"It's a Type, one of the eighteen, I'm resistant to it, and it's most effective against Fighting types, Dark types and Dragons. Why?"_

Suicune shook her head. _"See – I know that, but at the same time... right. Remember Molly's Eevee?"_

"_Of course we do,"_ the shiny Entei said.

Suicune paused for a moment, then dropped her bombshell. _"In her form as Sylveon, she was the first Fairy-type in existence."_

"_Pardon?"_ Raikou frowned. _"How is that even possible?"_

"_Isn't Xerneas the original-"_

"_Ash Ketchum broke time," _Suicune interrupted. _"Eevee was along, as Sylveon, when the time bubble we were in went back to the Creation. Arceus was... I think he was creating the Plates, and... Sylveon was there, so the Fairy type was created."_

The shiny Entei raised a paw. _"Isn't that an ontological paradox?"_

"_How does this make any sense, sister?"_ the regular one added.

Suicune sighed. _"Look – I have no idea, okay? I was only inside the time bubble when it reconfigured all of history since the creation of the basic Types of Pokémon..."_

She shook her head. _"I'm going to explain in more detail, okay? I have had one hell of a day..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Ash?"<em>

"Keldeo?" Ash looked up, smiled, and patted the grass next to him. "How can I help?"

"_Ash..."_ Keldeo frowned, trying to come up with a good approach, and knelt down on the grass. _"Have I ever talked to you about my family?"_

"...no, actually," Ash admitted.

"_Right. Well – my parents died when I was young. Cobalion..."_ Keldeo sniffed. _"Sorry, I'm-"_

"Don't worry!" Ash reassured him immediately. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"_Thanks."_ Keldeo sniffed again, then resumed. _"Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion saved me – got me out of danger. But my mother and father both died, in a Fire-type attack by... some Legendary, I guess."_

Ash nodded along. "I know the feeling, kind of. About all I know about my dad is that he died at Pacifidlog. It was his first time using Aura, Ho-Oh said, and... he saved the town, but died doing it."

Keldeo managed a chuckle. _"Guess you do know. Because my father... Cobalion told me this at Quena, when I showed him Resolute Form, and in that time jump... thing... I saw it. He died alongside my mother, using Secret Sword in Resolute Form."_

"You saw him-" Ash stopped. "Oh, Keldeo – that must have been..."

"_Yeah,"_ Keldeo said softly. _"But – at the same time, it's nice to know."_

Ash nodded, and reached over to rest a hand on Keldeo's neck.

They sat there for a few minutes, taking in the smells of the grass.

"_Ash?"_ Keldeo asked, tone more curious. _"Where's Pacifidlog?"_

"It's in Hoenn," Ash supplied. "Guess this time when I visit I'll pay more attention. It's a set of small islands, and a lot of the buildings there are on rafts – they float around a lot. No Gym, but there's a contest hall on one of the solid bits, so we went there for May."

Keldeo nodded, then stopped. _"Rafts?"_

"Yeah," Ash agreed.

"_Ash – how _exactly_ did your father die?"_ Keldeo pressed. He winced. _"Sorry if that sounds rude, but-"_

Ash frowned. "I – all I know is what Ho-Oh said. He broke the wave which swept down on the town."

Keldeo considered that. _"But – shouldn't you – no, wait... if that's right, you were fighting Vicious at that point. When I got up there, you were already fighting him."_

"What do you-" Ash began.

"_I didn't just see my father die, Ash,"_ Keldeo explained. _"I saw – I _think _I saw – yours."_

Ash went silent at that.

"What happened?" he said, after about half a minute without speaking.

Keldeo took a breath, and tried to sum up what he'd seen.

"_He looked – well, a bit like you. If you were older, I guess... but not all that fit. I mean, fit like most Trainers, but not like you are."_

Ash nodded.

"_His hair was pretty much the same – I didn't see the eyes, though. And – no belt, so I don't know if he had no Pokémon or if he'd already lost them somehow. His hands were flashing with Aura as the wave came in, and he looked – brave, I guess. He knew he was in danger, but he... knew what he had to do."_

Keldeo shook his head. _"No, that's a stupid thing to say, sorry. He knew what he _should_ do. He didn't have to, but he did it anyway. And then there was a huge flash of Aura, and the wave hit, and... didn't destroy the town. And he was nowhere to be seen."_

Ash made a little noise, like he was pulling back a sob, and then rubbed at his eyes for a moment. "Sorry, Keldeo-"

Keldeo bent his head down, and smiled at Ash. _"It's nothing to be ashamed of. Someone who I respect a lot told me that."_

That won a chuckle. "Heh. Thanks – yeah, thanks, Keldeo. I – it's better to know, I think."

The Legendary nodded. _"I know exactly what you mean."_

* * *

><p>Lucario sat <em>seiza<em>, meditating.

He did not like what had happened the last couple of times Ash and his friends had gotten into serious trouble.

Both times... he – Lucario – had been knocked out, relatively early in the clash.

And that left him feeling that Ash was not getting the support he needed.

Lucario were... Lucario. They were strong, and powerful, and... well, essentially knights, in a sense.

In his case, he was Ash's Pokémon, and should have been keeping him safe. But he wasn't.

That was... annoying.

Well, then, he would simply need to get stronger.

"_Lucario?"_ Pikachu's tentative voice said.

Lucario cracked an eyelid, confirming that Pikachu stood a few feet back – hesitant to come any closer.

"_I'm not asleep,"_ Lucario informed him blandly.

"_Oh, sorry I – wait... uh... sorry generally, I guess."_ Pikachu winced. _"And – sorry especially for the whole... shocking you... thing."_

Lucario was silent for a moment.

"_It's not your fault, not really,"_ he said, eventually. _"Any more than the other things which happened are Celebi's fault."_

"_I'll try-"_

"_Try to use that much power in training," _Lucario overrode him. _"I want to learn a way to ensure that I am not brought down by even attacks as powerful as that – and as fast as that."_

He fixed Pikachu with a look. _"If your response to this is to conclude you're not to be trusted, that you're too powerful – that is the wrong response. It is simply wrong."_

Pikachu blinked, taken aback by Lucario's forceful tone.

"_Why do we train? It is to become more powerful, more skilful, and – ultimately – to win battles. If you don't let yourself use your potential, you are wasting it and also making our own training go worse – since we can't fight you at full power."_ Lucario unclenched his fists. _"It is... important, to be prepared. That does not mean spending every waking moment training – that's not healthy – but it does mean that what training you _do_ should be as focused and as valuable as possible."_

Pikachu considered that.

"_I guess,"_ he said eventually. _"I... yeah, okay, I can see what you mean. I – right."_

Lucario held out a paw, and Pikachu walked over and touched it.

"_I've known you as long as Ash,"_ Lucario reminded him. _"For my part, _I_ feel I failed to protect _you_."_

Pikachu blinked. _"But – it wasn't your responsibility, you couldn't have known-"_ he stopped himself. _"Oh. I... I see."_

"_And that's how we feel when you talk like that,"_ Lucario noted.

He paused.

"_I heard that time... broke,"_ he said. _"What, exactly, did you see?"_

"_All kinds of things,"_ Pikachu said. _"I'm pretty sure we saw Groudon and Kyogre fighting, but they were... different. Bigger, more powerful, much louder. And we saw the creation of the world... but most of the stuff that happened outside was... kind of to do with us. I saw my evolution, and that time I nearly-"_

"_Wait."_ Lucario blinked. _"What happened to your cheeks?"_

"_As far as Ash and I can tell," _Pikachu said, _"They go orange when I have the Light Ball. No change in how I feel, though... well, not compared to the normal result of taking the Light Ball off. I think it's just my fur colour, that's all."_

"_That's... that's right, now I think about it,"_ Lucario agreed. He winced. _"And I thought time travel was confusing before..."_

"_Try teaching the people who taught you to do what you're now teaching them to do,"_ Pikachu rattled off. _"That was strange."_

Lucario chuckled.

"_So,"_ he said, after a moment. _"Feel better?"_

Pikachu considered. _"A little."_

* * *

><p>Ash glanced up. "Hey, is that-"<p>

A moment later, Suicune cleared the tree line at a lope.

"Neat," Ash said, as she approached. "I managed to spot your Aura that time."

"_I wasn't exactly hiding it, but a useful skill nevertheless."_ Suicune stopped in front of him. _"Are you well?"_

"Better," Ash admitted. "I think I've had time to kind of... process what happened."

He shrugged. "Did you manage to sort things out?"

"_Oh, yes,"_ Suicune assured him. _"I let Molly's friend know she would have to take over my duties for Lord Ho-Oh, I showed off my nice new ball – the Fast Ball was a nice touch, how long have you been planning that?"_

"Since we visited Azalea town," Ash told her. "We each got one, and I traded around to get three because I knew I'd be going for you three."

"_Commendable."_ Suicune retrieved her ball and tossed it to Ash, who caught it. _"I'm interested – how, aside from the scale, did my own capture compare to others you've done?"_

Ash blinked. "Actually, now you mention it... my capturing a Pokémon, even in a pre-scheduled fight, is unusual compared to one wanting to come with me. Hold on a sec..."

He started counting. "Swellow, Sceptile, Corphish, Glalie, Staraptor, Snivy, Unfezant, Boldore, Palpitoad... Ambipom, too... oh, and the first time around Primeape, Butterfree, Ivysaur, Pidgeot, Snorlax, Muk, Ba – _Meganium_, and Noctowl. Guess that's more than I was expecting," he admitted. "Probably because of the ones who just came with me this time."

"_That's quite a lot of Pokémon,"_ Suicune said. _"Do you catch so many fully evolved Pokémon?"_

"No, I just call them by their fully evolved names," Ash clarified. "It's how I remember them, even if I've not met them yet."

"_Ah."_ Suicune nodded.

She stepped a little closer as Ash sat down. _"I was wondering – how does it work? Being a caught Pokémon, I mean?"_

Ash shook his head, chuckling. "I've got no idea how we're going to work this, to be honest – I mean, the training thing is fine, Keldeo and I have been doing some work on that, but as for using you in battles?"

He winced. "Uh – there was someone in Sinnoh. The guy who beat me in the semi-finals of the Sinnoh League. I don't know how, but he had a Darkrai and a Latios. And – I know he must be a pretty special person, to have the trust of those two Legendaries, but..." Ash shrugged. "What I heard about him was that he was kind of a jerk."

"_A _Darkrai?_"_ Suicune repeated, then shook her head. _"Interesting indeed. And how was he a jerk?"_

"It's how he used his Pokémon," Ash said, frowning. "He sent out his Darkrai and used that to beat... well, every gym in Sinnoh, and everyone in the entire League. Didn't use any other Pokémon."

"_I see – wait."_ Suicune frowned, and raised a paw. _"How do you know he has – well, had? Will have? The Latios – if he didn't use anyone else, I mean."_

Ash blushed. "I beat the Darkrai. And the Latios – though Pikachu knocked himself out doing it, and I lost."

Suicune seemed honestly offended by that.

"_Right. Well, I can assure you that your league challenge won't do that again!"_

She paused. _"Oh. Wait, sorry, I see your point – you don't want to be like this-?"_

"Tobias," Ash filled in. "And yeah. I mean – I feel really honoured that Keldeo's adventuring with me, and Lugia's said in the past I can call on him if I really want, and you're... well, amazing... but I don't want to be Tobias."

"_There seems, to me, to be an easy answer,"_ Suicune said, when he paused.

"Yeah?"

She shrugged. _"Use just one of those Legendaries who you bear the Pokéball of in any fight, and not as the first Pokémon – if you want to use more, check first."_

Ash thought it over.

"_Remember, Ash – you have earned our allegiance. Lord Ho-Oh spoke very highly of you indeed, those times the topic has come up over the last year or two..."_ Suicune shook her head. _"Anyway. You earned us. Don't feel you have to leave us out altogether – it's no more cheating than using that ludicrous Charizard of yours."_

The trainer stifled a laugh. "Okay, thanks. I guess – yeah, I was worried about being too..." he shook his head.

Suicune smiled. _"Ash – how do you _feel_ about your battle with Tobias? He defeated your six Pokémon with just two – do you feel you did poorly?"_

"I guess... no," Ash admitted. "I mean, I wish I did better, much better, but I still... yeah, I feel proud that I beat two Legendaries."

"_It took two Legendary Pokémon to stop you beating the Sinnoh League, then,"_ Suicune summarized. _"That's not a terrible record."_

Ash swallowed, a silly smile on his face for a moment. "Thanks, Suicune. And – yeah, thanks."

He chuckled. "I guess we should have dinner now, then – Brock just took the food off the heat, that means he's about done. And once we have, we can discuss how to train you up."

Suicune frowned. _"I must admit, I'm not aware how I could be trained up... I mean, I _am_ a Legendary, no offence, and I think I know a lot of moves."_

Ash shrugged. "I can think of a couple of ways. One is that you don't have any attacks which home in – you could use those while moving at full speed, in our actual battle you were kind of vulnerable mainly when you stopped moving. But – like I say, after dinner we can talk about it."

* * *

><p>"Right," Ash resumed, crossing his legs. "Thanks for coming, guys. I know some of you have loved ones waiting for you, so I'll try to be quick."<p>

He indicated the blue Water-type sat next to him. "This is Suicune."

"_Hello, Suicune,"_ the Pokémon chorused.

"_Hello, everyone,"_ Suicune replied. _"It's nice to meet those of you I haven't already."_

"I'd like to get your input on what moves to work on with her," Ash continued. He turned to Suicune. "During both battles, but especially the one I caught you in, I noticed you've got two major weak points."

Suicune inclined her head.

"First – you're not great at attacking on the move. Every time you fired an attack, you weren't moving very much – and the less you were moving, the better, it seemed."

The Legendary considered that, and then nodded. _"I'll admit to that – especially against multiple targets. But yes, targeting a stationary opponent is much harder when I'm not stationary."_

"That sounds like..." Ash frowned. "Okay, that sounds like you have trouble when your enemy's moving differently to you. Is that correct?"

Suicune frowned, then agreed.

Pidgeot chirped. _"Most of us have had that problem, too. I've got my ways of handling it, but you're a bit... well, not-airborne to use them."_

"We can discuss it in a bit," Ash said. "Now – the other one was moves. You've got quite good Ice moves, and you've got great Water and even a bit of Wind, but there's a lot of room for improvement. I mentioned Aura Sphere – any other suggestions?"

Squirtle leapt to his feet. _"If she has not managed before to combine her icy calm and flowing water into the magnificence of Rime, a move born of rivalry by two great friends who always advance into the future, then that is the first thing we must correct!"_

Suicune glanced at Ash, a little uncertain. _"Is he-"_

"_Yes!"_ about half the Pokémon chorused.

"That's Squirtle for you," Ash confirmed. "It works, but I'm not entirely sure how. Anyway, Rime _is_ a good one – it's kind of like the cold version of Scald."

"_Scald, that's one I never managed to learn,"_ Suicune admitted. _"Never had the time."_

"Right, that's another one for the list." Ash nodded. "This is good stuff... oh, yeah, what's your most powerful water attack?"

"_Hydro Pump."_ Suicune shrugged. _"It's always been quite enough."_

Squirtle sniggered. _"That's nowhere near enough! You need to learn either Waterspout or Hydro Cannon! They're much better!"_

Striking a pose, he continued. _"The Hydro Cannon is the best move any Water Pokémon can hope to aspire to! A true compaction of all the water there is into a single potent blast! Unmatched! Uncontested! As powerful as the raging sea, and filled with as much purpose as true companionship!"_

"Care to demonstrate?" Ash interrupted.

"_I most certainly do!"_ Squirtle went on almost without pause. Water bubbled up around him, and began to compress in front of his mouth. _"Erupting! Bursting! Hydro Cannon!"_

Suicune blinked at the tiny blue sphere that resulted. Her head turned whip-fast to follow as it shot across the clearing, then she came halfway to her feet in astonishment as it went right through a tree, detonated inside a second one, and knocked that second one over to the accompaniment of an entire swimming pool coming out of nowhere.

"_I... see,"_ she said, frowning. _"Interesting."_

"_And that's not all!"_ Squirtle went on doggedly, hands on knees. _"The true power of a Water Pokémon can also be focused into a Waterspout! A-"_

Ash cut him off. "Okay, Squirtle, we don't have all night."

Squirtle looked briefly indignant, then shrugged. _"Gotcha! I still need to get back to my other work anyway!"_

* * *

><p>Tracey opened the barn door, and was knocked over by a huge wave of water.<p>

With a series of quiet splashing sounds, a Tauros walked out. _"Well, thanks for nothing. I'd almost worked out how to stand on top of that."_

* * *

><p>"The other thing is basically to be able to cope with Electric types," Ash resumed. "And Water types, I guess, especially with Water Absorb – you've got Ice moves, which should handle Grass, but nothing for Water types."<p>

"_What do you suggest?" _Suicune asked.

"Well... can you do Brine? Muddy Water?" Ash frowned. "Hm... might not be so easy, unless you can turn the purification ability off-"

"_I can,"_ Suicune confirmed.

"There's those, then," Ash said. "Misty worked that one out – Brine makes it much harder for Electric-types to attack."

"_I see. Oh, I should ask Misty about the other means of handling Electricity."_

"_I know something you could try to learn for Water,"_ Lapras suggested. _"It's a move I learned from one of my uncles over the last few months. It's an Ice-type move, but it's a very _dry_ Ice-type move – it hurts Water-types."_

Suicune blinked. _"That actually makes me feel a little uncomfortable... but yes, it does sound useful."_

"_I suggest Surf,"_ Kingler volunteered. _"It's less powerful, but it's helpful to set up a battlefield."_

"_I can see I've got a lot to do over the next while!"_ Suicune smiled. She directed a look at Ash. _"I see what you mean – I do, indeed, have much to learn."_

Ash shrugged. "Normally this happens a bit more... organically, I guess... but I thought we should sit down and have a think about it."

"_An excellent idea,"_ she confirmed. _"And perhaps I might be able to give a little help in return myself... how many of you know Roar?"_

Ash blinked. "Isn't that the move that-"

Suicune demonstrated.

When she finished, she blinked with some confusion at the Pokéballs where Ash's Pokémon had been. _"What just-"_

Ash took his hands off his ears. "That was far too loud!"

"I'll say!" Brock yelled from the other side of the clearing.

* * *

><p>That night, as they were going to bed, Pikachu dropped his Light Ball by Ash's side.<p>

"_Like I said,"_ he told Ash, yawning. _"I only want it back when I'm safe with it."_

Ash took the ball. "Sure."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Pikachu found it on his pillow.<p>

"You're safe," Ash said, noticing him waking up. "I think you always were. But if you'd been given it while you were sleepy, you might just have found it harder to get to sleep last night."

He pointed. "But no more of this! It's yours, mister, and I'm not carrying it!"

Pikachu chuckled. _"Okay, okay, I get the idea..."_

* * *

><p>"Excuse me?" Ash said. "You're a Water-type specialist, right?"<p>

Nurse Joy winced. "Oh, dear... yes, I'm a Water-type specialist. I'm afraid I don't much like handling them, but duty comes first."

Ash nodded, and put a 'ball on the counter. "Can you give her a quick look over? She had quite a hectic day yesterday."

"Certainly," Joy said. She opened the Pokéball with some trepidation – and gasped.

"That's a Suicune!"

Suicune looked down at herself in a curious fashion. _"So I am."_

"She's a Water Pokémon, right?" Ash asked. "I don't see the problem here."

"How did you-" Joy stopped, took a deep breath, and started again. "What the-"

She stopped again, as this didn't seem to be working.

"Okay," she said, after several seconds. "I... would like to know how you came to have a Suicune, but... I'll get on with it now."

"Thanks!" Ash said brightly. "Oh, can you look Keldeo over too?"

He plucked a second Pokéball from his belt and opened it.

"_Hello!"_ Keldeo smiled. _"I'm a Water type too!"_

Joy seemed too shocked to be nervous.

* * *

><p>"That was cruel, Ash," Misty accused.<p>

Ash shrugged. "You have to admit, they're both Water types."

* * *

><p>"Flying Press!" Korrina ordered.<p>

Her Hawlucha nodded, running forwards and leaping into the air. Her wings flapped once, driving her as high as the roof, and she prepared to come crashing down.

"_There is nothing you can do that will dry out my torrent of devotion!"_ announced Gary's starter. _"Ultimate Rime Crasher!"_

The floor cracked under him as hundreds of gallons of water erupted skywards, hitting Hawlucha at the apex of her jump.

Blastoise followed that up with a Flash Cannon, and there was a thunderous explosion.

* * *

><p>"Nice work," Korrina said, handing Gary the badge. "Guess I should have expected nothing less from the number two trainer at last year's Indigo Conference!"<p>

Gary shrugged. "Thanks, I guess – Ash beat me, though."

"Yeah, I've seen him on the news..." Korrina snapped her fingers. "That's what I was forgetting! Gramps was looking for you – said he had something for you."

The Kanto trainer blinked. "Really? Huh. Okay, I'll head over there."

* * *

><p>Gary knocked on the door. "Uh – Gurkinn?"<p>

"Who's there?" Gurkinn asked.

"It's Gary Oak," Gary said. "Your granddaughter said you wanted to speak to me?"

Gary was, in all honesty, a bit muddled. He could remember two almost-the-same versions of his first meetings with Gurkinn, and neither of them was quite clear or dominant over the other.

Had Gurkinn told him about something which was completely new and secret, or something he'd learned from a mentor and which was being studied – albeit clandestinely – by a number of researchers? Had Gurkinn's reaction to seeing Ash's Charizard unmistakeably Mega Evolving on the news been delighted surprise or coloured by resignation?

He couldn't always keep track.

Fortunately, Gurkinn filled in the gaps. "Ah, good. Come in!"

The door clicked open, and Gary pushed it ajar.

"_Well, this is all very secretive,"_ Umbreon commented, as they walked through the hall and into the main rooms, following the striding guru.

"Very prompt of you, mister Oak," Gurkinn was saying. "Lucen, do you – good."

One of the two Lucario Gurkinn trained nodded from the door, and brought in some tea. Gary already knew it to be a little strong for him, and added one sugar cube to compensate before taking a sip.

"Right," Gurkinn resumed, after a drink himself. "I've managed to get hold of something very important."

He picked up a small box on the same tray as the tea, and opened it – revealing a small ring.

"What's -" Gary blinked, looking closer. "Is that a Key Stone?"

Gurkinn smiled. "Good eye – yes, it is! Professor Sycamore managed to cut two from one particularly well charged stone, and I thought of you of course. You've done sterling work searching for Mega Stones."

"I have?" Gary repeated. "But – I've only found two!"

"Believe you me, that's fast work," Gurkinn smiled. "This one's also got one of our newest improvements. It has a way of resonating a little with even those Mega Stones without the appropriate Pokémon available to them. Allow me to demonstrate."

He stood, and walked to the door to the main chamber of the Tower of Mastery. "Lucie – ah, thank you."

Both Lucario nodded, and left the room.

"That's well past the resonance range between a stone and the Pokémon," Gurkinn added, as he set the Lucarionite armband down on the table. "But watch."

He put his finger on the ring, and frowned.

The Lucarionite began to pulse, and the ring emitted a gentle hum. The longer he held his finger down, the more intense it got.

When he took his finger off, the hum remained, slowly diminishing – and became a little stronger when he moved it towards the Lucarionite, a little weaker when it was further away.

When the ring _touched_ the Lucarionite, there was a brief flash in the core. Very faint, almost unnoticeable.

"What was that?" Gary asked.

"Try it," Gurkinn told him. "Just make sure it's humming – you need to press it and concentrate on it, think about the stone – and then touch it to the Lucarionite."

Gary took the ring, and did as Gurkinn told him. It took him about a minute to get the keystone humming, and he then pressed it to the surface of the stone-

_Lucario._

"Wha-?" he said, shaking his head. "What just-"

Gurkinn smiled. "It's strange, isn't it? But I'm sure that will speed your work up substantially."

Umbreon gasped.

"_My _work?" Gary repeated. "What about your-"

"No, Gary, it's yours," Gurkinn told him. "A token of my thanks for your work. Just – keep it safe."

Gary nodded an affirmative, a bit shocked.

After a moment, he realized what to do next. He took the Mega Stones from his bag, and proceeded to identify them.

_Lopunny._

"Oh, great..." he winced. "Who do I know who has a Lopunny?"

No-one, Dee supplied.

"Thanks..."

_Absol._

"Don't think I know anyone with an Absol either," he mused, then caught Gurkinn's eye. "What?"

"Well, Lopunny – Lopunnite, I suppose – is a new one on me as well," Gurkinn informed him. "You've discovered a new kind of Mega Stone, Gary Oak."

Gary couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Wow."

Gurkinn nodded, and then raised his voice. "Thank you, you two. Back in you come."

The two Lucario moved back into the room, taking up their positions flanking Gurkinn's chair

As Gary turned to go, Gurkinn stopped him. "Oh – and this is from Professor Sycamore as well."

A small, glowing marble of stone was placed in Gary's palm.

"It's a cut Mega Stone," Gurkinn informed him, as Gary contemplated the blue-brown-blue fleck in the centre of the stone.

"Thanks," Gary said, touched, and used his new ring to identify it.

_Blastoise._

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

This is the bit where they come to terms with what happened.

To answer one of the most common questions I got asked – this is what's happened to Pikachu's cheeks. They're still there, just – only when he has the Light Ball active. Otherwise they're normal-Pikachu red.

Basically it's a really subtle form difference. No actual change in his output.

The other major timeline changes from last time were that the date Mega Evolutions were rediscovered got pushed back a few decades, Fairy Types became a thing, and that's about it. Basically only Eevee/Sylveon/Jolteon/whatever-she-was was interacting with the outside of the bubble. And that does indeed mean Molly invented the Fairy type and then persuaded Arceus to do it...

Pikachu's self-confidence hit here is, I hope, sensible. Don't worry, the fic hasn't changed course, it's still going to get silly. It's just that things don't vanish when the movie credits roll.

As for Suicune – handling her is tricky. Handling any Legendaries is tricky. But the anime set a really low bar in Tobias, so as long as I don't get as ridiculous as him it should be fine.

And, finally, Gary Gets A Break. In Kalos.

Enjoy, Blastoise, you crazy otaku-turtle you.

(As usual - let me know what you think. This fic has a Trope page, too.)


	77. Johto 19

"Olivine City," Ash announced unnecessarily, looking around. "It looks different to last time."

"Last time I bet you crossed the entire city in a minute," Misty pointed out. "You were going kind of fast."

Ash nodded. "Well, that was the time before last, technically, but point taken. Last time I was too busy panicking."

Brock smiled. "I guess that makes sense. So, where first?"

Ash gave him a look. "Do you even need to ask?"

The Pewter man held up his hands. "Sorry, sorry. Of course it's the Gym."

Ash frowned. "No? The Lighthouse."

Misty snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's _right_! That Ampharos!"

"At least _you_ remember, Misty," Ash said, smiling at Brock to remove the sting. "Right, let's go!"

As they set off for the lighthouse, they missed a couple of people on the street corner. One of them pointed at the group, and the other blinked, looked closer, and nodded.

* * *

><p>Ash knocked on the door.<p>

"Hello?" came the voice from inside. "Is that you, Janina? Remember I said you should-"

"It's not her," Ash interrupted. "I was looking for Jasmine? The Gym Leader?"

"Sorry, I'm not taking challenges at the moment," Jasmine told him. "Come back later, please."

"No, I don't want to challenge – well, not right away," Ash clarified. "I wanted to help with whatever was giving you trouble with _doing_ challenges."

There was a pause. Then the door clicked open.

"Who – oh!" Jasmine seemed a little surprised. "You're Ash Ketchum, right?"

Ash nodded. "That's me. You know me?"

"The others mentioned you," Jasmine explained. "Falkner was impressed, Bugsy sounded a bit scared, all I got from Whitney was a five minute rant about her poor gym and Morty honestly sounded worse than since we did our challenges against the Elite Four."

Seeing Ash's look of confusion, she shrugged. "We did ours at about the same time, so we keep in touch. Agatha took a shine to him... anyway, you said you could help?"

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "Or – I want to help. What's the problem, anyway?"

Jasmine stepped back from the door, letting him into the main room.

"This is my Ampharos, Sparkle," she explained. "He's quite ill."

The Ampharos muttered something – Ash couldn't quite make it out.

"Oh, that's right – sorry," Jasmine winced. "I renamed him when he evolved, but it's still hard to get used to the name. Amphy, that's right."

"Got it," Ash nodded.

Pikachu hopped down off Ash's shoulder, and walked curiously over to Amphy. _"I'd ask how you're feeling, but the answer's obvious. So... what's the problem, I guess?"_

"_Don't know,"_ Amphy said, hissing slightly in pain as he breathed. _"Everything hurts."_

"Can I have a look?" Brock asked from the door.

Gaining admittance, he examined Amphy for a few minutes.

"I spoke to the doctors here," Jasmine volunteered. "They weren't sure what the illness was, but there's a pharmacy in Cianwood who do something they said would help."

"Can you lift your tongue up, please?" Brock asked, and Amphy complied. "Right... okay, let's see..."

He stood, shrugging. "I'm not sure what he's _got_, but I know something that would help with the worst of the symptoms. I think there's some in my bag..."

"Thank you," Jasmine said, as Brock rummaged. "It's terrible watching him like this."

"Where's the pharmacy?" Ash asked. "I could go and pick the medicine up, I've got some fast Pokémon."

"You could?" Jasmine smiled. "That would be lovely, thanks – oh, here."

She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a Mineral Badge.

"It's the one I use for identification," she told him. "Show them that and they'll know I sent you, so they'll send me the bill."

Ash grinned. "Got it! I'll be back..."

He glanced at the clock.

"...how far is Cianwood City?"

"About forty miles away."

"Oh." Ash counted in his head. "Lunch, easily."

Jasmine blinked. "How fast _are_ your Pokémon?"

"He's not exaggerating," Misty told her.

* * *

><p>Out in the antechamber, Ash released some of his Pokémon.<p>

"Who do you think I should take?" he asked. "I mean – Pidgeot's the easy answer, but-"

Keldeo grimaced. _"I'm still not able to stay stable for more than a minute,"_ he told Ash. _"It'd be really cool, but I don't think I can carry you that far."_

Suicune, by contrast, looked interested. _"I think I could give it a go. I don't think I've ever carried a rider that far, but I know I can."_

Ash glanced at Pidgeot for approval, and she shrugged. _"I know I can, but if Suicune doesn't then she should try. I can fly alongside just in case, and I know you can swim."_

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "Good idea. Okay, we'll do that then."

* * *

><p>Ash opened the door of the lighthouse.<p>

"Uh..." he blinked at the small but respectable crowd outside. "Hi?"

"Are you Ash Ketchum?" someone asked.

"Yeah," Ash confirmed.

"Did you come through here earlier this week?" someone else said, jumping into the conversation.

"With Suicune!" another member of the crowd added. "My sister said she saw-"

"That's so cool-"

"How could he-"

Ash tried to think how to react, as the crowd bubbled with excitement and started asking more questions.

"_That's torn it,"_ Pikachu muttered, from his shoulder.

"Excuse me!" Ash said loudly.

The hubbub mostly died down.

"Thanks. Now – sorry, but I'm busy, and I've got to help a sick Pokémon."

"You're helping Sparkle?" someone said. "That's so nice!"

"Isn't he called Amphy now?"

"I didn't hear that-"

"_Do_ you have Suicune?"

Ash took a deep breath. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I caught Suicune. Two days ago."

There was a moment of silence.

Then the questions started up again.

"Please!" Ash implored. "Sorry, but I've got things to do. You'll all see her, I guess – but remember, I mainly want to get this done. I didn't expect to have crowds after me."

"_You probably should have,"_ Pikachu pointed out. _"You healed Suicune in a major city Pokémon centre."_

"I know, okay?" Ash replied. "I wasn't thinking."

* * *

><p>With some effort, he made his way through the crowd and down to the waterfront.<p>

"Sorry about this," he said to the Fast Ball as he unclipped it. "If you don't want to, just don't come out."

The 'ball promptly flashed and opened.

"_I expected it would happen some time,"_ Suicune admitted, as the crowd went absolutely silent. _"Really, Ash, I don't mind. From what you've said, you've reached the threshold that most competent criminals don't bother coming after you."_

"Thanks, Suicune," Ash said with a smile. "Okay, let's go. You know where Cianwood is?"

"_I do,"_ Suicune confirmed. _"Climb on – let's give them a show!"_

Ash sent out Pidgeot, who circled once and turned to hover into the wind – wings beating with a serene tempo to keep her aloft and stationary. That done, he stepped up to the blue Legendary and swung aboard.

"Okay," he said, and grinned. "Suicune – use Surf!"

"_You don't have to ask me twice."_

Suicune walked forwards, on the small waves making it through the breakwater, and then settled down to an easy gait.

That done, she began to speed up. At first it was slight, then it built up, until she was flying across the water in a plume of rainbow-coloured spray with Pidgeot matching her pace overhead.

Passing the breakwater, Suicune began to encounter larger waves. This hampered her not a whit, as she began changing the tempo of her loping run to hop between wave crests – each land-crouch-spring producing its own splash of white spray behind her, whipped by the following wind.

Clear of the harbour, she curved around a boat, and then made her course for Cianwood.

* * *

><p>Flecks of spray beat in Ash's face, and he held up an arm against the slightly salty water.<p>

"Wow!" he said, chuckling. "How fast are we going?"

"_About a hundred and twenty miles an hour, I think,"_ Suicune told him. _"Not especially fast."_

"_Downright arthritic, compared to me!"_ Pidgeot said from overhead.

"Huh, really?" Ash asked. "It feels much faster."

"_It's because we're closer to the water,"_ Pikachu suggested. _"I feel more like we're flying really, really low than running fast across the water."_

"Yeah, but – I mean, I've gone faster than this on land, I know I have," Ash replied. He shook his head. "Whatever – this is amazing!"

Suicune's reply was to ramp up the speed slightly, and Pidgeot fell momentarily behind before coming back up alongside.

"Oh – Suicune?" Ash asked. "Can you do something about the spray?"

"_Sorry, forgot."_ The spray instantly stopped hitting Ash, and Suicune turned her head slightly to look back at him. _"There – that should be diverting it out either side. Is that better?"_

"Much, thanks." Ash squinted. "Hey, look, an island ahead!"

"_We're about halfway,"_ Pidgeot informed them, and gained height shockingly fast. One moment she was there, the next she soared up and away.

A few seconds as a dot of pale brown, and she came zooming back. _"Yes, it's as I remembered. About another ten minutes, at this speed."_

Suicune glanced up. _"Thanks for the update."_

"_Pleasure."_

* * *

><p>Ash arrived in Cianwood City in style.<p>

* * *

><p>"Thanks, Suicune," he said, feet crunching on the beach as he got off her back. "Want to do the return trip too?"<p>

Suicune shrugged. _"If Pidgeot wants it, let her."_

"_That'd be nice,"_ Pidgeot admitted, flaring her wings and alighting next to them. _"That wasn't really much of a chance to stretch my wings, you're far too slow."_

"_I can do faster,"_ Suicune replied, smiling.

"Okay, I'm sure you're both fast," Ash chuckled, and called them back. "Right, I'll go and get that potion. Where's the Pharmacy..."

* * *

><p>"What's the problem you need cured?" the pharmacist asked, a little tersely. "Come on, I've not got all day..."<p>

"Uh – actually, I'm not quite sure," Ash admitted. "It's the Ampharos who runs the lighthouse in Olivine City – Amphy."

"I thought he was called Sparkle?" the pharmacist said, frowning. "Oh, guess it doesn't matter. Right... yeah, that is a problem, if he's ill."

"Jasmine called it the..." Ash thought. "Secret potion?"

"Oh- _oh._ Right. That." The man behind the counter glanced up, making sure there was no-one about to come in, and reached under the counter.

He produced a small bag of red pills, placing it on the polished wood. "There," he said. "That's the secret potion."

Ash glanced at Pikachu, who shrugged.

"Uh... how's that a potion?"

"That's the secret," the man told him. "Okay, it's a terrible joke, but that's really the reason I originally called it a potion – people don't realize it's the pills. It's made with the same active ingredient as a Full Restore, just about ten times as strong. Very valuable."

He clapped his hands. "So! The question of payment?"

Ash reached into his pocket, and took out the special Mineral Badge. "Jasmine gave me this to let you know it was her who you should charge it to."

"Right, thanks." The pharmacist took the badge, held it under a scanner, and nodded at the _bip_ noise. "Pleasure doing business with you – and her."

Ash nodded, taking the small bag of pills, and retrieving the Mineral Badge. "Thanks!"

* * *

><p>"Oh, thank you so much!" Jasmine said, smiling. She took one of the pills, and held it out to Amphy. "Here you go – sorry about the taste."<p>

Amphy took the pill, and swallowed it down. He looked a bit surprised. _"That... wasn't bad, actually..."_

Jasmine got the gist. She sniffed. "Huh. Strawberry?"

Brock chuckled. "I suppose it doesn't hurt to make them taste nice."

The Steel-type gym leader put them on the table next to Amphy's bed, and shook Ash's hand. "Thank you again – hold on, I think I've got one of the normal Mineral badges somewhere-"

"No thanks," Ash said, shaking his head. "I want to earn my badges the battling way."

"Oh, okay." Jasmine blinked. "But – I'm not sure how I can thank you, then. I mean, I could give you first priority, but I'm not sure how long it'll be before Amphy is well enough I could feel confident leaving him – so that might mean making you wait a few days or even a week..."

"Really, it's no problem!" Ash assured her. "I was going to battle the Cianwood gym as well, so I can do that one and come back when you're ready."

Jasmine shook her head. "Morty said you were strange, I didn't realize he meant like this... well, thanks again, then. And I'll be sure to make your battle as impressive as possible."

"I look forward to it!" Ash told her.

* * *

><p>"Right, what now?" Ash asked. "Should we just head over to battle the Cianwood Gym?"<p>

"Perhaps," Misty said, frowning. "But I heard about something in this town – the Battle Tower. Perhaps we should see what it's like."

"Sounds good to me," Ash agreed.

* * *

><p>The Battle Tower turned out to be a lot like an office block.<p>

"You need badges to get in," the guards on the door said, being the main difference from an office block on the outside.

Brock held up a Boulderbadge.

Misty held up a Cascadebadge.

Ash fiddled with the lock on his Badge case. "How many do you need? I've got about eighteen, but only sixteen of them are official and only four are Johto-"

"That'll be fine," they interrupted. "Pass."

* * *

><p>"This is a pretty neat place, actually," Brock observed, looking around the lobby. "Hey, look, a coat of arms!"<p>

He squinted. (It was hard to tell.)

"What does Nil Sine Pokémon mean?"

Ash shrugged. "Not sure. Excuse me?"

One of the receptionists looked up. "Yes?"

"How does this work?"

"We're a centre for competitive battling," she explained. "Are you intending to register?"

"Don't know yet," Ash admitted.

"Right. Well, it's possible to have a couple of kinds of battles – basically pickup battles – without registering, but if you want the newsletter and other resources we offer then registering is recommended."

Ash nodded. "Can you set up a pickup battle, then?"

"Certainly." She tapped on the computer. "What tier do you want to be at?"

That was a new one to Ash. "Tier?"

"There's five broad tiers, they're based on usage and on the power of the Pokémon in them. Pokémon in higher tiers than the tier of the battle aren't allowed, mainly to make it all fairer – otherwise anyone who came with a top-tier Pokémon would win." She rummaged around for a bit, and passed over a booklet. "These are the current tiers. We also have rules for preventing what we call Endless Battles, and we ban some of the really obnoxious other properties like the Moody ability."

Ash sniggered at her tone of voice on the last part. "Did Whitney show up here?"

"That stupid Bidoof of hers..." the other receptionist sighed. "Yeah, that's what got the ability banned."

Still chuckling, Ash opened the booklet at the Uber list. His expression changed. "Why are half of these legendary Pokémon?"

"Can never be too careful," the receptionist told him seriously. "After all, if we didn't make it explicit, someone _might_ show up with a team made of Ho-Oh, Mewtwo and Lugia, and that just wouldn't be fair..."

Misty made a strangled sound of laughter.

"Yeah, but-" Ash turned the page, then flipped back again and started counting. "There's only two Pokémon on here who _aren't_ Legendary! What's so bad about Blaziken and Excadrill?"

The receptionist gave him a serious look. "Speed Boost Blaziken with Flare Blitz are no laughing matter."

Ash remembered Harrison's Blaziken from the Silver conference, who'd fought on par with Charizard _in the air_ and ultimately knocked him out. "...okay, fair point."

"So, any thoughts?" she resumed.

Ash flipped through. "What's Little Cup?"

"Only allowed to Pokémon in their first stage who can evolve at least once," she told him. "Used to be freshly hatched, but the logistics of that were impossible."

"Huh. I guess I might do that."

Pikachu perked up. _"Does that mean me?"_

"No, you were a Pichu," Ash reminded him.

"_You can't prove that."_ Pikachu turned away with a huff.

"I was actually thinking of Houndour, Totodile and Squirtle," Ash resumed.

He then blinked. "Wait – why is _Articuno_ in the Never Used tier? It's a Legendary Pokémon!"

The receptionist blinked. "Actually... I don't know..."

* * *

><p>"Okay, guys," Ash said, looking between the three Pokémon. "You know what we're doing here?"<p>

"_Yeah!"_ Squirtle said, nodding enthusiastically. _"An awesome fight of awesome!"_

Ash chuckled. "Okay, Houndour, your job is to handle any Grass-types, as well as whatever else shows up which Squirtle and Totodile can't beat."

Houndour's tail wagged. _"I'll do the best I can."_

"Totodile, I'll be sending you in first. Sorry, but..." he shrugged.

"_I'll be fine!"_ Totodile said with a smile. _"This'll be great fun!"_

"Good to know." Ash reached down and scratched Houndour under the chin, then gave Totodile a quick hug. "Good luck, guys, and let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Welcome!" the referee said. "This will be a three-on-three Little Cup match! If a Pokémon evolves, then congratulations but they must be removed from the battle. The banlist applies."<p>

"Not a problem," Ash's opponent said. "Oh, hey, aren't you Ash Ketchum?"

"Yeah, that's me," Ash nodded. "What's your name?"

"I'm Blake," the heavyset man informed him. "Not as famous as you, I guess, but everyone's important in their way. Shall we get this goin'?"

"Sure!" Ash replied.

"On the count of three," the referee said. "One. Two. Three!"

"Totodile!" Ash called.

"Bronzor!"

"Totodile, you know what to do!" Ash called.

"_Yep! Whee!"_ Totodile jumped into the air, boosting with Aqua Jet, and then came down towards Bronzor with his jaws ready for a Bite.

"Stealth Rock!" Blake ordered.

His Bronzor spun, producing a shower of glowing balls of light. As Totodile hit, his powerful jaws snapping home on the bronzed metal of his opponent, the balls hit the ground and solidified into large rocks.

"Great..." Ash winced. "Keep it up, Totodile!"

"Flash cannon!" Blake said.

"Whoa – Totodile, look out!" Ash said.

Totodile glanced back at Ash. _"Eh?"_ he said, voice a bit muffled, then got blasted backwards by the Flash Cannon.

The reptilian Pokémon went flying through the air, shook his head as he fell, and used a burst of water straight down to prevent himself hitting the ground too hard.

"_Okay, that hurts!"_ he said, rubbing his jaw. _"Let's try this – Hydro Pump!"_

A high-pressure blast of water hit Bronzor, sending it clanging off the far wall.

"That's a powerful move for such a little Pokémon," Blake commented, as Bronzor spun out of the stream and started moving around, avoiding the attack now. "Bronzor – use Hypnosis!"

"Close your eyes, Totodile!" Ash said quickly. "I'll tell you where to aim!"

Totodile nodded, eyes screwed shut, and started blasting randomly.

"Left a bit!" Ash said. "Now – right! Right a bit – straight up!"

Water went everywhere, as Ash tried to steer Totodile's water jets onto Bronzor. For its part, the Steel/Psychic type kept using Hypnosis, trying to either get Totodile with it if his guard fell, or – more likely – simply tire him out.

"This isn't working," Ash said eventually. "Okay, Totodile, stop for now."

The Water-type obediently did so, panting. _"Did I get him?"_

"Once," Ash replied. "But not really enough... okay. New plan."

He took a Pokéball, and whispered to it. "Sorry about this, Houndour – watch out for the rocks."

Then he returned Totodile and sent out Houndour in the same motion.

* * *

><p>Houndour landed on the arena floor, crouched, and managed to dodge the first Stealth Rock. The second caught him a glancing blow, and he winced before leaping off a third and over the fourth. The last one, he hit straight on with a Faint Attack, spalling off some fragments and also knocking him backwards.<p>

"_I now hate that move,"_ he said, landing again.

"Oh, nice," Blake commented. "Dark and Fire type, pretty good choice. Come back, Bronzor!"

"_Oh no you don't!"_ Houndour snapped, leaping forwards. _"Pursuit!"_

The powerful blow didn't knock Bronzor out, but it did produce quite a loud _clang. _Then it was back in its Pokéball, and Blake sent his second out.

"Oh, hey," Misty said, interested. "Where'd you get the Omanyte?"

"There's a load of them unfrozen recently near the Ruins of Alph," Blake informed her. "Right – Omanyte, Hydro Pump!"

Houndour yelped, and jumped out of the way as the blast of water came in. Some of it hit his leg, battering him off-course, and he landed hard.

Growling, he split off two body-double images.

"Halt!" the referee said. "Double Team is a banned move!"

"_This isn't Double Team,"_ Houndour said promptly.

"He says it's not Double Team," Ash supplied.

The referee looked a little confused. "What is it, then?"

"If it's not a banned move, can we get back to the battle?" Ash checked. "Because there's a bit of an element of strategy here..."

The referee frowned. "Fine, but this is your only warning – if double team or minimize are used, then the Pokémon must immediately forfeit."

"_Right – as I was saying,"_ Houndour resumed. _"Beat Up!"_

Omanyte was surprised to say the least when the images turned into shadow-clones of a Keldeo and a Suicune, and proceeded to hit him very hard indeed.

"Huh," Blake said, blinking, as his Omanyte rolled to a stop and slowly got back up again. "That ain't something you normally see... Ancientpower!"

Houndour managed to dodge the rock. _"What is it with the rocks?"_

The follow-up shower of spikes, though, knocked him out of the fight.

* * *

><p>Ash thought quickly. If he sent out Totodile, then Blake would just switch right back to Bronzor – which would put it all back to how they'd started.<p>

There was only one option.

"Squirtle!"

"_Oh, yeah!"_ Squirtle said, erupting into the air. He tucked his limbs into his shell just as the Stealth Rocks came in, then released a huge blast of water which blocked them all and sent them flying away again.

"_No mere rock can stop my emergence! I'm the badass Squirtle you've all heard about!"_ he announced, landing on the floor of the arena with a _thump_ and readying his glasses.

"Two water-types, kid?" Blake said, a bit surprised. "I thought you'd have a Grass-type or something..."

"They all evolved," Ash said with a shrug.

"Huh. Well – Omanyte, use Toxic Spikes!"

"_Toxins don't evaporate my raging torrent!"_ Squirtle called, jumping out of the way. _"Take this, shellface! Hydro-"_

"Isn't the face the only bit which _isn't_ shell?" Ash interrupted.

Squirtle threw him an annoyed look.

"Hey, I'm just saying!" Ash protested. "Besides, you've got a shell too-"

"_I don't have to listen to any more of this!"_ Squirtle announced.

While they'd been talking, the Omanyte had layered a total of two layers of toxic spikes and three of regular spikes, leaving the area Squirtle was standing as about the only area _not_ covered in spiky traps.

"That's enough setup!" Blake said. "Now, use Hidden Power!"

Omanyte's tentacles waved around, and energy began to glow on their tips.

"_The largest Pokémon in the world live in the sea! That's because it's the only place with enough water to contain their awesome! Hydro Cannon!"_ Squirtle shouted, and fired his Water-type blast.

The Omanyte retaliated with a salvo of Hidden Power orbs, which shotgunned the area Squirtle was standing.

"How does _that_ work?" Blake asked, as the Hydro Cannon connected in a colossal blast of water which splashed his clothes. "I thought little Squirtle couldn't learn that attack!"

Ash winced. "I make it a point never to tell Squirtle something's impossible, he takes it as a challenge."

For his part, Squirtle hadn't had it all his own way. Just before connecting the shower of orbs had crackled with electricity, and he'd been unable to dodge all of them.

Panting, he stepped forwards – away from the crater his recoil had made in the wall – and stared fixedly at the dripping wet ammonite on the other side of the battlefield.

"_You just don't know when to give up, do you?"_ he panted, pulling a Spike from his right leg.

Omanyte fired another salvo of Hidden Power orbs.

"_I refuse to be beaten by something so old and out of date!"_ Squirtle announced, withdrawing his limbs into his shell. _"Gurren Lagann – spin on!"_

Water gushed from the holes, shooting him into the air and away from the Electric attack, and then began to make him rotate.

Slowly at first, but rapidly getting faster and faster.

"_Who the hell do you think I am?"_ Squirtle shouted, rotating now with so much speed he was drawing in a small tornado of air. _"With every turn, I make my mark! With every enemy, I become stronger! That's why I'm the badass-"_

"Just attack already!" Ash snapped.

"_Ultimate rapid-spin attack!"_

Squirtle didn't actually hit Omanyte very hard.

The huge number of spikes, toxic spikes and rocks which were whipped along with the storm, however, were a different story.

When Squirtle hit the ground, breathing heavily, his opponent was buried in every single trap that had been set up for the whole battle so far.

"...well, guess he's out of it," Blake shrugged. "Oh well. Dwebble!"

Squirtle blinked at the Bug-type. _"Seriously?"_

"Shell smash!"

Dwebble started to glow – very brightly – and his shell splintered. He then aimed a Rock Blast at Squirtle.

"_Gah!"_ Squirtle jumped out of the way of a high-speed rock, and then a second one hit him. _"Ow! Take this – my burning soul in one attack! Scald!"_

A jet of high-pressure water shot out, hitting Dwebble. The little hermit crab skidded backwards from the force, then made a gesture with his claws.

The rocks from the earlier Stealth Rock all rose out of the pile, glowed briefly, and avalanched towards Squirtle as Dwebble used Stone Edge.

Squirtle's reply to that was to draw his glasses off his face and use them to block. He actually cut the first rock in half, but the second one caught him before he'd managed to recover his stance and he went down.

* * *

><p>Ash winced. "Okay, Totodile, back to you!"<p>

Totodile leapt onto the field. _"Hydro Pump!"_

The torrent of water slammed into the already-weakened Dwebble. Totodile's aim still wasn't perfect, so the bug managed to avoid some of the blast, but it was staggering when the attack ran its course.

"Don't give him time to recover!" Ash said.

Totodile nodded, jumping forwards and using Aqua Jet to get a better trajectory. _"Take this!"_

Dwebble fired a rock upwards, starting off another Rock Blast, and Totodile was unable to dodge it. Instead, however, he smashed through it – a blue glow outlining his body as he did.

Perhaps for this reason, he hit Dwebble hard enough to knock him at least an inch into the floor, and out for the count.

* * *

><p>"Hey, nice!" Ash said. "Totodile, that was Superpower!"<p>

"_Does that make me a superhero?"_ Totodile asked curiously.

Ash shrugged.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Blake said. "Guess your Water-types are tough, Ash – even the little ones. But I kind of think that Totodile's still going to have problems with Bronzor!"

The Steel/Psychic type emerged back onto the battlefield.

"Hypnosis!" Blake ordered.

Totodile closed his eyes, recognizing what to do in this situation. _"Ash?"_ he asked. _"What do I do now?"_

As he spoke, Bronzor fired another Flash Cannon at him.

"Jump!" Ash said, and Totodile managed to get out of the way just before he got hit.

Ash racked his brains. How to avoid Totodile being Flash Cannoned to bits...

"Aha!" he said. "There's a rock to your left! Can you pick it up?"

Totodile ran over as soon as he landed, and didn't quite stop before he hit the rock. Shaking his head to clear it, he picked the former Stealth Rock off the ground – the faint glow of Superpower outlining his body.

"Good!" Ash told him. "Now, use it as a shield to keep him from using Hypnosis!"

Totodile nodded, holding the rock up in about the direction he thought the Bronzor was.

"Flash Cannon again!" Blake ordered.

Totodile took a deep breath, adjusting his makeshift shield, and then fired a Hydro Pump just as he heard the Flash Cannon fire.

The rock shield burst into fragments under the force of the Steel-type attack, but then Totodile's jet of high-pressure water tracked across the room and hit _Bronzor_ – dead on.

With a _clang_, Bronzor bounced off the wall at speed. As it came spinning back towards Totodile, he jumped into the air and chomped down with another Bite.

Bronzor struggled, trying to get out, then went inert.

"Huh," Blake said, withdrawing his Pokémon. "Guess you win, kid – I can see how you did as well as you did!"

Totodile jumped up and down. _"I won! Huzzah!"_

"You sure did, Totodile," Ash affirmed, scooping him up and embracing him. "That was really clever of you!"

"_Thanks!"_ Totodile said, beaming. _"I thought – hey, if I've got the shield then I don't need to close my eyes, and if he's blowing up the shield then he's not using Hypnosis so I can hit him with Hydro Pump!"_

"Good thinking, Totodile," Ash smiled.

* * *

><p>"That didn't go too badly, I thought," Ash said, as he left. "I mean, they have kind of strange rules, but – yeah, not bad at all."<p>

Dexter rang.

Ash reached into his pocket, and pulled out the earpiece. "Hi, Ash here-"

"Ash!" May shouted, making him jump.

"May?" he said, partly in surprise but also to let his friends know who it was. "What is it?"

"When were you going to let us know you caught Suicune?" May asked. "We saw you on the news! Riding Suicune into Olivine harbour! There was news footage and everything!"

Ash blinked. "...oh, yeah, sorry – slipped my mind. Within minutes of catching her I was trying to prevent someone from changing history using a Celebi, so I was kind of distracted."

"You were?" Max's voice cut in. "What were you – is _that_ why there's suddenly a Fairy type?"

"...yes," Ash said, simplifying considerably. "I'll tell you guys the full story later..."

"You'd better," Max said seriously. "I failed a test because I didn't know the properties of the Fairy-type, so it better be a good reason!"

May cut back in. "How did you catch a Legendary Pokémon, Ash?"

"She challenged me," Ash told her. "So did Entei and Raikou, actually. All the others volunteered to be caught without a fight."

"Others?" May asked, now really confused.

Ash sighed. "This could take a while..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Olivine City!

Three things to really note here. First is the Amphy/Sparkle thing. The anime called it Sparkle, the games called it Amphy, I'm going with the middle ground – a Pokémon renamed _to_ Amphy once it evolved.

Seems legit.

Anyway, the quest was kind of half-handled in the anime, they went _to_ Cianwood but didn't have to get the medicine _back_. Here Ash is using another one of his increasingly large number of options to travel very quickly.

Speaking of which – using Suicune for Surf is a pretty awesome idea. I mean, it _runs_ across the water at a hundred miles an hour or more! However, that leads to the second point.

Ash is... kind of getting noticed.

It's not going to happen everywhere, not to the same degree, but... well, can't remain anonymous forever. Not catching Legendaries and saving the world.

The third thing is what I did to the Battle Tower (which does exist in the anime, but only to the level of cameo). Hopefully I didn't offend any Smogon regulars...


	78. Johto 20

This is the first of two chapters today.

"HA!"

Ash jumped. "What-"

A large man strode up to him in the middle of the street.

"You look familiar!" the man boomed. "You must be Ash Ketchum!"

He winked. "I heard you were coming! I'm looking forward to a battle!"

"That's nice," Ash said, grinning. "You're the head of the Cianwood gym, right?"

"That's me! I'm Chuck," Chuck said, smiling back. "Come, follow me! The gym's right this way!"

* * *

><p>"So," Chuck said, as they filed into the building. "I know you've got a Lucario and a Primeape, but – how many Fighting types do you have?"<p>

Ash frowned. "Three-"

There was a flash, and a Pokéball at his waist burst open.

"_Four,"_ Keldeo said firmly. _"He has four Fighting-types."_

Chuck blinked. "That's... wait, I recognize... a Keldeo, right?"

"You're one of the first people to recognize him, actually," Ash said. "Yes, this is Keldeo."

"One of the Swords of Justice!" Chuck chuckled. "Didn't expect to see them outside Unova!"

He shrugged. "So. Four Fighting-types... hm... tell you what, challenger. I'll use five Fighting-types, and you should use all four of yours and one other of your choice."

"Uh-" Ash glanced down at Keldeo.

The Colt Pokémon shook his head at Ash. _"I told you, Ash. I follow you, for now – and that includes fighting for badges. I'd like to help you earn at least one, as... well, payment I guess."_

"Oh?" Chuck blinked. "Am I missing something?"

"I didn't really catch Keldeo, not properly," Ash explained. "I helped him out, and he decided to follow me – but it... I don't know, using a Legendary Pokémon seems kind of-"

Chuck interrupted him. "Dear me, Ash! I've met people who have Legendaries before – not often, but I have. And they all share one property – they _earned_ them. It doesn't matter how, whether due to trust or by catching them, or both! But feel free to use whatever Pokémon you have in whatever battle they want to be in!"

He shrugged. "I met someone who travelled with a Moltres, once. Now _that_ was a blast of a battle!"

Ash nodded, absorbing that. "Okay, I guess – if you don't mind, I mean-"

"I'd _love_ to see what you can do, Ash!" Chuck assured him. "Now, let's get started!"

* * *

><p>Despite Chuck's bombastic announcement, of course, it wasn't that easy. Ash had to contact Professor Oak to send over Primeape, and he had to also reach the other Pokémon he wanted to participate – who was entirely willing to.<p>

They also had to wait for Pidgeot to go and fetch Molly, who overheard the discussions about the gym fight and wanted to watch Ash at battle.

So, about twenty minutes later, the battle began.

"This match will be five separate one on one matches!" Chuck told the assembled dojo. "Challenger, send out your first Pokémon!"

Ash nodded. "Right – Lucario, you go first!"

"Hitmonlee!" Chuck replied, releasing the tough Fighting-type. "Now, show him your mastery of Taekwondo!"

* * *

><p>Lucario sized up his opponent, slowly building Aura on his palms ready to use as needed.<p>

His opponent stretched, extending his legs a couple of times to make sure they were limber, and then returned to a careful sizing-up.

For several seconds, they stared at each other, making no move.

Then, as if on a hidden signal, both burst into action.

Hitmonlee crouched, and sprang off the floor with his powerful legs – going over Lucario's first gambit, an Aura Sphere.

Lucario blinked at the sheer height of the jump – then raised his arms in a frantic block as Hitmonlee came screaming down at enormous speed in a High Jump Kick.

There was a _crash_ of foot on steel as Lucario's crossed forearms intercepted the incoming kick, and he went skidding backwards a few inches.

"_Ow,"_ he said, pleasantly, and grabbed Hitmonlee's leg before using it as leverage to throw the other Fighting-type into the wall.

Spinning in mid-air, Hitmonlee arrived at the wall feet-first. He crouched with the impact, legs coiling up like springs, and then launched himself off the wall again to deliver a scything horizontal kick.

Halfway through the kick, his foot caught fire.

Lucario ducked under this one, catching a blow to the side from the other – non-blazing – leg, and stumbled sideways slightly as Hitmonlee skated to a stop on his supple feet.

Then Hitmonlee came in again, this time delivering another Jump Kick, and Lucario darted out of the way.

Hitmonlee hit the ground with an earth-shaking _crash_, cracking the gym floor.

* * *

><p>"Is that going to be a problem?" Ash asked, as Hitmonlee emerged from the dust cloud with a Rolling Kick.<p>

Chuck shrugged. "It happens a lot! I'm the brawliest, rowdiest Gym Leader in all of Johto!"

There was another _clang_ as Lucario blocked this latest attack, and then counterfired with a Flash Cannon.

* * *

><p>Lucario capitalized on his advantage as Hitmonlee opened the range. He formed a pair of Aura Spheres, rammed them together, and sent them out as a cloud of seeker spheres.<p>

Hitmonlee's retaliation was... impressive. He planted one foot and pivoted on it, kicking out at sphere after sphere and destroying them all before they could hit.

"_Very quick of you,"_ Lucario complimented. _"You clearly train hard."_

"_Thank you,"_ Hitmonlee said, courteously. Then he kicked off in another skywards leap.

Lucario watched him rise, and blinked – that trajectory would take him to the roof-

Quick as a flash, Hitmonlee spun so his feet hit the ceiling first. He crouched – upside down – and sprang off in a high-speed kick which produced a blast of air ahead of it.

In response to this, Lucario formed a pair of Metal Claws from the spikes on his wrists. Crossing them ahead of him, he took the brunt of the impact on the claws – which cracked under the impact, sending him skidding backwards a few inches on the sanded floor.

"_Ow,"_ he said, pushing Hitmonlee back. _"Any ideas, Ash?"_

In reply, he got a kind of... tickling sensation at the back of his mind.

Recognizing it, he jumped back away from Hitmonlee's next Blaze Kick – letting the range stay open, giving him the chance to concentrate on what Ash was trying to tell him.

Their aura link was a very real thing, but also _very_ hard to use for anything constructive. It took too much of Ash's concentration – as Lucario jumped away from another attack, he saw his trainer had his eyes closed, focusing entirely on the link – and they couldn't send much more than a sentence through even after this much practice.

Lucario got the message this time, though. _Protect._

Just that one word. It was enough.

Forming another Aura Sphere, Lucario – rather than firing it – kept it in his palm, spinning faster and faster.

As Hitmonlee came in, he fired the Sphere at the _ground_, producing a blast of packed earth chunks which checked the advance of the Kicking Pokémon and gave Lucario time to get to the other side of the room.

Hands glowing, he gathered together another Flash Cannon.

Hitmonlee's response to that was to run forwards and launch into another powerful High Jump Kick.

As soon as he was committed, Lucario abandoned charging his Flash Cannon – never really intended to be used – and raised a Protect screen in Hitmonlee's way.

With a loud _bang_, Hitmonlee hit the shield. All the force had nowhere to go but into him.

He bounced off, landed hard, and rolled twice before coming to his feet – just in time for an Aura-infused kick from Lucario, pressing his advantage.

Hitmonlee took a couple more blows before he was able to stabilize the situation with a hurried Blaze Kick, and Lucario retreated to the other side of the room – clearly inviting another High Jump Kick.

* * *

><p>"Something's not right..." Ash said, as Hitmonlee kicked off for another High Jump Kick – clearly taking the opening.<p>

He blinked. "Lucario! Look-"

* * *

><p>As Hitmonlee came down, Lucario raised another Protect shield.<p>

Much to his surprise, though, Hitmonlee drew back his kicking leg just before it landed.

His _other_ leg, foot infused with a blue glow, slammed into the shield – cracking it under the impact of a shield-breaker Aura blow, delivered through the heel, and then the first leg slammed back out through the hole as the Protect failed.

The Fighting-attack slammed into Lucario's shoulder, drawing a grunt of pain, and then Hitmonlee sprang back into the air just far enough to fire in a Blaze Kick.

Lucario's hand snapped up, catching it.

Hitmonlee's eyes had just enough time to widen before the Counter hit.

* * *

><p>"Impressive!" Chuck announced, as his Hitmonlee rolled to a stop, before coming to his feet. "But that won't work again."<p>

He laughed. "This is wonderful! Hitmonlee – isn't this just the best!"

Hitmonlee nodded briefly, then turned back to his foe.

"Hitmonlee!" Chuck called. "All in one blow! A Master Blow!"

"He can do those?" Ash asked.

Hitmonlee burst forwards in a sudden explosion of speed.

* * *

><p>Lucario saw the devastating kick as it came in, in <em>just<em> enough time to react.

"_Endu-"_ he called, and then got hit by an attack so powerful it launched him _and_ Hitmonlee into the wall, making the building shake.

* * *

><p>Ash closed his eyes, trying to see through the cloud of dust.<p>

That revealed that both Lucario and Hitmonlee were still standing – though, in Lucario's case, it could barely be dignified with the name.

Hitmonlee was shaky as well, but in much better shape.

Then Lucario grinned.

"_Copycat,"_ he said, spinning on his right leg, and his left slammed out.

The effort of the blow was too much for him, coming on top of such a devastating earlier attack, and he passed out.

He did, however, get the satisfaction of launching Hitmonlee into the opposite wall and knocking him out as well. So there was that.

* * *

><p>"That was cool!" Molly said, as Ash recalled Lucario and Chuck did the same with Hitmonlee. "Gym battles are amazing!"<p>

She then looked a bit worried. "Is Lucario okay?"

"He'll be fine," Ash assured her. "Okay, who next?"

Chuck shrugged. "We send them out at the same time! That's the fairest way!"

Ash nodded his agreement. "Okay, your turn Primeape!"

"Hitmontop!" Chuck called at the same moment.

* * *

><p>Primeape landed on the hard-packed earth of the gym floor, and bounced from foot to foot as he readied himself for battle.<p>

His opponent, a Hitmontop, bowed – then kept going, and landed on his head-spike. Kicking off, he began to spin easily and confidently on his head.

Primeape cracked his knuckles.

There were several ways to approach this...

Taking a breath, he leaped forwards with his fist glowing with Aura for a Mach Punch.

Hitmontop saw it coming, and spun up faster – knocking Primeape's fist aside with one kick, then his arm with the second, and his tail delivered a third blow which sent Primeape bouncing away again.

Primeape skidded to a halt, frowning. As he did, Hitmontop flipped back upright and regarded him coolly.

The two began to slowly circle, pacing around as they each tried to get a feel for the other.

Then Hitmontop pushed off, suddenly hurtling forwards.

Primeape retaliated by punching out directly at the incoming Hitmontop, catching him a glancing blow as he went past – then Hitmontop landed on the floor head first and started spinning again.

This time, his feet snapped into fire as he spun, and he volleyed in a Blaze Kick which only barely missed Primeape.

"Good!" Chuck called, as Hitmontop's blazing feet produced a solid ring of fire and Primeape backed away a little. "Now, keep spinning – and move! Follow him!"

Hitmontop's spin accelerated, and began to carve a furrow in the floor of the gym as he headed towards Primeape with feet whirling and blazing.

* * *

><p>"Uh..." Ash said, blinking. "Chuck? Is it me or are you-"<p>

"Hitmontop!" Chuck interrupted. "Keep spinning – and Focus your Energy! Spin faster, hit harder!"

"_With every spin, I become stronger!"_ Hitmontop agreed, form becoming a blur as his rotations got quicker and quicker.

Ash felt a suspicion forming. "Is he into that anime? The drill one?"

Chuck nodded. "Yes! Have you seen it?"

"No, but one of my Pokémon has." Ash shrugged. "I'm a bit busy to watch anime, really..."

Chuck considered that. "Fair enough! Hitmontop – use Gyro Ball!"

* * *

><p>Primeape watched as Hitmontop spun faster, and looked for an opening.<p>

This, he had to admit as two glowing orbs formed in Hitmontop's arms, was a tricky one.

Scowling, he lunged forwards, lashing out with a punch aimed in the opposite direction to Hitmontop's spin, and got knocked backwards by a blow at a devastating combined speed.

Undaunted, he bounced up and leapt in again. This time, he lashed out with a low, sweeping kick – trying to get entirely below the spinning Pokémon's guard.

This didn't work much better. The energy of the Gyro Ball hit him four times before sending him bouncing away again.

Primeape slammed his fist into the ground as he approached it, using it as a point to break on and come to a skidding halt with a rooster-tail of earth out in the direction he'd been travelling as he shed momentum.

One lip curled up as he stood, and slapped his left fist into his right.

Aura flashed around his legs, and then he began to run – with a hollow _boom_ as he kicked off.

* * *

><p>"Ow!" Molly said, putting her hands over her ears. "That was much louder than when Pidgeot did it!"<p>

Her Eevee shifted to Espeon, and projected a psychic bubble which deadened the sound. _"Is that better?"_

"Much!" Molly smiled. "Thank you, Espeon!"

The green feline preened, then returned her attention to the battle she was watching.

* * *

><p>Primeape ran, leaning far over into the continual turn he was making as he followed Hitmontop's spin – in the <em>same<em> direction.

The floor of the gym began to crack with the strain he was putting it through, but for once he wasn't facing the prospect of punching something moving at high speed with relation to him – instead, the Hitmontop was, from his perspective, going slower and slower.

Capitalizing on it, Primeape reached in and grabbed Hitmontop's tail – then jammed his feet into the floor, braking as hard as he could.

The sudden change in momentum sent both Pokémon flying, whipcracked in different directions hard enough for Primeape to lose his grip.

* * *

><p>Hitmontop bounced off the wall, leaving a dent, and landed on one leg and one arm. Sweeping his leg around and then up into the air, he flipped back onto his head and returned to a spin.<p>

He noticed that the Primeape had hit the wall much harder than he had – good.

He then noticed that Primeape was glowing red.

That was probably less good.

* * *

><p>Primeape clapped one fist into another, Anger Point at full power.<p>

He drew back his fist, which glowed an eerie purple as the boost from the Ability met his Aura, and slammed it into the floor of the gym.

The whole floor _heaved._ The walls shook, plaster drifting down from the corners of the ceiling, and only the area around the spectators stayed more or less level – thanks largely to a quick bubble of shielding psychic energy from Espeon.

* * *

><p>Cracks raced across the floor.<p>

Hitmontop came out of his spin, barely managing to do so in time as the floor became dangerously unstable to do that kind of spinning trick on, and landed on a canted slab of earth on sure feet.

He looked up just in time to see Primeape's incoming fist.

* * *

><p>"Ouch," Ash said, wincing, as Primeape delivered punch after punch to the recumbent form of Hitmontop. Occasionally the other Fighting-type got in a return blow on Primeape – Ash noticed at least one Triple Kick, one Blaze Kick and a nasty Close Combat – but if anything they were just making him even <em>angrier.<em>

"Is that Thrash?" Brock asked, wincing as well, as Primeape gradually dug a floor with his succession of punches.

"I think so, yeah," Ash agreed. "Guess he's got a lot of frustration to work out."

"_...grah! So much- and the thing with the-"_

Ash nodded. "Yep, definitely too much rage."

Eventually, the floor stopped shaking.

Primeape jumped back up out of the crater.

"_I'm all right now,"_ he said, surprisingly calmly. _"By the way, I think he's knocked out."_

"You _think?_" Misty said incredulously. "What, you're not sure?"

Primeape shrugged.

* * *

><p>Hitmontop was, indeed, unconscious.<p>

"Well, that was impressive," Chuck said. "And loud. Right, number three!"

Ash nodded, plucking a simple Pokéball from his belt. "Okay... here goes. Keldeo!"

"Hitmonchan!"

* * *

><p>Keldeo landed on the somewhat-unstable floor of the gym, adjusted his footing for a moment, and looked up at his opponent.<p>

Hitmonchan bowed to him, and he repaid the gesture.

After a few seconds, Keldeo opened the battle. He raised his forehoof, and fired a blast of water – using his rear hoof as well to balance it.

Hitmonchan drew back a fist and punched the incoming jet. His gloved fist scattered the jet in all directions – and froze it, as well, producing a kind of disc-shape made out of ice.

The Ice Punch then continued on, pushing the sudden ice formation forwards at a startling speed, and Keldeo lashed out with a kick to shatter it before it hit him.

Frowning, the Colt Pokémon decided to try something else. Gathering energy, he charged a Focus Blast.

_That_ drew a reaction. Hitmonchan launched himself forwards, feet drumming on the ground, and curved around to the left to avoid Keldeo's attack.

Unfortunately for him, Keldeo could aim quite nicely. His Focus Blast fired, clipping the fast-moving Fighting-type and knocking him off course for a moment.

Hitmonchan braked using one glove, glanced up for a moment, and launched himself forwards again.

Keldeo warded off the incoming Bullet Punch with his horn, activating Sacred Sword, then kicked out at Hitmonchan again as he stalled.

Hitmonchan jumped back a bit, and used his gloves in a guard position to block a Water Pulse.

* * *

><p>"Is it me, or are they kind of feeling each other out?" Misty asked. "I know Keldeo's more decisive than that."<p>

"They are, I think," Ash agreed. "I – whoah!"

* * *

><p>Keldeo skidded across the floor, flank smarting from the Comet Punch Hitmonchan had hit him with.<p>

"_Ow,"_ he said, as he stopped moving. _"Okay, let's see you deal with this!"_

Keldeo used Hydro Pump, launching himself into the air. After rising to near the roof, he lowered the power of the jets, and used them to hover in (somewhat-wobbly) place instead of continuing to ascend.

Once there, he charged another Focus Blast, and fired it down at Hitmonchan.

Hitmonchan's reply was to blow it to bits with a lightning-fast Fire Punch. Cracking his knuckles, he examined Keldeo's position, and then the slowly-thickening film of water on the gym floor.

Taking two steps forwards, he crouched and sprang upwards in a high-speed uppercut.

Keldeo recognized the incoming Sky Uppercut, and lifted his two forelegs to spray the incoming Hitmonchan with the force of the Hydro Pump. Instinctively, he increased the force coming from those two hooves, which promptly destabilized him and sent him skidding backwards.

That actually worked out to his advantage, as Hitmonchan could no longer hit him with the Sky Uppercut, but the Punching Pokémon simply switched to a Vacuum Wave – lashing out with a punch so fast that it produced a visible wave of air.

Keldeo blocked that one, too, but then hit the rear wall of the gym with an audible _crunch._

The wall cracked more than he did, and he landed heavily on the floor at the edge of the arena.

Hitmonchan landed, spun, and grinned. Raising a fist, he drove it into the water around them.

Just as he did, the fist crackled with electricity.

* * *

><p>Ash winced. "Keldeo! Are you alright?"<p>

"_Fine, Ash,"_ Keldeo replied, with a little strain in his voice as he said it. _"I can-"_

Hitmonchan delivered another Thunderpunch the same way as the first. This one didn't hurt Keldeo as much, since he was now standing on the surface of the water, but it clearly had an effect.

"_Okay, that's it!"_ Keldeo said, and concentrated. With a flash of light, he switched to Resolute Form.

"I have to admit," Chuck said, as Keldeo activated Secret Sword, "I didn't know Keldeo could do that."

Ash shrugged. "I kind of helped him learn it..."

* * *

><p>Keldeo tilted his hooves, using the water jets to accelerate across the gym, and bore down on Hitmonchan.<p>

A Thunderpunch came in, and he jinked to the side, then brought down his glowing Secret Sword on Hitmonchan's shoulder – getting in a glancing blow.

Hitmonchan replied by volleying in a Dynamic Punch, producing a small explosion and sending both Pokémon flying apart again.

As he skated to a halt, Keldeo charged a Focus Blast, and scowled as Hitmonchan blew it to bits with a Meteor Mash.

Frowning, he wondered how to get a faster-charging attack together.

A Water Pulse was tentatively essayed, and Hitmonchan smashed that one to bits too before retaliating with another Vacuum Wave.

"Keldeo!" Ash called. "Try an Aura Sphere!"

Keldeo glanced over, and nodded.

Pulling in the aura, he concentrated it much like he did for a focus blast. This time, however, he began to spin it for stability.

Seeing him charging the attack, Hitmonchan darted forwards, bringing his arm back for another Thunderpunch.

Distracted, Keldeo tried to ward him off with his Secret Sword, and got a little mixed up.

None of the spectators – or participants – could have predicted the result. Rather than firing the Aura Sphere, Keldeo fired his _Secret Sword_, slicing a curved path in the gym floor and completely surprising the Hitmonchan.

He went hurtling backwards, bounced off the wall, and managed to avoid falling over.

* * *

><p>"What the heck was that?!" Ash said, gaping. "That was amazing!"<p>

"_I think it was Secret Sword,"_ Keldeo said, just as surprised as the rest of them. _"It's never done that before, though!"_

"Can you do it again?" Ash asked.

"_I think so – hold on!"_

Keldeo relit his horn, building another Secret Sword, and then tossed his head experimentally. The yellow blade of energy separated from his horn, but fizzled out before it got very far.

Abandoning that for now, Keldeo instead focused on the very much undefeated Hitmonchan – running back towards him, intent on continuing the fight.

* * *

><p>Keldeo backed quickly, letting the next Thunderpunch miss and making Hitmonchan overextend, then kicked out at him with both forelegs. One connected, but Hitmonchan evaded the other and launched a powerful Hammer Arm back at Keldeo.<p>

Stumbling a little and coming back to all fours, Keldeo formed his Sacred Sword this time, and swung it down as Hitmonchan attacked again.

This time, it worked. The blade separated from his horn, blasting forwards, and finally knocked Hitmonchan unconscious.

* * *

><p>"That was pretty cool!" Ash said, as Keldeo trotted back over – tired but triumphant. "I think we're going to need to work on that some more – it's a great ranged attack for you!"<p>

"_Agreed,"_ Keldeo said, smiling. _"I can't wait to show the other Swords of Justice!"_

Chuck grinned. "You know, kid, I've got to win both the next two to come out a draw here."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I've been keeping track – but I don't mind continuing all the way! I think everyone's had fun so far..."

"I certainly have!" Chuck laughed. "Right! Time for the next battle! Poliwrath!"

"Heracross, your turn!" Ash called, sending the doughty Bug out.

* * *

><p>In the Cyllage Gym, Grant looked up as a hand came over the lip of the rock wall.<p>

Another followed, and then a boy of about twelve-thirteen struggled the rest of the way over the lip of the wall.

"You have a terrible pre-gym challenge," the boy wheezed.

Next to him, the ground crumbled, and a very stylish Furfrou Pokéd her head out.

She barked something, managing to sound mildly disdainful.

"You what?" The boy blinked, then groaned. "Oh, of _course_ there's an elevator..."

Another bark.

"No, I promised Blastoise he'd go first." The boy looked up at Grant. "I'm Gary Oak, by the way."

"Oh, right." Grant nodded. "I think Gurkinn mentioned you – said you found a couple of Mega Stones. Congratulations."

"You know – great, that simplifies things a lot." Gary glanced around, confirming that there were no spectators. "Okay. I challenge you!"

Grant smiled. "Somehow I guessed. Okay, first you'll have to face my Aurorus!"

Gary sent out his own Pokémon. "Blastoise!"

Blastoise landed on the floor with a _slam_, and cracked his knuckles.

Aurorus was unimpressed.

* * *

><p>Gary took a breath, focusing. "Okay, here we go. First time doing this. Blastoise, you ready?"<p>

Blastoise glanced back at him, nodding enthusiastically. _"Hells yeah!"_

He reached inside his shell, and withdrew a pair of orange shades with five points to them – two of the points being the bits that actually went over the eyes, one more up and two more down. They looked a lot like Squirtle's glasses, but pointier.

There was a recent addition, though. A small marble-like piece of rock, set just over the place where the glasses would rest on a nose.

"_We are the eternal friends!"_ Blastoise said, turning back to the Fossil as the marble began to shine in harmony with Gary's ring. _"Even when we reach the highest state of evolution, there's still further to go – because nothing can stop us progressing forwards!"_

Grant gaped. "That's a – you've got a Pokémon with a compatible Mega Stone!"

As he said that, Gary smirked. "You bet I do."

Orange light erupted, illuminating the entire gym for a second.

When it faded, Blastoise was... different.

He wasn't any taller – in fact, his hunched over posture made him slightly shorter.

He wasn't much heavier, either, nor was there much in the way of special highlights on his body, or mystic energy crackling around him.

He did, however, have a gigantic howitzer cannon mounted to his back, and his other cannons had shifted to his forearms.

The Water-type took a breath, held it, and sighed it out.

"_Hell. Yeah."_

Aurorus looked less confident.

"_All right!"_ Blastoise went on, pointing one of his smaller six-inch hand cannons at Aurorus. _"You're a lucky Pokémon, you know! You're the first one to face the new Super Galaxy Triple Blaster!"_

"_I don't feel lucky,"_ Aurorus admitted.

"Aurorus!" Grant called. "Use Hyper Beam!"

Aurorus raised his sail, gathering energy for the attack. As it built, it grew colder as his ability took effect.

"_Aura Sphere!"_ Blastoise announced. _"One!"_

His left arm cannon fired a bolt of sparkling aura which shot across the intervening space and slammed into Aurorus' side.

"_Two!"_ Blastoise went on, using his right arm cannon to fire at Aurorus' feet. That destabilized him, sending his Ice-typed Hyper Beam blasting across the walls of the gym and icing them up.

"_Three!"_ Hunching over, Blastoise fired an absolutely gigantic blast from his back cannon.

His back cannon, which was actually larger in calibre than the main guns of some battleships.

The resultant blast sent Aurorus flying across the gym, and Grant withdrew him before he hit the wall.

"...well, that was impressive," he said. "Tyrantrum!"

Tyrantrum roared, and charged forwards.

Mega Blastoise grinned, setting his stance. His arms came out, and he fired two blasts of Flash Cannon from them as Tyrantrum got closer.

The big Despot Pokémon towered over Blastoise, and was only knocked back slightly by the impacts. He roared again, jaws opening wide and then slamming shut on Blastoise.

Light flashed inside his mouth, and with a startled expression he spat Blastoise out again.

Blastoise skidded backwards on the floor, a bit wet and with scrapes on his shell but otherwise as hale as ever. _"That's right, you big lunk! If I'm eaten, it only means that I'm closer to your tiny little brain! If I'm crushed underfoot, then I simply can't miss! Get it through your thick skull that I'm Blastoise, and I don't give up for anything!"_

Tyrantrum roared, this time sheathing his teeth in lightning for a Thunder Fang.

Blastoise ran forwards, getting directly underneath Tyrantrum's chest. His big back cannon clicked, and then fired a colossal Waterspout which propelled Tyrantrum upwards.

The startled dinosaur nearly hit the roof before the water ran out.

Blastoise pointed all three cannons skywards. _"The spiral turns, progressing time ever forwards! That means that you, who was frozen in rock for millions of years, are just way out of date! Triple Spiral Dragon Pulse!"_

His left cannon flashed orange, firing a Dragon Pulse skywards. His right cannon flashed blue, doing the same.

They wound together into a single orb, glowing over the main gun as Tyrantrum began to fall back down towards it.

Then the middle gun fired a titanic pulse of green energy. It hit the orb, which erupted forwards into a colossal draconic shape. Spreading huge jaws, it chomped them together around Tyrantrum.

There was a very loud _boom._

* * *

><p>"I guess I'll have to watch out for Mega Evolutions in the future," Grant said, shaking his head. "That was pretty impressive."<p>

Blastoise looked smug as he shifted back down from Mega.

"Thanks," Gary told him. "It was kind of new to us, too, but I suppose I should have expected Blastoise would handle it just fine."

"Here's your Cliff Badge," Grant added, handing it over. "And feel free to use the elevator to get back down..."

* * *

><p>Okay, guys!" Casey said, grinning. "Ready for this?"<p>

Her Pokémon nodded, all eager and ready to go.

"Right." Casey looked between them. "Okay... Bayleef, you're on bat for now – work those vines! It'll help when you get Power Whip, too!"

Bayleef nodded firmly, picking up the bat with her vines and taking a couple of practice swings.

"Raticate – you're backstop!" Casey continued. "I'm pitching, and Pichu, Beedrill and Pidgeotto, you're on fielder duty!"

Beedrill saluted with his left stinger.

"Remember, fielding is all about speed!" the young trainer lectured. "Speed, and catching! You need to get in front of the ball and stop it – and because we're using a special ball, you can use your attacks to slow it down!"

Pichu, Pidgeotto and Beedrill discussed things amongst themselves, eventually deciding to have Pichu out on right field with the Flying-type far out on the centre left (for high balls) and Beedrill closer in.

"Right!" Casey said, once the Pokémon were all in place. "Everyone – let's play baseball!"

Winding up, she threw her first pitch – a tricky changeball, which looked faster than it was.

That didn't fool Bayleef, though, and the ball went soaring out towards right field with a _crack._

* * *

><p>From the nearby bushes, cool red eyes watched as Casey trained her Pokémon.<p>

They noted how she was, indeed, focusing each Pokémon on a skill they would need in battle.

Pichu was being given the chance to practice his electric attacks on the ball, thus letting him strengthen his primary means of attack at this point.

Bayleef's position at-bat was convenient for her as it meant she was garnering experience with her vines – specifically, in defence, which was not always properly considered. She was also learning to instinctively judge direction in terms of where she was hitting the ball, a useful asset if not precisely vital.

On those occasions when Bayleef missed the ball, it got past to hit Raticate – who thus had to be ready to endure the hit, even though in the majority of cases it never reached her. That meant she was getting practice in remaining on the defensive at the critical moment – and in reacting quickly to counterattack on short notice.

As for Beedrill and Pidgeotto, both of them were getting practice in catching moving targets – again, on short notice – and returning with them quickly. More than speed, it was training their acceleration and acrobatic ability.

Even the trainer herself was benefiting in a real, concrete way – she would be able to throw Pokéballs faster and more accurately.

Yes, all very impressive. And that it was couched in the form of a game was a bonus – it meant that the team learned camaraderie, simply from the act of training, and were having a lot of fun.

The watcher approved.

There was another _crack_, and the ball went flying straight back at Casey. She caught it, with a speed that seemed to be at least a little surprising to _her_, and blinked. "Whoa! Okay, Bayleef, that might not be such a good idea... good thing I've spent so long fielding..."

Bayleef winced.

"Don't worry," Casey added, more gently. "It's not your fault, I know. Do you remember what you did wrong?"

The Grass-type frowned, then nodded. "Baaaay..."

"There you go!" Casey told her, with a grin. "You know what not to do again! And I know not to surprise you with a curve ball like that!"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

A lot of this chapter is Fighting Fighting fighting Fighting with Fighting. So is the next...

The Hitmonlee has Reckless, which is why he keeps using crash attacks.

Hitmontop - Hitmon Toppa Gurren Lagann, of course. (They're hard to write battles for, actually.)

And Keldeo just learned Blade Beam. (No, he's not getting Meteorain. That's for Dragons.) Also known as, say, Excaliblast...

In all seriousness, a ranged form of Sacred Sword is helpful to writing him.

Meanwhile, with people who aren't Ash Ketchum, Gary's just used his new Mega Stone (it's a transformation sequence, of course Blastoise loves it) and Casey's playing Baseball, because she does.

The Pichu's new, by the way.


	79. Johto 21

This is the second of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>Heracross set himself, crouching down slightly, and stared across the battlefield at his opponent.<p>

Poliwrath did the same, clapping a fist into the opposed hand, and focused his energy.

Then the Tadpole launched himself forwards, fist cocked back for a powerful blow.

Heracross stood ready, waiting, and then ducked his head just as Poliwrath approached. His horn slipped underneath Poliwrath's charging form, and he brought it up in a swift motion, sending the Water-type hurtling into the air.

Despite the unexpectedness of Heracross' throw, Poliwrath recovered quickly. He hit the roof, punched through with a quick Mach Punch, and clung on rather than dropping straight back down.

He fired a quick Water Gun down at Heracross, who dodged and began charging an Aura Sphere.

* * *

><p>"This is kind of silly," Ash observed, as Heracross and Poliwrath exchanged a few long range shots. "I mean, they're both melee battlers..."<p>

"Poliwrath!" Chuck called. "Attack the floor! Maximum power!"

Ash blinked. "Pardon? Do you even – but – that's going to blow a huge hole in your gym!"

Chuck shrugged. "What? It's just a building."

As he spoke, Poliwrath began to glow with Focused Energy, and then leapt off the rafters with his fist shining like a star.

His Focus Punch hit the gym floor about ten metres from Heracross, and blew a gigantic hole in it.

Water fountained up out of the hole.

"Yes!" Chuck said, as Poliwrath swam to the surface of the deepening pond. "You hit the pipes! Just as I expected of you!"

Misty's jaw dropped.

Brock patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Misty, he's crazy..."

Molly cleared her throat. "Uh... mister Chuck? My feet are wet."

Chuck blinked, glancing at her, then he nodded. "Oh, sorry – I forgot. We should move to the raised viewing area!"

* * *

><p>Heracross held up an arm against the fountaining water, then lowered it as the pool got deep enough to prevent the water spraying from the pipes actually going anywhere.<p>

"_What was that in aid of?" _he asked, shaking his head. As the water thickened, he began exerting Aura to walk on it – preferring that to being thigh deep in water.

There was a quiet splash from the direction of the pool.

Then a large, high-speed Tadpole Pokémon punched Heracross in the side.

With a splash, Heracross came to a halt halfway across the gym, and came back to his feet while rubbing his side with one arm. That Focus Punch had _hurt!_

He ducked a Water Gun attack, and threw another Aura Sphere back – but Poliwrath had already vanished back underwater.

Keeping his eyes peeled, Heracross tried to spot the ripples caused by a high-speed swimmer.

"Heracross!" Ash called. "I'll keep track of him! Just be ready to fire!"

Heracross nodded.

"Left-!" Ash called abruptly, and Heracross was swinging to defend his left when Poliwrath erupted from the water again and delivered a Dynamic Punch.

Both Pokémon went skidding away from the explosion.

* * *

><p>"Heracross, are you okay?" Ash asked.<p>

Heracross stumbled a bit, looking dizzy. _"I... think so,"_ he said, looking not quite at Ash.

"Right!" Ash called. "Turn around – now use Hyper Beam!"

The blast of white energy went nowhere near Poliwrath. It did, however, trace a line of explosions across the floor and then blow a hole in the corner of two walls.

The water filling the gym began to drain out, leaving Poliwrath exposed.

"Good!" Ash said, as Heracross panted and recharged. "Down!"

Heracross threw himself to the floor, hurting himself as he landed badly but also avoiding the Water Gun.

One of Ash's Pokéballs burst open, revealing Quilava. She began to speak urgently to Heracross. _"Heracross – listen! What you need to do is to gather together energy based purely on swiftness of movement – the same kind you've seen Pidgeot use. Then..."_

* * *

><p>Heracross listened to Quilava's explanation, frowning as he tried to follow.<p>

It all seemed a bit muddled. Though maybe that was the mild concussion.

Another Water Gun hit him, this time in the face, and he reeled back sputtering before countering with a Fury attack.

"_No, don't – okay, did you understand?"_ Quilava asked, a bit exasperated.

Heracross nodded, then frowned. _Did _he understand?

"_Do it now!"_ Quilava said very quickly.

Heracross gathered energy into his horn, energy which glowed white and seemed to be trying to escape the horn to go flying off in all directions, and spun towards Poliwrath.

By sheerest chance, he managed to hit instead of missing and banging his horn painfully into the floor. The result instead was that the somewhat-incoherent Aerial Ace connected with its target, checking Poliwrath's attack.

"Grab on!" Ash called quickly.

The blow seemed to have cleared Heracross' head a bit. He managed to take both of Poliwrath's slimy arms in his, and held on grimly as Poliwrath tried to get away.

"Now, use Giga Impact!" Ash ordered.

Heracross turned to face the nearest wall, and charged at it – carrying Poliwrath along with him, despite the kicks and blasts of water Poliwrath employed to try to escape.

* * *

><p>"What's going on at the gym?" asked Kirk, nodding.<p>

"Oh, my husband's having a battle again," his guest smiled. "I heard it's quite a strong trainer – the one who rode into town yesterday on a Suicune, can you believe it?"

"Is _that_ why the place appears to be flooded?" Kirk asked.

Chuck's wife turned, and blinked at the sight of a small river coming out of the gym.

"Oh, what's my husband done-"

The side wall exploded, as a large Bug-type rammed Chuck's Poliwrath through the wall and then slammed him to the floor in a diving Submission.

"...now?"

* * *

><p>"Good job, Heracross!" Ash called, returning him through the hole.<p>

"Well!" Chuck laughed. "Looks like you've won my badge! But where's the fun stopping now! Machoke!"

Chuck turned to Ash as the Fighting-type hit the heavily damaged floor. "Now, let's see who you've left for last?"

Ash winced. "You may not like this."

"What's to not like?" Chuck demanded.

Ash sent out Butterfree.

* * *

><p>Machoke laughed theatrically. <em>"This? This is who you send out?"<em>

Butterfree wafted a little higher in the gym, wings catching the slightest currents. _"I resent that, you know."_

The burly Fighting-type shrugged, then blocked with both arms as Butterfree sent an Air Cutter at him.

Lowering his arms, the Machoke frowned. _"I see. So, you're one of those tough Butterfree I've heard of."_

"_I was on the winning League team at last year's Indigo,"_ Butterfree clarified. _"I'm _the_ tough Butterfree you've heard of."_

He swept higher, and fired out another Air Cutter. This one skirled around Machoke's feet, making small furrows form in the muddy water still draining out of the gym through the hole.

"Machoke!" Chuck called. "Do not underestimate this foe! Use all your strength!"

Machoke nodded, wincing as another Air Cutter hit, and bent down to the floor. With a quick, hard strike, he snapped the stone underfloor of the gym and began to excavate it.

* * *

><p>"You have by far the least regard for your gym building of anyone I've met so far," Ash said.<p>

Chuck shrugged. "We can always build a new one. Actually, that sounds like a great form of training! When this battle is over, then my students and I will rebuild my gym!"

As he had been speaking, Machoke – under attack from repeated Air Cutters – pried up a large piece of the underfloor, and hefted it.

Then he threw it at Butterfree.

Ash blinked. "Can Machoke learn Rock Throw?"

Pikachu shrugged. _"It's not exactly complicated. Pick up rock, throw it."_

"True."

* * *

><p>"<em>Whoa!"<em> Butterfree yelped, slipping sideways in the air, and the hunk of rock sailed past him to smash into the wall of the gym – making a large hole, which allowed the rock to tumble through to the other side.

Machoke was already preparing another rock.

"_Okay, I didn't expect that,"_ Butterfree admitted. His eyes began to glow. _"Time to show you something my lady friend taught me."_

Machoke shrugged, and threw this rock.

It sped towards Butterfree, halted halfway to him, and exploded.

Eyes shining with a soft blue-white light, Butterfree flapped his wings and accelerated. _"Psychic,"_ he explained, rolling and leaving a sparkling trail of dust behind him as he began to Quiver Dance.

For lack of better options, Machoke picked up two rocks at once and threw them both. The first went off-course as Butterfree exerted telekinetic force on it, and the other one halted in mid-air before flying straight back at its thrower.

* * *

><p>"Machoke!" Chuck called. "Break through your limits!"<p>

Machoke responded to the incoming rock by punching it full-on. It shattered, bits of rock going everywhere.

Butterfree wasn't going to let the moment of distraction pass without capitalizing on it. He flew directly over Machoke, exerting more telekinetic force and pushing him down – hard.

The floor under Machoke dried rapidly as the water was forced out of it. It cracked in a circle, trembled, and sank slightly.

Machoke's pose was that of someone trying to hold up a great weight on their shoulders.

"Don't give up!" Chuck exhorted. "Push through!"

"_Yes, sensei!"_ Machoke replied, an expression of intense concentration across his face. With a mighty _kiai_, he stood, and launched himself skywards fist first.

Surprised, Butterfree was slow in dodging, and got hit on the wing by the Brick Break. He fluttered back a bit, refocused, and caught Machoke in a bubble of psionic energy.

"_As I was saying,"_ Butterfree went on. _"Psychic!"_

Machoke hit the floor of the gym with an almighty _bang_, sending rock slabs heaving up all around the impact point.

"Did that-" Ash asked, then closed his eyes to look. He sighed. "Oh, you're kidding..."

* * *

><p>Butterfree looked closer, to try to see through the dust cloud. <em>"Did that get it?"<em> he asked, then remembered there was an easier solution and drove the dust away with a telekinetic slap.

Revealing that_ all four _arms of his newly-evolved opponent had rocks ready to throw.

"_Gah!"_ Having barely enough warning, Butterfree dove frantically to get out of the way of what seemed to be far too many bowling-ball-sized rocks.

Sparing a look as he sped around the gym in an evasion pattern, Butterfree saw what was going on.

The new Machamp was using a series of heel strikes to break up the rock below him into appropriately sized chunks. He was then picking those rocks up two at a time with two of his arms, while the other two were throwing the previous batch directly at him in a staggered sequence.

The overall effect was a continuous stream of large, heavy rocks flying at him, and he was having to keep dodging constantly.

"Butterfree!" Ash called, as the Bug-type went past.

* * *

><p>Molly's Espeon prevented rocks from striking the spectators, directing them to the floor – well away from Machamp, of course – with a calm efficiency.<p>

"Thanks, Espeon!" Molly smiled brightly.

Ash was speaking. "...out the holes!"

"_Now why didn't I think of that?"_ Butterfree asked, accelerating. He had to abandon his attempt to go through the first hole because a rock got there first, plugging it up, but managed to slip through the much larger hole Heracross had made ahead of the rocks sent in that direction and get outside the gym.

Chuck frowned. "Isn't that leaving the battle?"

Ash shrugged. "No, I don't think so..."

There was a _crack_ sound from overhead, and Chuck glanced up.

"Did the roof just move?"

Another _crack._ Then the roof shifted slightly, cracks running along the middle.

"Espeon?" Ash went on, in a surprisingly calm voice. "You might want to make sure we're protected from overhead, too."

Misty's eyes widened as she worked out what that meant, and sent out Psyduck for backup.

As he formed and took in the situation, the roof heaved, cracked, and caved in.

Mostly on top of Machamp.

* * *

><p>"...I think he's unconscious," Ash supplied, once the rumbling sounds had stopped.<p>

Chuck blinked, then laughed. "Ha! Serves me right for underestimating a Butterfree! Well, well, well... congratulations, Ash Ketchum!"

As Butterfree wafted back down, somehow managing to flutter smugly, he stroked his chin. "Hm... we may have to do this outside..."

"Do what?" Ash asked, puzzled.

"Well! I've also heard that _you_ can fight!" Chuck chuckled at the blank expression on Ash's face. "Not your Pokémon, _you!_"

"...oh!" Ash blinked. "Wait, how did you-"

Chuck tapped his ear. "Heard it on the radio! You're an Aura adept, travelling with a Lucario, and I can tell just from watching you walk that there's barely an ounce of fat on you – so of course you train! And that just makes those rumours I heard perfectly plausible! So, how about it?"

"I'm still not sure what _it_ is," Ash admitted.

"Oh, fine! Ash Ketchum, I challenge you, _personally_, to a spar! Five minutes or first fall!"

Ash swallowed, looking at just how _tough_ Chuck was, and winced. "Uh... sure, I guess..."

* * *

><p>The two humans stood across from one another, in one of the relatively clear patches in the otherwise heavily damaged gym.<p>

"Right!" Chuck said, a grin on his face. "Ready?"

"Actually..." Ash raised his hand. "I have a question. How hard can I hit you?"

At Chuck's look of polite confusion, he elaborated. "I've been training with Lucario for months – and Riolu before that – and, while I do get the sense he's holding back, I can certainly hit him hard enough to hurt. And he's a Steel-type."

Chuck shrugged. "I've trained with Machoke for some time! I'm sure I'll be fine!"

Ash considered that, then nodded. "Okay – if you say so."

He took a deep breath, focusing. Despite what Chuck said, he was still leery of actually hitting someone – well, someone who wasn't earnestly trying to kill him or others, anyway.

So he made the decision to focus mostly on using his Aura for internal enhancement.

Chuck bowed, and Ash returned it. Then the Gym leader looked back up. "Begin!" he said, and came running forwards.

Ash took a moment to think of his next course of action. He stepped back as Chuck came close, kicked out a leg, and hooked under Chuck's left foot as it came forwards, pulling him off balance.

That made the big man stagger for a moment before he recovered. Chuckling, he lined up on Ash and aimed a textbook punch.

Ash was no longer there. Moving surprisingly fast, he dodged aside and hit the extended arm with a palm strike – the brief flash of blue showing that he'd made it a Force Palm instead of a simple attack.

Chuck retaliated with his other hand and a kick at the same time, and Ash skipped back out of the way before coming in again a moment later.

* * *

><p>Brock frowned. "That looks... familiar, somehow..."<p>

"What's that?" Molly asked, glancing up for a moment from watching.

"Well-" Brock began, then stopped as Chuck managed to grab Ash's wrist.

Ash retaliated with a clearly practised move, rotating his wrist and bringing his forearm sharply back towards him, and pulled on Chuck's grip. That didn't quite work, but he was already using the grip as an anchor point for a scything roundhouse kick which caught Chuck on the elbow.

The burly man let out a muffled ow, and released Ash's wrist automatically. Before he could make another grab, Ash had opened the range again – one hand up in front of him with the palm nearly vertical, the other below and behind.

"_It's Riolu's old style,"_ Pikachu volunteered. _"That's where you recognize it from."_

Brock blinked. "Really?"

He looked closer, watching the next exchange, and comparing it to the last few times he'd seen Lucario fight before his evolution. "...yeah, I see what you mean."

"_It's good for handling bigger, tougher enemies,"_ Pikachu went on. _"All about mobility and not getting hit, while hitting in return. I guess it's a lot like how all of us on his team fight, in general..."_

"Actually, I can see that," Misty agreed. "He's-"

There was a _crash_ as Chuck tried an overarm blow, missed, and drove several inches into the floor of the gym.

Both Ash's friends noticed that he got a bit quicker and more cautious after that.

* * *

><p>Unnoticed by either participant, the pace of their battle – and the power they were using – was steadily creeping up, as both Ash and Chuck became more comfortable that their opponent could handle it.<p>

Ash ducked swiftly away from an incoming punch, began to counterattack but noticed Chuck was following up with a kick and switched plans – Chuck blinked as his kick crashed into a Protect shield, then wound up a powerful blow to go as soon as the shield failed – Ash blocked Chuck's punch and redirected most of the force, pulling him out of position – Chuck stepped forwards, recovering his balance and endangering Ash-

Neither was really able to do much to the other. Ash was considerably faster, but Chuck was big enough that he couldn't do any significant damage without putting in a sizeable amount of Aura – and he still felt uncomfortable doing that.

For his part, Chuck was just plain unable to pin Ash down long enough. He was also a bit reluctant himself to try to suplex such a young kid – more used to sparring with very _big_ Pokémon, that was how he in turn thought.

Eventually, though, the unstable equilibrium broke. Chuck managed to catch Ash with one of his kicks, sending Ash staggering back with the wind knocked out of him.

Ash reacted on instinct.

A blue Aura Sphere shot out and blew a hole in the floor just before Chuck stepped there, tripping him up.

Ash's hands went to his knees as he fought to get his breath back into him, and Chuck hauled himself out of the hole – he'd landed a little awkwardly, and even once he was out he still favoured that ankle a little.

"Chuck!"

Both trainers looked around.

An angry-looking woman was standing in one of the holes blown in the wall.

"_What_ have you done to your gym?"

Chuck blinked. "Dear, I-"

"Don't give me that!" she snapped. "I know how this always goes! I mean, this is worse than usual-" her rant stopped as she noticed the huge pile of debris. "Did you bring the _roof_ down?"

"Actually, ma'am, that was my Butterfree," Ash wheezed.

"Oh, and have you been beating up this poor challenger?" She shook her head. "This is a new-"

"It's fine," Ash said, raising a hand. "Really, it is."

Chuck had such a hang-dog expression Ash had to stop himself from laughing.

"Well, so much for this," he sighed. "Oh well. It was fun fighting you, Ash – here!"

Ash caught the Storm Badge out of the air.

"Congratulations," Chuck went on seriously. "Now, you'd better earn the others, too!"

"I'll certainly try," Ash agreed. Breathing more easily now, he glanced at Chuck's wife. "Uh... do you want us to help with the clearup?"

Chuck waved him off. "No, don't worry, I'll handle it. Off you go!"

* * *

><p>Outside, Ash asked Pidgeot to carry Molly back home – together with her Flareon – and set off for the Pokémon centre.<p>

He hadn't got more than halfway, though, before a voice made him turn around. "Excuse me?"

Ash and his friends turned.

"Oh, you're – Chuck's wife, I guess?" Ash asked.

The woman nodded. "I'm Rita," she introduced herself. "Sorry if my husband gave you any trouble-"

"Oh, it's no problem," Ash replied, shaking his head. "Really – it was fun, I guess."

Rita grimaced slightly. "He does get carried away," she said, in a tone of long-suffering. Then, to show she didn't mean it, she smiled. "But it seems like he enjoyed it too, so – thanks. He does like a good battle."

She snapped her fingers. "Oh, that reminds me – he told me just after you left that he'd forgotten to give you something. Stop by there once you can."

* * *

><p>Ash knocked on the door. As he did, it creaked open without prompting – making Ash notice that the doorframe was ever so slightly askew.<p>

Chuck looked up – already, he and several Pokémon were hauling blocks out of their holes into neat piles. "Ash! Good to see you!"

"I've only been gone ten minutes," Ash protested. "My Pokémon are all still at the centre."

"Right!" Chuck boomed, then glanced over at his wife – who gave him a look. "Sorry."

More quietly now, he turned back to Ash. "Sorry – I just came up with the idea, just as you left. Here!"

He rummaged in his pocket, and took out a spherical stone made of a bright yellow material.

"I won it many years ago!" Chuck said. "From a man who told me it was a powerful stone, connected to a powerful Fighting-type. But I never found what Fighting-type it was, and I've got all the Fighting-types I wish."

He sighed, then grinned. "But you, Ash, I think will find out what this is!"

Ash took the stone, and turned it over – then looked more closely, as the turning stone revealed a fleck of blue and orange within. "I – Chuck, is this a _Mega Stone_?"

Chuck shrugged. "If you think it is, then probably. I don't really follow all this geology stuff!"

Ash blinked. "I – thanks, Chuck. I'm honoured. I guess – well, if I don't have the Pokémon this is for, then I'll try to make sure someone who does gets it."

"Excellent!" Chuck said, impulsively embracing the young trainer.

There was a slight cough from Rita.

"Sorry," Chuck said, releasing Ash and stepping back a bit. "Are you alright?"

Ash wheezed. "My ribs..."

* * *

><p>There were rumours that the Elite Four lived atop Mount Silver. There were rumours that they lived in a cavern, miles beneath the surface of the Indigo Plateau.<p>

There were also rumours they lived on the moon, conspiracy theories being what they were.

In actual fact, though, the Elite Four lived in separate, fairly-well appointed houses within relatively easy reach of the League Headquarters for Kanto and Johto.

They didn't meet atop the Tin Tower, either, or in a howling blizzard once a year. They met in a conference hall in a hotel near the Indigo League building, because the hotel had a nice selection of refreshments.

"I'm glad you could all make it," Lance said, sitting down. "How are you all doing?"

Agatha lowered herself into her chair. "I've been better," she sighed. "It's these old bones."

"You've been complaining about those for as long as I've known you," Bruno pointed out. "And I knew Malcom."

"I _tutored _Malcom!" Agatha riposted. "I've been saying it for the last forty years because maybe one day people will listen!"

Bruno held up his hands. "I can see I'm not going to win this."

"You never do," Lorelei smiled. "Ghost is immune to Fighting."

Two groans, and a glare from Agatha.

"We all know the type jokes, Lorelei," Lance said. "We've heard them all a hundred times."

Lorelei smiled slightly.

Lance waited a moment, to see if there was anything else to be said, and then cleared his throat. "Right, I asked everyone here to discuss matters. How's the scouting going? Lorelei, you first."

"Right." Lorelei stood. "There's three I originally noticed, as you recall – I was looking into Courtney, Karen and Rosie. Of the three, Courtney has officially declined – she sent us a letter informing us of this decision."

"Shame," Bruno said. "Would have been nice to have a Fire-type member."

Lorelei shrugged. "Not much we can do, really – it's her choice, after all. Anyway – I believe Lance can inform us of the details, but Karen is proactively seeking her Legendary challenges."

Lance interrupted. "She was sighted by Lola heading for Shamouti Island. That suggests she's going to seek a challenge from Lugia, which would fulfil her second requirement."

"Interesting," Lorelei said. "Heading down to my old stomping grounds."

"That's right," Lance agreed. "After that, not sure but I suspect she'd be most likely to seek out the Legendary Golem, Registeel."

"Makes sense," Lorelei nodded. "As for Rosie, I'm not sure. She's been training, but no sign of any move towards the challenges as of yet."

"What's she again?" Agatha demanded.

"Grass," Lorelei supplied. "Any questions?"

None were forthcoming.

"Thank you." She sat down.

Bruno rose next. "As for me, the only person still seeking the position is Layton – a Ground-type specialist-"

Agatha shook her head. "I don't like Ground-type users."

"That's only because you and Bertha had that argument two years ago," Lance said with a smirk.

"So? Still don't like them."

"Well, it's a good thing you won't have to get on with him, isn't it..." Lance shrugged. "How's he doing, Bruno?"

"Your dragonriders tell me he's been seeking information on where the Golems are as well."

"Most people pick the Golems," Lorelei mused. "Probably because it's easier to find them – well, relatively speaking."

"That and they're mainly tough to beat, not tough to survive against," Lance pointed out. "Well, Regice and Registeel would qualify on that score. What about helping Ground-type Pokémon?"

"He's actually done that one already," Bruno said. "Big herd of Piloswine he saved from poachers, and then taught four of them Ancient Power so they could lead the herd and protect them."

Lance nodded. "Not bad. Agatha?"

Agatha refused to stand, and none of the others made an issue of it. "Koga's doing just fine," she said. "Relocated a lot of Pokémon from Gringey City to the Safari Zone after it got unpolluted all of a sudden."

The dragon master nodded absently, remembering the report he'd received from the dragonrider Maurice about that incident. "And his Legendary challenges?"

"Still looking for that Shaymin who lives there now," she said brusquely.

They waited.

"And the others?" Lance prompted.

Agatha shrugged. "Nah, they're layabouts."

Deciding no further data was likely to be forthcoming, Lance stood. "As for the ones I looked into, all three of them are progressing nicely."

"Showoff," Lorelei quipped.

Lance gave her a quelling glare. "Firstly, Will of Saffron. Sabrina wasn't happy about us potentially poaching one of her most promising trainees, but Will has been throwing himself into it – I believe we got word he's actually teleported all the way to Unova to challenge the Swords of Justice."

Bruno blinked. "What, all of them?"

"I didn't get the details. In any case, Sabrina says he picked up a Solosis there as well and is training it up by all accounts." Lance shrugged. "By my guess, he too is likely to challenge Registeel – that or try and find Giratina up in Sinnoh."

At their incredulous glances, he smiled thinly. "Remember, he doesn't have to _win_. I'd be inclined to give him points for just _finding_ Giratina, let alone challenging the Dragon of Symmetry to a meaningful battle."

"What about Isaac?" Lorelei prompted.

"He's doing the worst," Lance admitted. "He _has_ been working on helping Pokémon at the power plant over near Cerulean, but at least three of the clan have reported him having trouble finding information on the whereabouts of a Legendary of the appropriate type."

The others nodded, understanding how difficult that could be.

"As for Misty..." Lance chuckled. "Well, I wasn't sure to include her, but-"

"Why _did_ you include her, actually?" Lorelei asked. "I saw her down in the Orange Islands, and she seemed alright, but..."

"Remember the Greenfield incident?" Lance queried.

All three nodded.

"Well, we in the clan got the full version – Suicune brought the three newly-created Beasts to Blackthorn a few days later, to confirm they were Pokémon we should watch out for and vice versa." Lance paused. "And what they told us was impressive – in particular, the newly-made Entei."

His voice took on a slightly lecturing tone. "Molly Hale used the power of the Unown – without direction – to create more powerful versions of Pokémon, and battle Pewter leader Brock as well as Misty."

He paused.

"Misty held her more powerful versions of Pokémon to a draw. Both the Entei and the Suicune were highly impressed with her – from the point of view of having been her opponent, or at any rate not on her side – and that was what decided me."

"Not bad," Bruno allowed. "And that she's going around with that kid had nothing to do with it?"

"Well, that was the rest of it," Lance allowed. "She's been in four incidents by now – New Island, Shamouti, Greenfield and Lake of Life – and those involved spoke well of her. In any case, it was worth the try, since we're looking into no fewer than a dozen candidates this time."

He shrugged. "And she's already handled one of her Legendary battles – and very nicely too – so it looks like that was a good choice."

"Where'd you get that from?" Agatha asked. "More dragonrider patrols?"

Lance shook his head. "From the Raikou she fought and came close to defeating."

There was silence for a moment.

"We've got another Malcom on our hands, haven't we, Lance?" Bruno asked. "He fought Beasts, as I recall..."

Lance shrugged, and cleared his throat. "Okay, that's the basics. Now, in more detail – we do have some reports on their current team compositions, so I'd like to look at that for a little..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

That poor gym...

Heracross is surprisingly hard to write for, I find... it's the horn. Butterfree was easier, and the Ash bit was harder again.

Congratulations getting the Mega Stone, Ash! Now... what is it?

Also - the Elite Four being all elitist. And foury.

Of the mentioned E4 members and candidates, only Malcom and Layton are not from a Pokemon game.

Layton is a random Ruin Maniac (i.e. Ground specialist archaeologist) hugely amped up in potential and power, and is probably a Professor. Malcom is the one who fought Entei and Suicune for his qualification, a little over four decades ago, and was Grass.


	80. Johto 22

"This place is too hot," James groused. "It's summer..."

Meowth lay back, sipping from his tall glass of juice. "Eh," he said, crossing his feet. "It's just fine for me."

"You're a cat," Jessie muttered. "Of course you like lounging around in sunbeams."

Meowth took another sip. "C'mon! Da boss sent us to dis here island for some reason, we can just have fun 'till he explains."

James considered it. "Well, I guess it couldn't – wait."

He squinted out to sea, covering his eyes with one hand. "I see something out there..."

Jessie stepped up next to him. "You're right," she said. "It looks kind of like... well, a big cargo helicopter."

As the object got closer, more smaller specks appeared orbiting around it. It swept overhead, rotors thundering, and at least a dozen small one-man hover-scooters followed it.

The Rocket cell watched as it skimmed low over the forests surrounding the central cone of the island, halted about halfway up, and landed.

"Well," James sighed, picking up his towel. "I guess that's it for our little holiday..."

"No kidding," Jessie agreed.

Meowth gulped down the rest of his juice. "Okay, guys," he said, rummaging in a bag and retrieving some basic equipment – in particular a pair of binoculars and a shotgun microphone. "I'll go see what dat's all about. You keep in touch with da radio."

"Got it," James agreed.

Meowth picked up Abra's Pokéball, and opened it – producing a sleeping Psychic-type. "Oi!" he said, tapping the Abra on the shoulder. "I got a job for you!"

Abra yawned. He cracked one eyelid, snapped his claws, and Meowth vanished.

"Where did you send him?" James asked.

_Where he wanted me to._ With that, Abra Returned himself.

"Layabout," James muttered. "Right, let's go."

* * *

><p>Meowth peered through his binoculars.<p>

There were at least twenty humans piling out of the cargo helicopter, in addition to the ones on the weird flying machines. They were moving to a coordinated plan, and made repeated mention of something called a "Control Gauntlet".

After several minutes, the majority of the humans set off up the road towards the summit. Those who remained, three or four low-rankers by the looks of them, set up a perfunctory guard.

Meowth lowered his binoculars, slinging them around his neck, and did the same with the shotgun microphone.

"Jessie? James?" he whispered into the radio.

"Yes?" Jessie replied.

"Dey've got some kinda control gauntlets, which I guess they wanna use on da Pokémon around here. Dey're headed for the summit, too – I tink dat's all they're here for."

There was a hiss of indrawn breath. "That's not good. Can you follow them, Meowth?"

"Well... about that." Meowth paused. "It ain't gonna be easy, 'cause Abra dropped me so I'm kinda hanging by my bag from a tree!"

There was an ominous crack.

"Oh, great... hold on a minute, guys-"

* * *

><p>Fortunately, cats land on their feet.<p>

* * *

><p>"They're all waiting in da crater," Meowth pointed out, some time later. "Guess we know what dey're after."<p>

"Yeah," James agreed. "Mt. Ember is famous for Moltres. Lucky the Moltres was out..."

"Well." Jessie shrugged. "I guess we know why the boss sent us here now."

"Too right!" Meowth grinned. "Dis is Rocket turf!"

"That does leave us a question, though," Jessie added. "What do we do?"

The others turned to her.

"We can't just barge in there," she pointed out. "They've got at least a dozen Pokémon – and we'd be coming over the crater lip from a long way off. And they've got those control gauntlets, too – we'd be in trouble."

Meowth pondered. "I tink I got a plan. We're gonna need ta distract them, though."

"How are we going to do that?" James asked.

The other two turned to him, and gave him considering looks.

* * *

><p>"Where <em>is<em> it?" Willem asked, looking around. "I thought this was gonna be a simple job!"

"It is," his boss insisted. "We just need to hit the Moltres with enough capture gauntlets – and this is where it nests, so shut up!"

"But what if-"

"There it is!" Donna hissed, pointing.

The boss nodded sharply. "Right – everyone ready!"

Slowly, gliding with a blithe obliviousness of what lay below, the bird of fire circled once and came down towards a landing in the crater.

"Now!" Purple-Eyes snapped.

Over two dozen Pincher grunts stepped out from concealment, pointing their Capture Gauntlets, and activated them.

The Moltres didn't seem to notice.

"What?" Purple-Eyes asked, frustrated. "Try again! Full power!"

Tapping buttons on their gauntlets, the grunts fired again – then stopped, as something suddenly became clear.

That wasn't a Moltres.

"What... the..." Donna gasped. "Is that some guy in a suit?"

Willem's jaw dropped, as _a man in a Moltres wingsuit_ went gliding overhead before landing (with muffled swearing) in the undergrowth nearby.

Then the ground heaved up in the middle of the circle of Pincher grunts.

An Arbok stuck his head out of the hole, and glared around in all directions – fixing the Pinchers with his gaze, preventing them from reacting.

As Purple-Eyes shook off the paralysis and raised his gauntlet, a horrible smell reached his nostrils, and he slumped over. So did everyone else.

* * *

><p>"Well, dat went well," Meowth said a bit smugly.<p>

"Speak for yourself," James muttered, pulling twigs out of his hair. "That was a nasty crash – you try it sometime."

"I'd kinda rather not," Meowth informed him. "Right. Steal all their gear an' leave 'em in a pile outside the police station on Knot?"

James nodded. "Makes sense to me. Nice work, by the way, Weezing."

Weezing floated up and down happily. Somehow.

"What about the capture gauntlets?" Jessie asked, poking the pile of them.

Meowth considered, then picked one out of the pile and stuffed it in their backpack. "Weezing?"

"Zing?"

"Zap 'em."

Weezing used Thunderbolt on the pile of gauntlets, turning them into fused wreckage.

"Well, we did try ta capture some, but dey all self destructed," Meowth went on. "Shame."

"Oh, I see," James said, as he bundled up the suit and packed it away. "What about the one you kept?"

Meowth shrugged. "Could be useful sometime – ya know, like dat annoyin' Togepi. Ain't no point wreckin' em all..."

* * *

><p>With only her eyes showing over the crater lip, a young Flying-type was watching the trio of Rockets.<p>

That had been... at once strange and really quite moving. Especially how the blue-haired one had taken the trap intended for her.

She ducked down, to avoid being seen, and contemplated what to do now.

* * *

><p>"Okay." Norman sat down at the table. "Max? Are you okay?"<p>

"Fine, dad," Max said.

"Really?" Norman asked. "I wanted to check, because – I mean, your teacher mentioned you'd done poorly on a test. That's unusual, Max – I was worried if something was wrong."

"I -" Max began, then stopped. He took a breath, and started over. "Okay. I was – yeah, something _is_ wrong. But... not with me."

Norman nodded. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Sure," Max said readily. "It's not bullying or anything – it's kind of weirder."

Another nod. "I'm listening."

"Right. Well..." Max got up, and rummaged around for a sheet of paper and a pen.

Finding it, he started to write.

"What's that?" Norman asked, seeing a list of eleven different type names.

"That's the types I remember Steel being resistant to," Max explained.

"...oh," Norman said, now curious. "Why are Ghost and Dark on there? Those aren't resisted by Steel."

"Yeah," Max agreed. "And I'd think that that was just that I was remembering wrong, except that I also didn't know the Fairy type existed."

Norman's jaw dropped. "But – what?"

"And then, yesterday, May and I called Ash. That's when we found out that – surprise, Ash broke time _again_ and created the Fairy type out of nowhere. And for whatever reason, we didn't notice."

Max shrugged. "That's why I failed the test – but now I can kind of remember being taught about it in class. It's confusing."

Norman shook his head. "I'm still hung up on – Ash Ketchum _created the Fairy type?"_

"Well -" Max winced. "It _is_ a bit more complicated than that. Something about a Sylveon being at the creation of the world?"

"But how could a Sylveon be-" Norman stopped, took a deep breath, and started again. "Sorry. I – sorry, Max. I shouldn't be pestering you about this. And it's good to know why you didn't pass that test."

Max grinned quickly. "I'll do better so long as Ash doesn't break time again."

Norman nodded, and switched to a safer topic. "Max – I know it's a while, yet, but I was wondering. I know you've got Kris already, but – you do need an official starter. Have you put much thought into it?"

"Well – yeah," Max admitted. "But mainly into Pokémon which we could encounter on the way. I met a Ralts, for example, and I guess I kind of... wondered if he'd be my starter. Same for the Poochyena I met, that kind of thing."

"When did you meet them?" Norman asked, interested.

"Several months after Ash came to Hoenn – after I started travelling with him, not just May."

"Right..." Norman nodded. "Could be tricky, then. Okay. Well, let me know – about all I can help you with that you couldn't catch within a mile of our front door would be a Slakoth."

Max winced. "Thanks for the offer, Dad, but..." he shrugged. "Kind of not what I was hoping for..."

* * *

><p>"You mean that Legendary Pokémon stay in touch to that extent?" Professor Oak said, typing away. "Fascinating."<p>

"_Yes, quite a lot of us know one another,"_ Suicune agreed, pausing occasionally to let Damos translate. _"Us Beasts in particular – we are messengers for Lord Ho-Oh across Japan, so we travel a lot. In fact, a fair fraction of what we taught Molly's friends was simply how to find a lot of the Legendaries that are to be found. Such as, say, Cresselia, or the Hall of Origin."_

"Right!" Oak nodded. "And how _do_ you find Cresselia?"

"_Sorry, Professor,"_ Suicune replied with a smirk. _"That's information which I think the lady in question would prefer kept reasonably private."_

Oak sighed. "Oh well, worth a try..."

He finished typing a line, and turned to her. "Actually, that reminds me – why do only some Legendary Pokémon have signature moves?"

Suicune shrugged. _"It's hard to say – for some of us, there are moves which simply... fit. They make sense. And we can, albeit with difficulty in many cases, teach them to others who are sufficiently compatible."_

"Like Pidgeot, or Togekiss," Oak agreed.

"_That's right, though of course I'm using the term _we_ inappropriately – after all, I don't have such a move."_ Suicune shrugged. _"And then there's some Pokémon who are not legendary who _do_ have the moves. It's not really a good determiner of legendary status, but then nothing is... you know it when you see it, I think."_

"What about Phione?" Oak asked, and Suicune sighed.

"_You always ask the hard questions, don't you?"_ she quipped. _"I honestly don't know if Phione counts. Manaphy insists they do, but others disagree."_

Oak contemplated that for a bit.

"If you don't mind my asking," he said, after about a minute, "Why Ash? And – why this time?"

Suicune had been about to speak, but then subsided when the Professor added his second question.

"_The first is – because he's just a really, really good trainer, and he deserves it,"_ she said eventually. _"Lord Ho-Oh performed a mental link with him, the day he came back, and learned of – and mentioned – a few of his grand achievements. As for the second... I honestly don't know."_ Suicune rose, and paced around the room for a little. _"Or perhaps I do,"_ she said, looking at Oak. _"Arceus, creator of us all, chose Ash as his champion. That means that Lord Ho-Oh really realized that Ash was... well, he'd become something quite unusual."_

She shrugged. _"And he's saved almost every Legendary Pokémon on the map, which is a good track record. He's simply _good_ at keeping us safe."_

Suicune then nodded towards Professor Oak. _"As, indeed, are you – though you only did it once, you were noble indeed."_

The Professor looked a little uncomfortable.

After a minute or so, he spoke up again. "Is it true that you were created after the Tin Tower burned down?"

"_It is. Lord Ho-Oh created us then and there, around one hundred years ago. Others of his species may do the same, which is why other Suicune, Entei and Raikou exist, but-"_ she shrugged. _"He never saw the need before then."_

She frowned, tapping a paw on the floor. _"But I suspect he may have done in Ash's past but our future, had Molly's friends not come along."_

"Fascinating."

Damos interjected directly, instead of just translating. Professor? Ash's gym battle appears to be over, and he is requesting to switch some Pokémon around.

Suicune stretched. _"It was interesting talking to you, Professor,"_ she said.

* * *

><p>"May?"<p>

The young girl looked up. "Oh – hi, Mom!"

Caroline smiled. "How are you, dear?"

May shrugged. "Well, school's been fine, mostly – I mean, I've done all this before, so I've been looking at extra material."

"I see." May's mother began to continue, paused, and tried again. "Do you have a few minutes?"

May gave her mother another look, and then nodded. "Sure thing."

"Right." Caroline sat down gratefully. "Well – dear, I've been a little bit concerned about..."

She sighed.

"Professor Birch has told me you've been dropping by very frequently, looking at his Starters and asking if he's got any new in. I'm afraid it got noticeable enough that he's a bit worried – wonders if you want a Pokémon early and are being frustrated. He even offered to let us fill out the forms to-"

"No!" May shook her head. "No, that's not it at all-"

"May, calm down!" Caroline said, shaking her head and chuckling. "I know it's not – you've been very patient. More than I'd be in your place, I think – to suddenly _not be_ a trainer..."

She stopped, and restarted. "But you're acting different, and people are noticing. So – why?"

May sighed.

"I'm not impatient – not really – but... I really don't want to miss Torchic."

Caroline blinked.

"I know he's – I mean, I'm almost sure he's going to come here," May went on. "Ash has said – the Pokémon he catches turn up in the same place. I guess the timeline's really resilient – I mean, I heard from Dawn that that happened when they had trouble with the past."

Her mother offered no comment on May's absent recollection of a person she'd never met, about a time that hadn't happened yet.

"But... well, it still keeps me awake at night," May confided. "The idea that he'd turn up at the lab in Littleroot... and then that someone else would choose him, and I'd lose him."

Caroline stood, took a few steps closer to her daughter, and gathered her into a hug. "Oh, May..."

"I don't know why," she said, voice cracking a bit. "I – but I don't worry about this with any of the others. Not Beautifly, not Venusaur... just him. And I don't know if-"

Caroline cut off her daughter with a gentle finger.

"It's not a problem, May," she said soothingly. "Starters are special, everyone knows that."

May nodded silently.

After a minute or so, she stirred. "I – thanks, Mom."

Caroline smiled. "Any time, May. I may not be able to help you all the time, but I'll help with what I can."

* * *

><p>"This is lovely, Brock," Professor Ivy said, sipping at her glass. "You really do know how to pick a restaurant."<p>

Brock shrugged. "I'm glad you think so, Philena. But it's all been luck, really."

"A lucky man," Ivy said with a chuckle. "So, what brought you to Cianwood?"

"The local gym," Brock explained. "We're staying here the rest of the day to let Ash's Pokémon recover, and then we're heading east – to the Whirl Islands."

"I wish I could come," Ivy admitted, smiling. "It sounds like great fun."

"Yeah." Brock shrugged, and took some more of his food. "Travelling with Ash is sometimes more exciting than I'd like, but it's always a good time."

"Except for when things get _too_ exciting," Ivy quipped. Her expression sobered. "Seriously, Brock, be careful – it was awful watching you going into that tower and not being able to help."

Brock nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry-"

"You don't need to be," she interrupted. "I know full well you're a specialist at this sort of thing now. What's that joke about how a speciality is anything you've done twice?"

That made Brock chuckle.

"How's your research going?" he asked, after a moment.

"Oh, well," Philena made a dismissive gesture. "Its the usual thing – science is 99% perspiration. We're trying to work out how, exactly, Shamouti is so critical to the world environment – which means lots of careful tracking of ocean currents."

Brock swallowed. "You could ask the local Lugia, Ash says he's quite friendly."

Professor Ivy blinked. "...why am I not more surprised that your friend knows Lugia? He's already caught Suicune, you say, so..."

Her boyfriend shrugged. "I just kind of accept it, really... Ash is strange. And after a while that becomes the new baseline."

"Fair point. So, what's it like having a friend with a Legendary Pokémon?"

"Strange," Brock admitted. "She heads off every so often for a minor errand, and Ash has already said that's fine – but she does seem to want to hang around for a while."

Philena nodded.

"And – I'm not sure if you're aware, and do keep this under wraps, but my friend Misty is in the application process for the Elite Four."

The Professor drew in a breath in surprise.

"Yeah," Brock agreed. "You know how people qualify for that? Legendary fights. And Misty already had her first."

"...goodness. How did it go?"

"Raikou won, but barely," Brock summarized. "Actually, I'm wondering if Entei might turn up soon – it's easier to keep a battle like that from drawing too much attention in the nearby reserve."

"Oh, I heard about the reserve!" Ivy smiled. "That's a Ranger area, right?"

"That's right, yeah," Brock agreed. "Most of Shikoku is, though there's a bit you can use Park Balls."

"I might have to go there some day," Philena mused. "I never got around to getting a Pokémon of my own..."

"I've heard there's a lot of choice," Brock said, with a nod. "All kinds of Pokémon – even ones you'd normally meet in Sinnoh or Hoenn. Even starters, for that matter, in the deeper parts."

He took a long, measuring look at her, and she blushed slightly.

"Maybe you'd do well with a Shinx," he said.

"Is that supposed to say something about me?" she asked, chuckling.

"If you want it to..." Brock demurred. "But one reason is that Luxray can see through things, which might help your research."

Philena snapped her fingers. "That's _right_, I remember reading that," she agreed. "Something about being able to shift object-penetrating radiation back into the visible spectrum?"

Brock nodded. "Yeah, their eyes are specially adapted for it – which means you have to watch out for them if you're healing them..."

* * *

><p>"That was wonderful, Brock," Philena said, about half an hour later. "I had a thoroughly good time."<p>

"So did I," Brock agreed. "Wish we could do this more often. Oh – will you be able to take the time around the Silver Conference off?"

Philena frowned. "Possibly – I'll have to check. I can certainly squeeze a few days in, but the whole time... might be harder."

"Please try," Brock requested. "I know where we'll be – even if Ash does get knocked out, which I don't think is likely, he'll stick around to the end of the conference and so will I."

"I see I have to compete with Ash in your affections," Philena teased, then laughed at the startled expression on Brock's face. "Did I get you?"

"You did," Brock agreed.

As they left the restaurant, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Can't wait till next time," he said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"See this bit?" Todd asked, pointing it out.<p>

The Sneasel nodded attentively.

"This is the shutter speed setter," he explained. "The faster it is, the less light gets in and the less the object can move. So if I was taking a photograph of a really fast Pokémon like a Ninjask, I'd want to put the shutter speed right up to very fast – but at night it might mean not enough light gets in for a good picture."

He handed the camera to her. "Can you show me a couple of examples?"

Sneasel took it, being careful with the weight, and spun the shutter setter. She held it up, pointing it towards the nearby window, and pressed the button.

Again, this time with the setting about in the middle, and a third time at the other end of the traverse.

"Let's see, then," Todd said, scooting around to look at the back of the camera with her. "Can we see that first one?"

With care due to her claws, Sneasel tapped away at the control pad and pulled up the first photograph.

It was almost hopelessly blurred, only the largest branches of the trees outside showing up as anything other than diffuse blobs.

"That's the one with the slow shutter," Todd reminded her. "The second?"

This one was much sharper. There was still a bit of motion 'blur', but only a little, and it was pretty clear what was being looked at.

"There we go," Todd said, pleased. "Much closer to the best setting here. And let's see the other one?"

This one was very sharp, but not very bright – even the sensitive camera unable to squeeze all that much out of such a short exposure.

Sneasel looked at it, then nodded, and turned the setter almost to the middle.

She hopped up on the windowsill, balancing with a mustelid grace, and snapped off two more pictures.

Paging through them, she showed them to Todd.

"Not bad," Todd complimented, noticing the small flock of Pidgey fluttering around the nearby field. "They've got just a little wing-blur, which looks nice."

Sneasel smiled.

"Oh, that reminds me," Todd said, reaching into a bag. "I got this at the Mart this morning."

It was a magazine, in a clear plastic cover, with a big splash on the front of two Articuno side-by-side.

Sneasel looked at the wrapped magazine, recognizing the photo, and then sliced the cover carefully open with a claw.

Todd opened it, turning the pages slowly. "Whoa... I think they basically made the entire issue be about _me_... didn't realize that!"

Sneasel stopped him as he was about to turn the page again, pointing.

"Oh, there's you!" he smiled. "Well spotted!"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

This is an unusual chapter – Ashes nowhere to be seen. Instead, I've looked at a fair slice of some of the other people who've been touched by the changes in the timeline.


	81. Johto 23

Bright and early the next morning, the friends left Cianwood Pokémon Centre.

"Right," Ash said, yawning. "Where now?"

"Well, there's a few things to do in the Whirl Islands," Misty pointed out. "Like the Whirl Cup. But I guess we don't have to get there straight away..."

"We could look around the Safari Zone," Brock suggested.

"Nah," Ash shrugged. "Don't really think that sounds all that exciting-"

Pikachu interrupted. _"Look!"_

They followed his gaze, towards a hill a little way outside Cianwood proper.

Ash blinked. "The heck? That's... is that Entei _and_ Raikou?"

He glanced down at his belt. "Suicune? You have any idea-?"

The Fast Ball flashed and opened. _"No, but I'll go ask."_

With that, the Water-type went loping off towards the hill.

"I... guess we should follow?" Ash asked, to general agreement.

* * *

><p>Some minutes later, Suicune came back with the explanation.<p>

"_They're here for different reasons," _she clarified. _"Entei's here because he's aware that you have a battle pending, Misty, and he's fine with being your Fire-type match. As for Raikou-"_ She shrugged. _"It seems he wants a race. He informs me that, since I'm here, you've got no excuse at all."_

Ash chuckled. "Wow, guess he's really eager for this... okay, give me a sec."

He got out Dexter. "Is Pidgeot available?"

She is indeed. Who else do you want?

"Well, I've got Pikachu and Lucario... lets go with Houndour and Quilava."

Confirmed. Please wait.

As he was sorting that out, Misty was rummaging through her Pokéballs. "Entei... okay, Fire-type, so that's easier, but he's also... right. Psyduck?"

Psyduck promptly emerged from his Pokéball. _"Yes?"_

"Your job is to make sure he doesn't use Sunny Day."

"_Got it."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Right!"<em> Raikou said, as the humans arrived. _"We all ready for this, then?"_

Ash double-checked his team. "I think so!"

He then took Dexter out. "You're probably going to need to record the battle Misty's going to have with Entei, so I can't take you along."

Understood.

"_Enough faffing around!"_ Raikou pronounced, prancing from paw to paw in his eagerness. _"Let's dashed well GO already!"_

"Okay, I get the idea!" Ash chuckled. He returned Suicune, to have her along just in case, and then sent out Pidgeot and swung aboard.

"Ready for this, Pikachu?" he asked.

"_Yep!"_ Pikachu's cheeks sparked, and then lightning crackled out across Pidgeot's wings. _"There we go. Thunder Armour up and running."_

Raikou blinked, thrown. _"What the hells is that?"_

"_It's me giving Pidgeot my Lightningrod ability, by using electrical charges to cancel out any attacks which hit her,"_ Pikachu explained glibly.

"_...oh,"_ Raikou said. He then turned, facing back for a moment. _"Right. Anyway. Let's go!"_

He crouched, paws digging into the ground, and then shot off west and south towards the interior of Shikoku.

Pidgeot took off in a storm of wingbeats, and followed – accelerating rapidly.

"_Well, now that they're out of the way,"_ Entei said, nodding to Misty. _"Shall we begin? I suggest the same rules as applied with my brother."_

"Two Pokémon at a time for me, six total, and no capture," Misty reiterated. "Fine by me."

"_Very well. Let us begin."_ Entei planted his paws in the ground. _"Sunny Day!"_

Psyduck raised his fore flippers. _"Nope!"_ he said, eyes glowing for a moment.

Entei blinked, and looked upwards. The sun was, indeed, not glowing brighter – nor was it lending force to his attacks.

"_How exactly are you doing that?"_ he asked, then leapt out of the way as Gyarados launched a Hydro Pump at him.

Snarling, he landed a little way down the hill and hit the next watery attack with a colossal blaze of flame in the form of a Fire Blast.

As the two attacks produced an instant cloud of steam, Misty lost sight of Entei for a moment. She closed one eye, focusing on Aura Sight, and managed to get a vague sense of where Entei was.

"Gyarados – left!" she instructed. "Water Pulse!"

Gyarados roared, firing off a Water Pulse into the steam, and was rewarded with the sight of Entei leaping over it – out of the steam cloud, back into clear air.

Eyes glowing, Psyduck picked up a globe of water from the attacks which had already spilled it all over the ground and used it to hit Entei with. The impact seemed more stinging than harmful, and Entei retaliated by running close in and launching off a Flamethrower.

Psyduck deflected it – though not without some difficulty – using a psychic shield, and added a Water Gun which Entei barely noticed.

He certainly noticed when Gyarados launched off a Hydro Pump, though. Entei was sent bouncing down the hill, rolled a couple of times, and only then came back upright.

Growling, he opened his mouth, and a globe of green energy formed as he charged a Solarbeam.

* * *

><p>"How are you holding up, Pidgeot?" Ash asked, feeling her wings working away underneath him.<p>

"_This isn't too bad,"_ Pidgeot admitted, rising slightly to clear a ridge. _"I mean, it'd probably be easier if we were going along a valley rather than across several of them, but..."_

She dove, gathering speed as they crossed a wider valley than usual, then pulled up again and cleared the ridge.

Ash pointed. "There – he's gone a bit to the left."

"_Got him."_

* * *

><p>Jayden didn't know quite what to make of the situation.<p>

As an Area Ranger, he was supposed to keep the area safe for Pokémon and prevent poachers... but it was hard to know whether this situation qualified. In fact, it was hard to know if his superiors had ever imagined it was possible.

First, there was the Raikou. It was running as fast as it could across the valley floor below his position... and clearly laughing. He could hear the booming laughter from here, sounding a lot like a roll of distant thunder.

Then there was the Pidgeot following it... which was, for whatever reason, sheathed in lightning as though it was cosplaying as a Zapdos or something.

As he watched, the Raikou leaped over the line of a ridge and pelted down the far side – still pursued by that Pidgeot.

It would probably be a good idea to check what was going on... especially as he spotted the human on the Pidgeot's back.

* * *

><p>Still charging, Entei jumped over a tail sweep from Gyarados and used the backstroke to kick off from – gaining height and speed, and aiming directly for Psyduck.<p>

Psyduck held up his flippers in a defensive position as Entei's Solarbeam fired.

The condensed solar energy splashed off his psionic shield, carving small furrows in the ground, and then Entei slammed his paws into the ground barely feet from Psyduck before batting him aside and following up with a nasty kick in the stomach.

As he coiled to spring after Psyduck, Gyarados hit him with another Hydro Pump. Entei's counter was swift and powerful – Eruption, turning the incoming water to steam and making the water-saturated soil hiss as it dried.

The fire attack lasted for several seconds, then slowly began to die down – with Entei nowhere to be seen in the circle of scorched ground.

Psyduck made a _thwap_ sound as he hit the ground.

"_Done,"_ Entei said triumphantly, landing next to the Water-type just before Misty recalled him. _"Now – Sunny Day!"_

The sun blazed more brightly in the sky as the clouds around it shifted away, producing an area of supernaturally intense sunlight.

"_Right,"_ he said, somewhat mollified, and turned to Gyarados. _"Solar-"_

Politoed landed on his back with a Bounce, driving the air out of him with a _whoof._ _"Rain Dance!"_ he said, clapping, before jumping free just ahead of a claw-swipe from Entei.

Entei got back to his feet, already feeling the drops of water landing on his fur from the Rain Dance.

Then a Bubblebeam pummelled his flank.

"_You have got to be KIDDING!"_ Entei roared. _"Right, that's it. Extremespeed!"_

Kicking off with his back paws, he shot out of the way of a rain-boosted Hydro Pump which blew a sizeable crater in the ground.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot rolled over on her left side, making a painfully tight turn to follow Raikou without having to go the long way around a mountain peak, and Ash and Pikachu clung on grimly.<p>

As she righted herself and bore in, Raikou's tail crackled. He snapped off a Thunderbolt at them, which flowed into the Thunder Armour and dissipated.

"_That is very useful,"_ Pidgeot observed, then frowned. _"Wait – I think he's slowing down!"_

She slammed her wings to vertical, maximizing their area to brake, and her huge white wings-of-air copied the manoeuvre – resulting in a rippling _crack_ as they shoved huge areas of air aside.

That slowed them down in a startlingly short amount of time, resulting in Ash jumping clear of his Flying-type in the same clearing Raikou stopped in.

"_Well!"_ Raikou said, chortling. _"That got the blood pounding, didn't it! Right, let's be at all this – come on!"_

Ash returned Pidgeot, and sent out the rest of his prepared team – Heracross, Lucario, Quilava and Houndour.

Raikou looked back and forth between them, then jumped forwards.

Lucario stepped out in front to meet him, forming a Bone Rush staff in his paws. He swept it in front of Raikou's face with a swift motion, making the Electric-type check his advance slightly, then brought it in towards Raikou's cheek for a fast blow.

Raikou replied by opening his jaws, and then slammed them shut on the Bone Rush staff – smashing it to pieces.

"_That's a new one on me,"_ Lucario admitted, forming two more staffs, and then Raikou pounced on him with a Wild Charge.

Lucario dropped the staffs and set his feet in the ground, digging long furrows as Raikou pushed him bodily backwards. He took handfuls of Raikou's shaggy mane and gripped as hard as he could – and managed to hold him in place. The electricity was nasty, but Lucario could – with difficulty – handle it.

On Ash's side of the field, there was a flash as Suicune emerged to watch.

"_Flame Wheel!"_ Quilava announced, balling up and flashing into fire. She plunged into Raikou's flank, stinging him and making him snap off a Thunderbolt at her – a Thunderbolt which went nowhere except at Pikachu, whose Lightningrod absorbed it with a crackle.

Heracross got in on the act next, charging and ramming home a Focus Punch into Raikou's other side – the force of the blow making both him and Lucario skid a few more inches to the side.

Then Houndour contributed.

"_Hey,"_ he barked, drawing Raikou's attention.

The Electric-type blinked, still trying to push Lucario backwards. _"Yeah?"_

Houndour's teeth gleamed in the morning light. _"Beat Up."_

Raikou had just enough time to work out what was about to happen before shadowy doubles of Keldeo, Lucario, Suicune, Heracross, Pidgeot, Quilava, Pikachu and Houndour himself all appeared and started hitting him from every direction at once.

* * *

><p>Entei slammed his paws into Politoed's side, knocking him off-balance, and followed up with a nasty Bite attack. He had to stop at that point to dodge out of the way of a potent Aqua Tail, but finished off by using a Lava Plume to blow Politoed skywards and out of the battle.<p>

By now the battle area was starting to resemble a miniature recreation of the legendary battles between Groudon and Kyogre, with water everywhere, perpetual rain and the odd residual cone from a small volcanic eruption.

Panting a little, Entei jumped at Gyarados as he used another powerful Water-type attack, running just ahead of the Hydro Pump and stamping home with both forepaws on Gyarados' neck to send the Atrocious Pokémon collapsing backwards – down but not out.

Entei prepared to use another Bite, but got hit by a Psychic attack before he could – one which pushed him off Gyarados' neck and allowed the Water-type to get up again.

"_What now?"_ he asked, whirling, and saw the Starmie. _"Right!"_

He roared again, using Eruption as a place to hide from any immediate Water-type moves that might be aimed at him, and used Sunny Day again.

It didn't work.

Leaping out of the firestorm, he noticed that Starmie's gem was pulsing in time with the crackles of thunder in the clouds overhead.

"_Do _all_ of your Pokémon know Rain Dance?"_ he asked, exasperated, and pounced at Starmie ready to Bite.

Starmie's five fore arms all sprayed water at him at once, forcing him to dodge with care around the streams.

* * *

><p>"You're sure?"<p>

Jayden nodded. "Yes, sir. A human on a Pidgeot chasing a Raikou, right in the middle of Shikoku."

"Damn poachers." The gruff Top Ranger sighed. "Well done for getting here so fast. Is that a capture?"

Jayden shook his head. "No, this is my partner," he explained, patting the head of the Staraptor he hed been riding. "She evolved only a few days ago."

"Right, that explains it." The Top Ranger sighed again. "Well, it can't be helped. I'll call in everyone on local patrol – you go ahead and identify the location. Oh – what's your score with that Styler?"

"A rank, sir."

"Right. You might have to be the one to calm down the Raikou, then... okay, off you go."

Jayden nodded, sprinting to Staraptor and leaping to her back. Wings already spread, the burly Flying-type was airborne within seconds.

* * *

><p>Entei burst through a Water Pulse, squinting as the Water-type attack hit him, and managed to clip Starmie's arms with his swiping paw. The impact sent Starmie spinning backwards and down, and Entei capitalized on that by leaping forward and getting a grip with both paws.<p>

Starmie gave him another soaking, following it up with a Thunderbolt for good measure as Entei hurled it to the ground. This earned an irritated snarl and a Bite attack, knocking it out.

Then Gyarados slammed home an Aqua Tail.

Entei flew through the air, bounced, rolled over three times and skidded to a halt. He managed to dodge the next blast of water, and started on his new plan.

Firstly, he punched up another Sunny Day. _This_ time, it stuck, and Gyarados' attacks became much less dangerous as a result.

That wasn't enough, though – Solarbeam wouldn't be that much better against Gyarados than a Fire attack would be. So he selected a spot where he'd already blasted off the topsoil and sprinted towards it – ducking one Water pulse and leaping over another Aqua Tail before delivering a both-paws blow into the exposed bedrock – cracking it with the force of the blow.

Then he roared, and used Eruption. Less powerful now than at the start of the fight, it still blew the weakened rocks into the air in a miniature volcanic blast.

Quick as a flash, Entei jumped into the air after the largest of the rocks. He batted it with a paw as he reached it, adjusting its tumble, and then kicked it as hard as possible directly at Gyarados.

_That_ did it. The half-ton rock was more than enough to finish Gyarados off, and he collapsed.

As Entei landed, he looked around in puzzlement.

"_That was only four..."_

A drop of water landed on his muzzle.

"_Oh, what now!?"_ he asked, spinning on two feet, and saw Kingdra in one of the deeper puddles formed by the earlier battle – even now growing in the gathering rain.

A pair of yellow eyes flashed at him from next to the puddle, and then a large glob of water narrowly missed his face.

Ignoring Kabuto, Entei lunged forwards to attack Kingdra – paws sending up splats of mud as he boosted forwards with Extremespeed.

* * *

><p>Lucario grunted as he pushed hard – pushing Raikou slowly backwards, now the Beat Up had weakened him.<p>

Raikou delivered another electrical attack into Lucario, struggling, but it wasn't enough to break the grip of the tough Fighting-type. And as he tried, Heracross and Quilava were ramming home some nasty blows of their own on his sides.

"_Just a bit more..."_ Houndour said, watching as Lucario slowly bent Raikou's posture upwards – until his front paws left the ground entirely. _"And – now!"_

Slipping in underfoot, he avoided being stomped on and kicked Raikou's left knee. _"Foul Play!"_

The blow finally overbalanced Raikou, sending him crashing to the ground with Lucario on top of him.

Using one paw to keep Raikou on the defensive, Lucario raised his other and formed a Bone Rush staff in it.

"_Stop!"_

Startled, Lucario froze. So did Raikou, as did the other Pokémon in the clearing.

Suicune strode forwards. _"Brother! This is unacceptable!"_

Raikou blinked. _"I don't know what you could possibly-"_

"_Don't try that on me, brother!"_ Suicune shook her head, mane whipping in the wind. _"I _know_ you can fight better than this! A _lot _better! You wouldn't have let yourself be caught and held like that if you were fighting normally!"_

Lucario looked hurt._ "I thought I had something to do with it..."_

"_No, you misunderstand,"_ Suicune told him in an aside. _"Raikou is too _smart_ to be caught like that in the first place, and certainly to just keep trying to bull through. He didn't use hit-and-run nearly as much as he should have, and he should have aimed to eliminate Pikachu first."_

She turned a suspicious eye back to Raikou._"And you didn't run nearly as far as I know you can... you were throwing the fight, weren't you?"_

Raikou blushed. Actually _blushed_. _"Er... hrm, now you speak of it..."_

"_Raikou!"_

"_So what if I was?"_ he asked, defensively. _"Dash it all, I-"_

"She's got a point, Raikou," Ash contributed. "I mean – I don't really _mind_ catching Legendary Pokémon if they offer to let me, and catching Suicune the way I did was a really great moment, but... to say it'll be a fight and then throw it? That doesn't feel right to me..."

"_...blast,"_ Raikou muttered. _"Can I get a do-over?"_

"_I suspect you'll have to come back later," _Suicune suggested. _"And make sure you mean it next time."_

Grumbling, Raikou nodded. _"Fine. Now, can you get this beastly weight off my chest?"_

Lucario duly stepped off.

Snorting, Raikou rolled to his front and stood. _"Well, that's me told... and I would have gotten away with it were it not for my meddling sister..."_

"_And don't you forget it,"_ Suicune said, rolling her eyes.

"_Fine, then,"_ Raikou went on._ "I'll find some way to show I mean it, and then we'll bally well do it _properly!"

"I look forward to it," Ash said. "Wonder how Misty's doing, though-"

There was a crashing sound, as two humans – one male and one female – with Capture Stylers ready on their arms came through the foliage at the edge of the clearing. "Stop, thief!"

"Pokémon rangers!"

Ash blinked, completely thrown. "Pardon?"

"Kellyn, handle the Raikou!" the girl added. "I'll stop this poacher from attacking with any of his stolen Pokémon!"

Kellyn nodded, activating his Styler.

Raikou frowned at the spinning disc as it circled him, occasionally emitting flashes of light. _"This seems rather peculiar."_

"I'm not a poacher!" Ash said hotly. "I'm a Pokémon trainer, and Raikou challenged _me!"_

"That's the stupidest excuse I've heard in a long time," the girl said, unfazed.

Lucario sighed. _"This could take some time to sort out."_

* * *

><p>A loud explosion rippled the pool water.<p>

Entei landed by the side of the miniature lake, and batted at the mud running down near one eye.

His opponent faced him, fins flapping steadily to keep him in position in the water.

Entei frowned, looking closer. That wasn't just to keep him in place...

With a roar, he pounced forwards again – and used a Lava Plume from below, to boot, to blast Kingdra into the air and interrupt his Dragon Dance.

When he reached the now-airborne Kingdra, Entei had no illusions about it now being an easy fight – which was fortunate, since Kingdra had no intention of giving him one.

The Water-type opened this round of hostilities with a Waterfall, which quickly extinguished the remains of the Lava Plume and knocked Entei about from the force of the water.

Entei reacted to that by grabbing on to Kingdra's nearest fin with his paws, dragging him along for the ride as Entei came in to land on the other side of the pool and finally getting him clear of the water.

Though that meant Kingdra was now at a disadvantage – being on land – it wasn't the end of him by a long shot. As he started using more Water attacks to get some breathing room to use to return to the water, Entei was forced to step back somewhat before pouncing again to deliver another Stomp.

The two of them were actually at something of a stalemate. None of Entei's attacks were really potent enough to damage Kingdra – his fire speciality in particular was at a huge disadvantage – and the only thing he had which stood _much_ of a chance, Solarbeam, ideally required it not to be raining.

But of course it was raining.

That line of thought led Entei somewhere. Was it _Kingdra_ who was maintaining the weather?

To test that, he fired off another Sunny Day, watching Kingdra closely.

The Dragon-type didn't use any moves beyond the ones he'd already been doing – Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and the occasional nasty Flail if Entei got too close – but the rain clouds rolled straight back in after the few seconds of clearer skies.

_Right._

Entei spun, loping around the lake for his new objective – Kabuto.

Kabuto saw him coming, gave a worried click, and fired a barrage of Mud Shots.

Closing his eyes, Entei bulled through them and slammed his paws down on the Rock/Water type.

The impact drove Kabuto several inches into the mud.

As Entei lifted his paw to check on his handiwork, he got an Ancientpower to the face.

"_Ow! Right, that-"_ Entei bit off the rest of the sentence, and Stomped Kabuto again before turning back to Kingdra.

As he loped back over, he fired off a Sunny Day. This time, for a wonder, it wasn't cancelled out or overridden.

"_Now, as I was saying,"_ Entei said, green light gathering in his mouth. _"Solarbeam!"_

The blaze of green energy splashed across Kingdra's skin, doing less damage than it would have done to another Water-type due to the Dragon typing – but still clearly hurting.

Kingdra's reply to this was to spit off a stream of Dragonbreath at Entei, who dodged handily and retaliated with another Solarbeam.

That finally knocked Kingdra out.

Panting heavily, Entei turned to look at Misty. _"I take it this means I-"_

He stopped, as a drop of water landed on his nose.

Incredulously, he looked up into the sky, and saw that the clouds were gathering again.

"_Oh, you have got to be kidding."_

He turned back to the lake shore, where the crater he'd left Kabuto was. _"Right. Time to-"_

The mud erupted upwards.

* * *

><p>"Right," said the girl, Kate. "So, let's go over this again."<p>

"Sure," Ash nodded.

"You're a Pokémon trainer."

Ash indicated his Pokémon and Pokéballs. "I'm pretty sure I am."

"Despite how Pokémon trainers are only allowed six Pokémon," Kellyn went on.

"Actually..." Ash shrugged. "It's more like six per battle. I only use six in any one battle, but I keep more than six on me."

The two Rangers exchanged glances, then nodded dubiously.

"Okay," Kate said, pursing her lips. "We'll take that bit on trust for now. So, you're a Pokémon trainer. And you've got... among others, a Pidgeot, a Heracross, a Lucario, and a Suicune."

The relevant Pokémon nodded amicably.

"How did you get a Lucario?" Kellyn asked. "Riolu are a protected species-"

"_The nobles of the Lucario Kingdom determined that Ash was worthy to receive a Riolu egg,"_ Lucario stated evenly. _"Rest assured, I was most certainly not poached, and were Ash to do that I'd hit him until he stopped."_

Ash chuckled nervously. "I can't tell if you're joking..."

The next thing Lucario said was not translated for the benefit of the Rangers. _"Given how often you get possessed... no, I am not joking."_

"_Wise precaution,"_ Pikachu agreed.

"Fair enough," Ash admitted.

"Well – I guess," Kate admitted. "I mean, I heard Riolu and Lucario were really noble and brave – but couldn't you just be brainwashed?"

That made Kellyn chuckle.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Oh – sorry, just – the image of trying to brainwash a Lucario," Kellyn explained, sniggering. "I got this image of one of those Dim Sun guys running a brainwashing machine, and then suddenly a Lucario fist punches through the side of the machine and rips it apart."

That made Kate chuckle too.

"Okay, so maybe not the brainwashing thing isn't so..." she shrugged. "But still – what about Suicune? I mean, the heck? You've got a Legendary?"

One of the balls at Ash's waist flashed and opened.

"_He's got two right here!"_ Keldeo said brightly.

Ash winced. "That's not actually helping..."

"_...oops."_ Keldeo winced. _"Sorry..."_

The two Rangers were too busy staring back and forth between Keldeo and Suicune to comment.

"...you've got _two Legendaries_ right there..." Kate said weakly. "How?"

Keldeo answered that one, speaking firmly. _"Ash did me a great service, so I'm following him and battling for him for a year or so. I've learned a lot myself, actually!"_

He glanced over at Suicune. _"As for her – she and her brothers are challenging Ash. If he beats them, he catches them – with their blessing."_

Kellyn blinked. "Uh... brothers?"

Raikou cleared his throat. _"Am I still allowed in this conversation!? It's about me, after all!"_

"They can't understand you," Ash pointed out to him.

That statement didn't seem to help the Rangers get back on an even footing.

"Okay, so you can understand Pokémon too..." Kate said, shaking her head. "I'm starting to wonder if we missed a briefing."

"No, probably just the radio," Ash shrugged. "I got interviewed earlier this year, it came out then."

"That explains it," Kellyn said gratefully. "We recently transferred here from Almia. Guess we must have just missed a lot of the news..."

After a moment's pause, Kate clapped her hands together. "Right. So – Raikou," she said, addressing him directly. "He says you challenged him. Is that correct?"

Raikou nodded firmly. _"I should say so! I'll get that bally Volt Crash move if it's the last thing I do..."_

Pikachu blinked. _"Wait, is _that_ why you were going to-"_

"_It's the best Electric move I've _ever seen!_"_ Raikou rhapsodised. _"I really, really want it!"_

"_I'm flattered. I think."_

"And the chase started outside the Ranger area?" Kate asked.

"Well, it started about a mile outside Cianwood Pokémon Centre," Ash said. "Does that count?"

"It's probably fine," Kellyn shrugged. "Okay, Kate, looks like this was a false alarm."

He fixed Ash with a look. "But don't pull some stunt like this again!"

"Never fear!" Ash said, chuckling. "Not after-"

There was a sudden windstorm of air as two Staraptor and a Braviary swept down to land in the clearing.

"Pokémon Rangers!"

Kate squinted up. "The heck? Jayden? What are you three – we were on top of this!"

Pikachu sighed. _"Here we go again."_

* * *

><p>Entei regarded his final opponent for several more seconds, a growl rumbling in the back of his throat.<p>

"_...Misty,"_ that opponent said, after a moment more of silence._ "I am glad for how you treated a poor, time-displaced fossil like me."_

With that, Kabutops darted in, wicked scythes flashing.

Entei jumped back, blasting fire at Kabutops – to little effect – and then got hit by rocks in both sides of his chest.

Surprised, he backed away further, and watched more closely this time as Kabutops came in.

The scythes glowed faintly-

Entei jumped to his right, looking left, and saw what was going on. Kabutops was using Stone Edge to throw chunks of rock from his earlier impromptu Rock attack at Entei himself, using the Slash attacks as cover.

Now understanding, he jumped _up_ when Kabutops swiped this time, and the rocks passed underneath him.

Kabutops had an answer for that too, though. He simply launched himself into the air like a very literal heat-seeking missile – slamming home a powerful Aqua Jet.

Air came whooshing out of Entei's lungs, and he snarled before kicking off, landing well clear, and starting the laborious process of charging a Solarbeam.

Kabutops landed thigh-deep in the water. He spun, spotted the charging Solarbeam, and ran forwards.

Fortunately for Entei, the inconveniently deep water slowed Kabutops' progress. The Grass-type move finished charging just as Kabutops made it out of the water, and Entei immediately fired it.

Pivoting on one foot, Kabutops whipped his left scythe towards the beam of energy. It hit, flashing energy off in all directions, but was clearly still making a major impact on the Rock/Water type.

Kabutops stumbled, sped up again, and then kicked off hard – going up into the air, away from the direction of the Solarbeam. Entei tried to retarget it, then gave up and let it dissipate.

Just as he did, Kabutops reoriented himself in mid-air and cloaked himself in water. _"Dive!"_ he announced, and came crashing down on Entei in a sixty-degree angle dive powered by jets of water from the rear of his exoskeleton.

Mud and dirt fountained up.

* * *

><p>"Kabutops?" Misty called, squinting through the drumming rain.<p>

Then, out of the mist, a silhouette appeared.

"_I win,"_ Entei said, walking closer. _"And... I think I would like to lie down now."_

His left foreleg missed a step, and he slumped over on one side before starting to snore.

* * *

><p>Ash, his Pokémon, and Raikou – now aided by Kate and Kellyn – had to explain the situation to the three newly-arrived Rangers all over again.<p>

They skipped some of the more inconsequential details (the radio programme), explored others anew (surprisingly few of the Rangers had heard that the Beasts of Johto were siblings) and were almost done when the Top Ranger for Shikoku turned up with four _more_ Area Rangers.

By the time _that_ was over, everyone was quite thoroughly sick of talking about it. Raikou went off in a huff, muttering about 'busybodies' taking the fun out of the whole business, and Ash climbed back aboard Pidgeot for an escorted flight back to Cianwood.

* * *

><p>"And don't do it again!" Kellyn called, waving, as his befriended Fearow pulled up and away from them at the border of the reserve.<p>

"I won't!" Ash called back.

"_You will,"_ Pikachu pointed out. _"Maybe not on purpose, but you will..."_

Pidgeot banked smoothly, lowering her altitude back towards their start location earlier in the day.

"_Oh, look!"_ she said, as she shed speed. _"There's the others! And quite a lot of dirty water flowing down that small valley... and several scorch marks."_

"Guess Misty's done with her battle, then," Ash said, then jumped off as Pidgeot alighted.

"Hey, Ash!" Brock hailed, looking up from where he was cooking some brunch. "How did it go?"

Ash shrugged. "Not great. Raikou was trying to throw the fight, which kind of isn't-"

"Yeah," Brock agreed, filling in the conversation space as Ash looked for the words. "It's not what you were after."

"Right," Ash confirmed. "And then the Pokémon Rangers for the area showed up, calling me a Poacher."

He sighed. "We had to explain the whole thing. Three times."

Brock winced.

"How did Misty do?" Ash asked, more cheerfully.

"Well, I think it's actually a draw," Brock told him. "Entei knocked out her team, but then fainted."

"Whoa..." Ash grinned. "Nice work, Misty!" he called.

A faint "Thanks!" came from over a small rise.

"Oh, yeah, her Kabuto evolved, too," Brock added.

"I'll have to congratulate him too," Ash decided with a smile. "Those sausages smell great!"

Lucario emerged from his Pokéball as Ash contemplated the meal. _"Ash? Do you have a moment?"_

"Oh – sure," Ash agreed.

He followed Lucario a dozen or so metres away.

"What is it, Lucario?" he asked, once they were somewhere a little more private.

"_It's just – did you recognize that first male Ranger? Kellyn?"_

Ash frowned. "Now you mention it... yeah, I did run into him before! Up in Sinnoh, back when-"

He blinked. "Oh, right. Back when we first met."

"_That is correct,"_ Lucario nodded. _"I remember he helped rescue me, as well as you."_

"Yeah, you're right." Ash nodded. "I wonder if it's just that-"

"_Ash, you misunderstand my concern. Why is he down here in Johto – or, rather, a Ranger in Shikoku? In the other timeline, he was much further north even two years later than this."_ Lucario shook his head. _"I'm worried that we might have changed something for the worse – somehow stirred things around."_

Ash frowned. "I don't know, I'm afraid. I guess... maybe it's just that Hunter J was sighted further south, and now she's in prison – they just don't need to keep so much of an eye on the Almia reserve especially, without her around."

"_It is possible, I suppose,"_ Lucario admitted, frowning. _"But it seems... well, it seems we should keep a look out for other such changes."_

"I agree with you there," Ash nodded fervently. "Pidgeot's been making flights up to Sinnoh when she has the time to spare, but no sign of Galactic yet."

Lucario nodded. _"That sets my mind at rest, a little."_

* * *

><p>"<em>A truly marvellous battle,"<em> Entei pronounced, once revived and dosed with brunch. _"Misty, if it was mine to decide, I'd say yes. I remember Malcom, and this battle was every bit as entertaining as that one!"_

He bowed once, low, and then turned to Ash.

"_We will, of course, meet again."_

With that he spun, to face the mainland, and set off at a ground-eating lope.

"Hey," Brock said, frowning. "Something just occurred to me. How did Entei and Raikou get from Honshu to Shikoku?"

"_I can answer that,"_ Suicune said. _"They ran over the water, of course – just like I do."_

Brock blinked. "But... you're Water-type. Entei is _Fire-_type."

Suicune shrugged. _"So?"_

* * *

><p>"Arceus?" Sir Aaron asked.<p>

_Yes?_

"I can't help but think that you've having trouble deciding on a stable difficulty curve for this game."

_Guilty,_ Arceus admitted. _I've been trying a few things, but for some reason I just can't seem to get something coherent together._

"Yeah, and the dragon gang is getting a bit uppity," Aaron reported. "After how much fun the big battle in Illusio was, Cragspur was a letdown."

_Fair point,_ Arceus admitted. _A Gigalith wasn't much of a challenge._

"Viperia was worse," he went on. "A Croagunk is not an appropriate finisher challenge, not really."

There was subdued muttering from the heavens.

"And as for the _Dark_-type kingdom..."

_All right, all right, I get the point. I could have done something a bit more impressive with Dark-type than a Zorua and a Zoroark._

"Exactly my point," Sir Aaron nodded. He jumped, caught the lip of the next ledge, and hauled himself up onto the battle zone of Avia itself. "So, anyway, my hope is that you put a bit more effort into this one."

_Uh..._ Arceus sounded a bit embarrassed. _Tell me. How do a Rufflet and a Braviary sound?_

Sir Aaron sighed.

_Okay, okay! I'll rewrite it – just give me a second._

"Thanks." The Aura Guardian turned, to watch the three Dragons as they ascended the cliff.

By floating.

"How are you doing that?" he asked, blinking.

Palkia grinned. _"I'm creating a zone of negative gravity around myself!"_

"_I'm a Ghost,"_ Giratina pointed out. _"And I'm using my Orb to remain in Origin Form."_

"And Dialga?"

The Steel-type shrugged. _"It takes time to fall."_

"That doesn't-" Sir Aaron stopped, blinked, and shook his head. "Okay, I don't care enough."

With the softness of a thistledown, two very large dragons landed on either side of him. (Giratina floated overhead.)

"Okay, Arceus," he went on. "Let's see this challenge."

_...and done!_

A man with a very impressive helmet came strutting up to them.

"Hi!" he said, smiling. "Welcome to Avia! I'm Masamune, and I will be defeating you today!"

Palkia sniggered. _"He's not as good at the voice as I am."_

Sir Aaron gave the Water-type dragon a quelling look.

"_Let's see this, then,"_ Giratina suggested. _"What have you got?"_

"_Pidgeot?"_ Dialga asked. _"Staraptor?"_

Masamune spread his arms. "Attack!"

Sir Aaron blinked, peering off into the distance. "Uh... guys? Is it me, or is that... Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Dragonite, Ho-Oh, Salamence, Rayquaza, Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus and Yvetal?"

Palkia squinted. _"You missed Lugia. Behind Zapdos."_

"Oh, there we are," Sir Aaron agreed, a little airily. "Glad that's cleared up. Arceus? The heck?"

_You said they were stir crazy,_ Arceus pointed out. _Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Misunderstandings, eh?

I was wondering which of the Beasts to do next, so I went with both.

Poor Entei - weather effects, and all that...


	82. Johto 24

"Not long to go until I get Corsola back," Misty sighed. "That'll be nice – I never could speak to her before."

Ash nodded. "It's always nice to meet an old Pokémon again – I'm looking forwards to when we find Donphan, he's next."

"_He was fun,"_ Pikachu admitted. _"Quite childish at first, but he grew up a lot."_

"I guess he would," Brock said. "You hatched him, right, Ash?"

"Yep," Ash confirmed. He blinked. "Hey, wait... look up there!"

The others followed his gaze.

"Isn't that..." Brock tailed off, and got his binoculars out of his backpack. Twiddling the focus wheel, he zoomed in. "Yep – there it is. That's a Pidgey... but he's a lot higher than I'd have expected."

"That must be that high-flying Pidgey!" Ash said, snapping his fingers.

The others blinked.

"...well, sure, it sounds obvious_ now_," Misty chuckled. "You're right."

"Guys," Brock said urgently, still looking through the binoculars. "I think there's a Fearow going after him."

Ash's hand immediately went to his waist, and he sent out Pidgeot. "Make sure that Pidgey's safe, Pidgeot!"

"_Got it!"_ she called back, already accelerating with powerful wing-sweeps.

* * *

><p>Orville pumped his wings steadily, with eyes only for the sky. Every flap brought him further into the sky, and closer to the sun.<p>

He'd trained for this for years. He _would_ be the highest-flying Pidgey ever!

A sudden caw from below broke into his single-minded concentration.

His rate of ascent slowed as he recognized the noise – that was the cry of a Fearow.

Was one of the locals-

Then the Fearow shot past him, tumbling backwards and quite confused.

Orville blinked, not sure what to make of it.

"_Hi,"_ a female voice chirped. _"How are you doing, little guy?"_

Orville's beak gaped. _"You're a Pidgeot!"_

"_I know,"_ she said. _"Don't worry, that Fearow won't get you. What are you doing, by the way?"_

"_I'm trying to fly higher than any Pidgey ever has!"_ Orville said, resuming his upwards climb. _"I'm trying to fly to the sun!"_

"_The sun might be a bit too hard,"_ the Pidgeot said, with a warm lilt to her voice. _"But aiming high is good. Tell you what – I'll follow you up, to make sure you're safe."_

"_As long as you don't help me directly,"_ Orville asked firmly. _"I want to do this for myself."_

* * *

><p>"Wow, that's a long way up," Ash said, as they watched through Dexter's air-lenses. "How high <em>are<em> they?"

Lasing.

Dexter's eyes flashed, and then flashed a second time.

"What was that second one for?" Misty asked. "The Pidgey? Can you still see him? We're only able to see Pidgeot, even with the-"

No, it was not. It was checking my result. Dexter paused. Pidgeot is currently in the stratosphere.

"She's what?" Ash asked.

"That's... really ridiculously high," Brock said, blinking.

"Wait!" Ash pointed. "Look!"

As they watched, Pidgeot's wings beat once more, and then she dropped back down.

"I guess that's it, then," Ash said. "Whoa... look at how long she's diving for. That Pidgey must have got really high!"

Pidgeot descended for some time, going from a near-dot to a recognizably Pidgeot shape through the air telescope.

At that point, though, she stopped diving, and began to circle.

"Huh," Ash frowned. "Not sure what that means."

* * *

><p>Some minutes later, Pidgeot accelerated out of her holding pattern and dove a little, then began to head rapidly back to the group.<p>

As she alighted, Ash jogged over. "Welcome back, Pidgeot – what kept you?"

Pidgeot waved a wing at Ash, still a little tired. _"I was waiting for Orville to come back down."_

Misty blinked. "But – wait, if you were waiting for him, that means... you didn't follow him all the way up?"

"_No, I did not,"_ Pidgeot confirmed. _"My wings iced up too much for me to feel confident following him all the way up. He seemed to cope better with it."_

"And was he okay?" Ash asked her. "I mean, I guess he must be..."

"_He was fine," _Pidgeot assured him. _"He passed out on the way down, but I caught him down in the denser air and he recovered nicely."_

"Wow," Ash said, contemplating that. "That is one tough Pidgey."

"_No argument here,"_ Pidgeot agreed firmly.

* * *

><p>"Well, I guess it's off to Yellow Rock Isle now," Brock said, looking at the map. "That right, Dexter?"<p>

Yes, it is. That's most of the way to the Whirl Cup, and it is also where Misty will find Corsola.

"Not so fast," Misty said.

Ash, Pikachu, Brock and Lucario turned to her in surprise.

"Pardon?" Ash asked for all of them. "I thought you were looking forward to-"

"I am!" Misty interrupted. "Of corsola I am!"

There was a stunned silence, then the faint _clang_ of Lucario facepalming.

"Anyway," she went on, blushing slightly at how horrible her own pun had been, "What I was saying was that I wanted to see if I could catch a Chinchou, since I remember there's some on this island."

Brock blinked. "Don't you _have_ a Chinchou?"

"_I remember her alright,"_ Pikachu muttered. _"That was a very, very annoying fight."_

Misty thought about bringing up the destruction of her gym again, but – remembering how casually Chuck had taken it – let it go, though not without some effort. "She was the gym's Chinchou," she said instead. "She belongs to the Cerulean Gym, part of the high-level challenge team – and one of the ones who keeps _herself_ fit, which is what made her so useful. Anyway, I kind of want one for myself."

"Huh," Ash said, and shrugged. "Go ahead, then, we've got time."

* * *

><p>Misty cleared her throat, and several dozen of the migrating Chinchou turned to look at her.<p>

"Hi!" she said, brightly. "Would any of you like to become one of my Pokémon?"

"_...I have to admit,"_ one of them said, turning to the others. _"This is refreshing. Humans normally aren't polite enough to ask."_

"Thanks," Misty replied.

The Chinchou blinked.

"_Did... did I just imagine that?"_

"No," Misty said.

"_Oh."_ The Chinchou seemed a little nonplussed. _"Okay then."_

A younger one spoke up. _"What other Pokémon do you have?"_

Misty smiled. "Staryu and Starmie, Seaking and Kingdra, Psyduck, Politoed, Gyarados, Togekiss and Kabutops."

"_What's a Kabutops?"_

Misty demonstrated by sending him out.

"_Hello,"_ Kabutops said, bowing. _"I am a reanimated fossil."_

"_That's something you don't hear every day..."_one Chinchou said.

"_Talk about understatement,"_ another quipped.

The younger one flashed his lights twice. _"I'll go with you!"_

Misty smiled, pleased. "Thanks! I have to admit, that was easier than I was expecting..."

The Chinchou shrugged. _"You seem nice!"_

* * *

><p>"Well?" Brock asked.<p>

She flashed him a grin. "Piece of cake! Didn't even have to battle for him!"

"Hey, Misty?" Ash asked. "Remember when you said all my captures were pity-captures?"

Misty shot him a look. "Quiet, you!"

* * *

><p>"Right, here we are," Misty said. "Megi City."<p>

Ash looked around. "How is this a city? It barely looks like a town."

The others shrugged.

"_Hey – wait."_ Pikachu's ears twitched. _"Did you hear that?"_

Ash frowned. "Hear what?"

"_I heard someone crying out – there it was again!"_

Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder. _"This way!"_

* * *

><p>A few minutes took them to a beach, where they saw a house slowly floating out to sea – with a girl on the roof, calling for help.<p>

"Right!" Misty said, snapping her fingers. "I remember this!"

Frowning, she considered how to help. "Okay – Gyarados!"

She sent out her largest Pokémon, and turned to Ash as he formed. "Can you have Meganium and Ivysaur help to tow the house back to shore?"

"Sure!" Ash replied promptly, climbing on Gyarados' back and releasing the Grass-types.

* * *

><p>With the powerful Gyarados providing power, they were able to pull the house away from danger in minutes, and from there Ivysaur and Meganium could switch to reeling it in from the shore and pull it the rest of the way to the beach.<p>

Barely had they started that second phase, though, when Misty went diving off Gyarados' back into the water.

"Uh..." Ash said, looking at where she'd just vanished from. "Misty?"

There were a couple of flashes visible through the water.

Then Misty came splashing back to shore – with her hair frizzed out, despite the seawater.

"I caught Corsola," she said, holding up one of her Lure balls. "Might have been a mistake for Chinchou to use Thundershock underwater, though..."

"That was quick," Ash blinked.

* * *

><p>Sorting out the placement of the house – and reuniting the girl with her family – occupied some considerable time, and it was nearly lunch by the time they had everything sorted out and could afford to bring Corsola up to speed.<p>

When she emerged from her Pokéball, the Coral seemed a bit miffed at being caught so easily. Ash gave her the usual treatment, and she blinked – then blinked again. _"Misty?"_

"That's right," Misty smiled. "Sorry about that..."

Corsola shrugged, which was quite a feat for an animate scleractinian. _"I suppose it's fine. I suppose."_

"Glad to have met your high expectations," Misty said, a little tartly.

The Pokémon blinked. _"Okay, I knew you knew what I called you, but that's new. You speak Pokémon?"_

"I taught her!" Ash said proudly.

"_Ash Ketchum taught you how to speak to Pokémon,"_ Corsola repeated. She shook her head. _"Now I've heard everything. Uh... why are we in the past?"_

She did a double take. _"And where's Togepi? If this is the past-"_

Togekiss emerged from her Pokéball, and waved. _"Hi!"_

"_...I must admit, I had expected you to at most be a Togetic,"_ Corsola admitted. _"Okay, so what else is new?"_

Misty frowned. "Okay. You know Staryu, Starmie and Politoed?"

"_Yes?"_ Corsola said warily. _"Why?"_

"They're the same," Misty clarified. "Just about everything else is different."

"_Define everything."_ Corsola took a deep breath, preparing herself for this.

Misty cleared her throat. "Right. Horsea is now Kingdra, Goldeen evolved, I have a Kabutops, you've already met Chinchou, Psyduck is now coherent, Gyarados has been around for a while already, I'm on the Elite Four shortlist, and that's not even getting into what Ash has done."

Ash waved.

"_...okay, I wasn't ready for that,"_ Corsola admitted. _"It was a lot crazier than I was expecting. How long have you been back?"_

"Closer to two years than one," Misty said. "They've been busy."

"She's fought Raikou, and then had a draw with Entei!" Ash contributed. "That last one was just late last week!"

Misty held in a giggle. "Poor Entei... I used Rain Dance every chance I got. The poor Beast..."

"_I can see I have a lot to catch up to,"_ Corsola admitted.

"Oh, don't worry," Misty replied. "You'll pick it up in no time!"

She winked. "At least you don't have to get up to speed with what Ash's team is like now."

"_I'm afraid to ask..."_

* * *

><p>That night, as they cruised towards Redrock Isle, Ash gazed out over the stern of the ship.<p>

"Man, but it's kind of nice to be going among islands again," he mused to Pikachu. "The smell of the sea... kind of reminds me of home."

Pikachu nodded. _"I can see why it would."_

"Plus it means less time walking," Ash added, grinning. "I mean, walking is fine, but it's sometimes a welcome break to get around by boat."

Pikachu smiled. _"I can agree with that."_

"You mostly ride on my shoulder anyway," Ash chuckled.

"_Guilty as charged."_

They enjoyed the sound of the ship's wake for a few minutes.

"_Ash?"_ Pikachu asked. _"What's the plan for the Whirl Cup? Who are you going to use?"_

"Whoever wants to," Ash decided. "I'll try to use everyone who does – but I'll try to be careful with the Legendaries, if they do."

The boy sighed. "I – yeah, I had this discussion already, but I don't want to be like Tobias was."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked a little. _"Tobias... yeah, I know what you mean. Fighting his Latios was great fun, but it all felt a bit hollow."_

Ash reached up to the railing where Pikachu was standing, and gave him a gentle scratch. "Just let me know if I'm being a jerk, okay?"

"_Sure thing,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"But I can be bribed with ketchup to overlook the odd mildly jerkish moment..."_

They shared a chuckle.

Then Pikachu frowned, looking out to sea. _"Eh?"_

"What?" Ash asked, becoming alert. "Do you see something?"

"_Not see, no... hear."_

Ash listened, hard. Ignoring the faint splashing of the waves against the ship, and the disturbed water from the screw propeller...

_There._

He looked up. "Wait – that's... _Lugia?_ Pikachu, didn't we see that-"

"_Ash, this isn't the local one. Voice is too deep – I can tell the difference. In fact..."_

With surprisingly little fanfare, a white-and-blue head emerged from the water. _Hello, Ash._

Ash's hand came up and he waved, largely on reflex. Then he did a double take. "Wait – you're the Lugia from-"

_From Shamouti, yes. In one sense, yours._ Lugia nodded, and beneath the surface they saw his wide wings beating to keep him moving at the right distance from the ferry. _I came to ask a favour._

"Sure!" Ash said immediately. "What is it?"

_Thank you, Ash. I would like for you to carry me – in my Pokéball – for the next week or two, and for Pidgeot to handle my duties in Shamouti._

Ash frowned. "Uh – sorry, but – why?"

_Do you recall how, around this time last timeline, my mate and child were abducted? I believe you were there._

"We were, yeah," Ash confirmed.

_I was not there at the time, of course,_ Lugia elaborated. _I don't know much about what happened – it seemed unimportant to find out. And now, when it does matter... I can't ask anyone, and I don't want to risk them killing Silver – whereas if I stay with them to keep them safe, whoever did it will be ready for me. So, all I can do is try to help rescue them._

He fixed Ash with his gaze. _Last time, you saved them. And this time, I want to help you do it again._

Ash nodded. "Right. Of course I will, that's fine – hold on a sec."

He released Pidgeot. "You heard?"

"_Only the bit you said,"_ Pidgeot replied. _"What do you need me to do?"_

_Pidgeot, would you be willing to handle my duties at Shamouti for now?_ Lugia asked. _I understand if you are reluctant._

"_No, I'm – well, flattered, but if you think I'm ready then I'll try to live up to your recommendation."_ Pidgeot flapped her wings. _"I'll keep an eye on them."_

_Good. Thank you. Now, Ash, if you don't mind-"_

"Sure," Ash said. He gave Pidgeot her Pokéball, and she set off south towards the open sea on silent wings.

When she was well clear, he rummaged for the 'ball keyed to Lugia, and returned him.

"I'm glad of your trust," he said, smiling. "And that Doctor Namco won't know what hit him..."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the preliminary rounds of the Whirl Cup!" the announcer said. "Now, remember, these rounds are held under sudden death conditions – both competitors send out one Water-type, last one standing is the winner! There will be two sudden death rounds today."<p>

Ash grinned. "All right!"

He glanced down at his set of Pokéballs for the week – aside from Lugia's Pokéball, which was safely in his bag, everyone was a Water-type.

They'd discussed it last night, who he would send out and in what order.

Predictably, Squirtle wanted to go first.

"_Okay, listen up!"_ Squirtle announced, as Ash duly sent him out onto the first battlefield. _"You may be a Seel, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you!"_

Raising his arm, he pointed to the sky. _"If you want to be a great Water Pokémon, you have to understand what it means to be a Water-type! Water is strong, and powerful, and it moves around the whole world! That means it has the force of a tidal wave, the power of a storm! Waterspout!"_

The Seel facing him had just enough time to do a double-take before Squirtle finished charging his attack. The high-throughput stream of water smashed into him, sending him skidding backwards across the floor of the arena and into the retaining wall at speed.

When the Waterspout faded, he was out for the count.

"_...huh,"_ Squirtle said, blinking. _"I kind of expected that to take longer."_

"I'll be honest, so did I," Ash admitted.

His erstwhile opponent was muttering something unprintable about the matching-up system, which had put him – a hobbyist with one badge – up against the most recent Indigo league winner.

* * *

><p>Misty was having it just about as easy. She stuck to using Corsola for the first match, to help re-familizarize herself with the Coral Pokémon, and her opponent had never heard of Mirror Coat – worse luck for him.<p>

The second was even quicker, as she sent out Chinchou against what turned out to be a Magikarp.

* * *

><p>"Is it me," Ash said, that night, "or is the challenge a bit lower than we're used to?"<p>

Misty shrugged. "I'm sure there's some other good Water-type trainers taking part."

* * *

><p>The second day of the tournament, they moved to the Whirl Cup Colosseum itself.<p>

As Ash prepared for his next match, one of the orderlies approached him. "Mister Ketchum?"

Ash nodded. "That's me – why?"

"Oh – well. You have a reputation," the orderly began. He cleared his throat. "So don't break the colosseum, we're going to need it for the whole tournament and we've only got so many replacement arena floors – and no replacement arena walls."

Surprised, Ash blinked. "Am I really that bad?"

"Yes," the orderly said, bluntly. "We've all seen what you did to Cianwood gym."

"That was partly Chuck..." Ash muttered, hurt.

"Doesn't matter," the man told him. "Be careful!"

* * *

><p>Fortunately for the Whirl Cup Colosseum, Ash stuck to using Totodile and Kingler for the next few matches. While both were powerful Pokémon, they – unlike Squirtle – could resist the urge to overdo it.<p>

The quarter final, however, was another matter.

* * *

><p>"I can't <em>believe<em> we've been drawn against one another!" Ash sighed.

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "This is really inconvenient."

Brock cleared his throat. "Well, it was going to happen. Unless one of you was planning on losing to someone else-"

"Yeah, but it could at least have been the semi-finals or something." Ash shrugged. "Well, I guess you're right... hey, Misty? How do you want to do this?"

Misty looked at him suspiciously. "Explain?"

"Well... I mean, I _could_ use Suicune and Keldeo, but that would be..." Ah rubbed the back of his head. "Silly..."

"_And unfair,"_ Pikachu contributed.

Misty frowned, tapping her fingers. "How are you doing teaching Suicune more moves?"

"Huh?" Ash thought. "Pretty well – she's got several more Water moves, but Freeze-Dry is still giving her problems."

"Right." Misty nodded. "Okay. Can you use _just_ her, please?"

Ash smiled. "Sure thing, Misty."

Suicune burst out of her 'ball, and gave Misty a curious look. _"You're planning something, aren't you?"_

"Of course I am," Misty replied with a shrug.

* * *

><p>"And welcome!" announced Maya, the Sea Priestess. "Now, this match, the second match of the quarter-finals, is unusual – because one of our contestants, Ash Ketchum, has announced his intent to use just <em>one<em> Pokémon!"

Ash stepped up to the stand, and waved. Then he took the Fast Ball from his belt, and threw it.

Gasps ran around the stadium. "Is that-"

"That's Suicune!"

"I heard about-"

A smirk playing about her features, Suicune paced around in a circle before coming back to stand just before Ash.

"...right," the normally unflappable Maya said, recovering. "And his opponent, Misty Waterflower of Cerulean."

Misty sent out Politoed. "Okay, Politoed! Ready?"

Politoed clapped his hands. _"Yep!"_

Maya cleared her throat. "Begin!"

* * *

><p>Suicune pounced forwards, aiming directly for Politoed.<p>

The froglike Pokémon hopped from right leg to left, and then Bounced high into the air, evading Suicune's first rush.

Suicune skidded to a halt and looked up, aiming for the flying Politoed. She inhaled, and fired a Bubblebeam – gauging it carefully to compensate for Politoed's movement.

For his part, Politoed endured the bubbles bursting around him with little trouble. He landed on one side of the pool, legs coiling to take the impact, then kicked off again as Suicune approached.

"_This could get annoying,"_ Suicune muttered.

"Can you cover the surfaces in ice?" Ash asked. "Make it so he can't get the leverage?"

"_Good plan,"_ Suicune said. She switched tacks and began to use Rime – supercooled water – to plaster the side of the pool, remaining on the move all the time by walking in circles on the central pool.

Politoed was able to keep bouncing around for a while by aiming for the places where the ice hadn't reached yet, but sooner or later that ran out.

At this point, Politoed landed instead in the water.

"_...hm,"_ Suicune said, looking down into the water. _"Any ideas?"_

Ash frowned. "Not really... guess you could try to freeze the whole pool?"

Suicune began to nod, then jumped backwards and opened fire with a Bubblebeam. The reason became immediately clear, as Politoed burst out of the water where Suicune had been standing.

Politoed was hit head-on by the stream of bubbles, but shook it off and disappeared into the water again.

Suicune let off the attack, and switched to Ice Beam again. Hopping up onto the icy poolside, she began moving with deliberate care on the layers of ice while freezing over the surface of the pool.

Ash watched carefully, trying to figure out what Misty was planning. As seconds passed into minutes, the icy crust joined up and thickened.

"...come on," he said, frowning. "What's going on?"

He closed his eyes, to see Politoed under the water. He sat there, seemingly content with his situation, for several seconds – then burst upwards.

"Whoa!" Ash snapped, eyes opening. "Look-"

The icy coating shattered into thousands of pieces as Politoed punched through it, engulfed in a red glow. He followed up by picking one of the largest pieces of ice and punching it directly at Suicune with a Mega Punch.

Suicune blurred into motion to dodge, skidding back to a halt on the other side of the battlefield – extending the claws normally hidden in her paws to brake on the icy surface.

"How's he so-" Ash began, then overrode himself. "That must be Belly Drum! Look out!"

"_Got it!"_ Suicune replied. The North Wind coiled around her, and she used it to dart out of the way as Politoed came down for a devastating Body Slam which shook the stadium. Skating around in a curve, she volleyed in more Bubblebeam at Politoed, before adding an Air Cutter to it with her summoned wind.

Unlike all the previous attacks, _that_ had a visible effect. Politoed winced, and stumbled a bit.

"How come none of the-" Ash blinked. He pointed accusingly at Misty. "I didn't know Politoed had Water Absorb!"

Misty shrugged. "You never asked."

"_That explains a lot..."_ Suicune muttered. She coiled her body, claws finding purchase on the ice, and sprang forwards for a physical attack.

Politoed's reply was to Bounce into the air again – using the shattered section of ice he'd landed on before for purchase – and Suicune growled as she skidded to a halt again.

"_This could become annoying."_ Streamers flapping in the wind, Suicune pulled together another Air Cutter and sent it knifing out at Politoed.

Politoed went backwards slightly from the attack, and recovered with a grimace. Folding his arms, he gave Suicune a glare.

"_...is that supposed to... I mean... what?"_ Suicune asked, blinking.

As she frowned in confusion, Politoed jumped back up – and vanished into his Pokéball.

"_What was that in aid of?"_ Suicune turned to Ash, seeking some kind of explanation.

Ash had one. "Look out!"

Well, it wasn't really an explanation, per se.

Suicune turned in the direction he was pointing, yelped, and got a green-glowing blade to the face.

* * *

><p>Misty smirked.<p>

It hadn't been easy to set this up – teaching Kabutops Leaf Blade had been almost as much effort as teaching Politoed Baton Pass – but it had certainly paid off, as her Fossil Pokémon was waving around supercharged Grass-cloaked scythes running off a huge amount of extra energy from Politoed.

Suicune finally got Kabutops out of her face with a high-pressure blast of water, and in reply the eurypterid-of-doom plunged into the pool.

The water churned from strokes of his powerful swimming muscles, and he burst out of the water again moments later and half the pool away. Scythes held ready, he darted forwards with his clawed feet finding easy purchase on the ice.

* * *

><p>Suicune went skidding backwards from the next impact, one she wasn't able to fully block, and she grunted from the impact of the blow after that. She tried to pounce forwards in a counterattack, and Kabutops backed away from it with ease.<p>

"_I think we outsmarted ourselves,"_ she muttered, paws scrabbling and barely able to gain traction on the icy surface of the poolside – especially with all the larger chunks everywhere.

Ash nodded, wincing. All the ice made it harder for Suicune to use her greatest advantage – her blurring speed – and the water pool meant that Kabutops could actually come close to matching her on that front at the moment.

Kabutops slammed in another dual-scythe blow, staggering Suicune and sending her skidding backwards – onto the section of ice Politoed had previously broken up.

As soon as she reached it, she felt the change in the character of the surface and broke into a grin. _"There we go!"_

Raising her forepaws, she rammed them into the splintered ice – shattering it completely and finding her way through to the stone underneath.

Looking up, she locked onto Kabutops' position. _"Bulldoze!"_

"Jump!" Misty shouted.

The stadium shook as Suicune pulsed out the powerful Earth shockwave, shattering the ice coating every surface – and doing minor, mostly cosmetic damage to the stone beneath.

Kabutops had managed to jump in time, however, and was mostly unaffected by the Bulldoze. He came down on Suicune like an avalanche, just as she recovered her footing again.

Twin Leaf-Blade cloaked scythes slashed down on a sudden spherical eruption of water as Suicune used Hydro Pump.

That blunted the initial impact of the scythes, but Kabutops promptly crossed his arms and then uncrossed them again – delivering two pairs of scissoring blows through the curtain of water as it collapsed.

Suicune managed to endure those blows, too, but was left panting and exhausted. Growling, she inhaled, and surged forwards into a horizontal Waterfall just as Kabutops raised his scythes for one more blow.

Water fountained everywhere, raining down on the spectators.

When it faded, neither Pokémon was conscious.

* * *

><p>Misty stared for a moment, before glancing up at Ash.<p>

He looked just as surprised as she was. Then, with a sigh and a grin, he nodded to her. "Nice work, Misty!"

Ash stepped back from the stand, returning Suicune, and walked back down the steps.

* * *

><p>"...whoa," Bruno said, finally.<p>

Lorelei rubbed her eyes. "That was-"

"Yeah," Lance confirmed.

"And he was using-"

"Exactly."

"And she _still-"_

Lance grinned.

* * *

><p>"I think I hate battling people who know what I've been working on," Ash said to Brock, as they sat in the crowd the next day.<p>

Brock made a sympathetic noise.

"Especially when _they've_ been working on things behind _my_ back," Ash added. "I didn't even know Kabutops could _learn_ Leaf Blade..."

"Well, you know now," Brock pointed out. "And I bet you're not going to forget about Water Absorb again for a while..."

"Too right," Ash agreed.

"But what strikes me most is how she used your tendency to plan on the fly," Brock added.

Ash blinked. "She did?"

"Yeah," Brock nodded. "She baited you into doing _something_ to ruin the poolside as a viable fighting platform... and then used the water to her advantage."

Ash turned thoughtful after that.

A moment later, there was a loud _bang_ from the arena. They looked up just in time to see a thoroughly zapped Gyarados collapsing to the side of the pool.

"Good one, Chinchou!" Misty called. "Now, use Brine!"

Misty's opponent sent out her Golduck, who was splashed by the Brine attack and then hit by a blast of electricity. Undeterred, the Golduck advanced behind a psionic shield, and managed to knock Chinchou out of the fight.

"This is going to be close," Ash said, leaning forwards, as Misty sent out her own Psyduck.

* * *

><p>Maya tapped the staff on the floor. "And congratulations to our winner, Misty Waterflower!"<p>

Applause ran around the stand.

Maya smiled, and handed Misty the pendant. "Here is your prize – a Mystic Water. Congratulations, Sea Heroine."

At Misty's surprise, she chuckled. "It's the official term for the winner – well, when they're a girl. Well done!"

* * *

><p>Raikou's tail lashed.<p>

"_You seem annoyed,"_ his double pointed out.

"_I AM!"_ Raikou rumbled. _"I was an idiot, tried to throw the match with Ash-"_

Suicune's shiny copy blinked. _"You actually _did_ that?"_

The Beast of Thunder rolled his eyes. _"Yes, I did. More fool me... now I have to make amends. And I think I might just know how..."_

He stood. _"Who do you know who understands Pokémon and speaks human?"_

Blank looks.

"_Right!"_ Raikou's voice was full of conviction. _"Sign language it is, then!"_

With that, he pelted off.

The remaining beasts exchanged confused looks.

* * *

><p>Falkner was enjoying a quiet evening, so far.<p>

There'd only been one challenger, a new kid who'd had the forethought to bring a Geodude. Those weren't the most enjoyable matches, since Falkner's first-timer lineup was almost comically unprepared for Rock Throw, but – well, using type advantage well was quite enough to earn the first badge.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Rising, Falkner called Hoothoot to his shoulder and walked over to the gym door. "Come in!" he called.

There was a pause, then the knocking again.

"I told you, it's unlocked!"

More knocking.

Confused, Falkner pulled the handle down and opened the door. "I told you, it's – what?"

A large yellow-purple quadruped stood there – one of the Beasts of Ecruteak!? - looking levelly at him with red eyes.

Then it reached down to the floor, picked something up delicately between saber-like fangs, and held it up.

Falkner was surprised to discover it was a sign. A wooden sign, painted white, with words in slightly shaky black lettering.

I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE

After several seconds of staring, Raikou adjusted his grip on the shaft of the sign and twirled it around to show the other side.

YOU FOR A BADGE

Falkner gaped.

His Hoothoot tapped his head with a beak.

"Oh! Sorry – uh... I guess... why?"

Raikou rolled his eyes. He put the sign down, took a paintbrush from his mane, and started to write on a sign blank that had been behind him.

Falkner watched as a succinct explanation took shape.

Briefly put, Raikou felt like it.

"...okay," Falkner said, absorbing that. He massaged his temples, and sighed. "Right. _Right._ Uh... do you have any badges already?"

Head shake.

"Right. Please don't hurt my no-badge team..."

* * *

><p>"<em>I told you!"<em> Zapdos cawed. _"Neither of you is ready to-"_

"_Say _what?" Moltres snapped, wings flaring. _"If you're going to make that kind of claim-"_

"_You're both morons,"_ Articuno sighed. _"Clearly I'm the only one sensible enough to be in charge!"_

"_Ahem,"_ a quiet voice coughed.

"_Sensible? _Sensible?_"_ Moltres laughed. _"Don't, please, you've got worse impulse control than-"_

"_And which of us was it who-"_

"_Ahem,"_ the quiet voice said, more loudly this time.

"_At least I didn't start it!"_ Moltres said hotly. _"In fact, if I recall correctly-"_

A red beam of light speared out from overhead, wove delicately between the three birds and blew a zigzag-shaped series of waterspouts out of the sea below.

"_Right,"_ Pidgeot said, now that the Birds were listening. _"None of you is in charge. I am. And that's for two reasons. First, Lugia specifically recruited me to keep you three in line."_

The Birds reacted to that with dubious looks.

"_Secondly, and more importantly, I know Aeroblast and I have a sustained speed in level flight three times greater than what any of you can achieve. I can reach out and touch you from miles off, and you can't stop me."_

Zapdos charged a bolt of electricity and snapped it off at her, quick as a flash.

When the rumbling had faded, all that was there was a cloud of featherdown drifting towards Shamouti Sound miles below.

Then the beam came again. It was blue, not red, a purposefully underpowered Aeroblast, but it traced right up Zapdos' spine before terminating at the base of his neck – the whole knocking him tumbling through the sky, until he righted himself substantially lower down.

Pidgeot drifted closer to them again, shedding altitude. _"Any questions?"_

None were forthcoming.

* * *

><p>Professor Oak looked up as the doorbell rang.<p>

"Oh! Ah – Tracey, can you get that, please?"

Tracey Sketchit duly stood. "Sure thing, Professor."

He walked over to the lab door, and opened it. "Oh, hello Molly!"

"Hi!" Molly said, waving. "Want to buy some cookies?"

Tracey's eyes widened. "Don't say that word! Not when-"

There was a glutinous noise.

"_Cookies?"_ Muk asked, oozing into view.

Tracey sighed. "Oh, well..."

Eevee chuckled.

"Don't worry, mister Sketchit!" Molly said earnestly. "We made a special one for Muk!"

Muk's smile widened.

It congealed slightly when Molly waved a finger at him. "And you're not allowed to have any of the others, okay? Only your special one."

Disappointed, Muk nodded.

Molly rummaged in her bag, and took out a wide, thick cookie with Muk drawn on it in icing. "Here you go!"

Muk beamed, and she unwrapped it from the cellophane before throwing it to him.

His jaws closed on it with a _slam_, and he oozed off chewing happily.

"Good plan," Tracey said with a smile.

"Thanks!" Molly replied. "It's Curse!"

There was a sound of shattering plastic.

Tracey blinked. "You mean... you gave him a TM in a cookie?"

"Yep!" Molly nodded. "He likes them!"

"You've got that right," the boy admitted.

* * *

><p>"You're kidding," James said, with a sigh. "She found us again."<p>

"Ta be honest, I'm surprised dat it took dis long," Meowth said with a shrug. "Remember, we were kinda on da news for a bit."

"True," Jessie agreed, as they watched the helicopters sweep in. "Seriously, if she has this much money, why does she even _want_ to marry you?"

"Beats me," James said, with a shake of his head. "Okay, guys, how do you want to play this?"

"We could just run away again," Jessie suggested. "Go take another holiday."

"True," James nodded.

"Or we could send Meowth in to leave a Ponyta on her pillow," she went on.

Both the others blinked, giving her a confused look.

"What?" she asked, defensively. "It would burn her bed down and then escape out the window, damaging that too. It would be a way of making her back off."

"Yeah, but where we gonna get the Ponyta?" Meowth asked. "I mean, it ain't like da Laramie Ranch is gonna give 'em out without expectin 'em back, even ta James."

Jessie shrugged. "Well, it was an idea..."

She took the Pokéballs belonging to Cubone and Wobbuffet. "Right, let's just do this the old fashioned way. Think you're going to get more of them, or am I?"

Meowth raised his paws, coins glittering between them. "Ya know, a helicopter engine's kinda vulnerable to being hit very hard by a lump a' metal..."

All three looked up at a sudden roar of flame, followed by an explosion.

* * *

><p>"There they are!" Jessiebelle said, a grin spreading across her face. "Remember, I want James alive and preferably unharmed... but, in a pinch, having one ring finger left will do."<p>

"Roger that, ma'am – gah!"

"Gah?" Jessiebelle repeated, grin of triumph replaced by a frown. "What could-"

Her command helicopter rocked in the wash from an explosion.

She glanced out the side, looking for the source, and saw four helicopters were already plunging towards the plain below. Parachutes blossomed as the crews bailed out, and then the cause of their loss swept past.

Jessiebelle gaped. "...what the _heck_ is a Moltres doing here?"

* * *

><p>"Ya know," Meowth said, as the Legendary swept through Jessiebelle's private army and turned it into a public rabble, "Any time about two years ago or so, it'd be us on dem helicopters."<p>

James nodded. "Times have changed."

The final rotary aircraft went down in a ball of flame, parachute canopies indicating that the crew there had survived too, and the Moltres turned – cutting a spectacular figure against the billowing smoke – before vanishing into the distance once more.

"...that probably means nothing," Jessie said, eventually.

"Yeah, probably not."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

That Pidgey is kind of strange... almost Pidgey Baumgartner. Dedicated, though.

Lugia... well, you'd be surprised.

As for the Whirl Cup...

Misty is very good with Water-types. She's also now fought all three of the Beasts, and the one she did the best against was the one where she saw exactly what moves she had and hadn't mastered yet.

And a quick look in on several other people. Incidentally, once he recovers Falkner is probably going to give Raikou a bit more of a fight than that.


	83. Johto 25

This is the first of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>"Doctor Namco?"<p>

The Doctor sighed. "Namba, as you well know."

"...actually, no, I didn't," the grunt said, looking confused. "I got told it was-"

"Oh, never mind. Report."

The grunt nodded. "Right. Target two is still following the normal behaviour patterns, and the decoy has been put in place."

"Good." Namba smiled. "And target one?"

"We've not seen it recently, but no departure was noticed – and since target two is still there-"

"Very good." Namba nodded. "Our countermeasures?"

"I'll answer that," said one of his allies, striding into the room. "At ease."

The grunt nodded to him, and stood back.

"Doctor Nerva, we-"

"Why do I even bother?" Namba interjected. He waved a hand. "Sorry. Do go on."

"As I was saying, we have delivered on our end of the bargain." The tall, gaunt man handed over a bag. "Six Shadow Pokémon. Two each Magnezone, Dusknoir and Probopass – they should suffice for the trap."

"Excellent," Namba said, earlier irritation forgotten. "These will be most suitable."

The gaunt man waited.

When the silence stretched, he sighed. "And your side of the bargain?"

"You know as well as I do what that is," Namba said, waving a hand in dismissal.

"Please. Do remind me."

Namba sighed. "Very _well_. You get the adult, properly converted and enhanced by the machine. The child is mine – suitably enhanced, of course."

"Of course," his interlocutor agreed. "A pleasure doing business with you... Doctor Samba."

Namba's eye twitched.

* * *

><p>Ash squinted, looking ahead on the path. "Wait – is that..."<p>

He grinned. "It is! Hey, Ritchie!"

At his shout, the figure turned. "Oh, hi Ash!"

Sparky waved, too, long orange-tipped black tail flagging back and forth, and the other boy stopped to let Ash and his friends catch up.

"Man, I've not seen you in months!" Ash said, jogging up. "How's things?"

Ritchie shrugged. "Well – I told you about Almia, right?"

Ash nodded.

"We handled it – Cid evolved while we were there. He's a Gallade now." Ritchie chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "The final battle was just _awesome_ – I was on Zippo, blowing chunks out of this gigantic war machine, and Cid just jumped on board and started wrecking the insides."

Sparky nodded. _"I helped, too!"_

"Yeah, Sparky helped," Ritchie agreed, scratching his Raichu. "He was swatting missiles out of the air left and right... we all owe one another, really."

"I know the feeling," Ash said, with a nod. "How about since then?"

"Oh..." Ritchie reached up again, and Sparky's tail wrapped around his finger. "Since then it's been pretty quiet, actually. Last several months, we've just been going around Japan trying to pick which League to challenge next. I'm thinking Sinnoh, but Sparky disagrees."

"_I want somewhere with a Water or Flying gym,"_ Sparky explained. _"Or Hoenn. Hoenn has both."_

"Well, I guess I can understand that," Ash said, and nodded to the side of the path. "Hey, let's catch up all the way – how are the others?"

Taking the invitation, Ritchie swung his bag off his back. He braked it with a quick burst of psychic energy, and sat on the grass next to it. "Okay... well, you know Zippo's a Charizard, of course, and I mentioned Cid."

So saying, he released the duo. Zippo sat with a pleased growl, spreading his wings out in the sunlight, and his Gallade gave each trainer there a measured bow.

"Lighten up, Cid," Ritchie invited. "They're friends."

The Psychic-type spread his hands. _"That is how I show respect to friends, Ritchie."_

Shaking his head, Ritchie looked at Ash as if to invite comment. "Yeah, it's this all the time. I keep telling him he needs to relax..."

The trainer shrugged. "Oh, yeah, the others. This is Cruise."

He released a Pupitar, who hovered there for a couple of seconds before hovering gently to the ground.

"He's not been as active, recently," Ritchie apologized. "He says it's just the evolutionary stage, but I'm not so sure..."

Cruise animated long enough to give his trainer a look, then settled back to the grass and closed his eyes.

"Layabout," Ritchie said fondly. He then took another Pokéball from his belt. "Oh, yeah, you know Eevee..."

"Still not evolved?" Ash asked, curiously, as the little Normal-type ran around in circles and Sparky kicked off to join him.

"Yep," Ritchie confirmed. "Still can't decide. I guess there's that much choice."

"I'd have figured Espeon," Ash admitted. "You know, with the psychic thing."

"He's not great at psychic training," Ritchie replied with a shrug. "We have tried."

"You two really know one another well, don't you?" Brock said, half his attention on Sparky playing keep-away with his lightning-bolt tailtip and Eevee.

"Actually..." Ash frowned. "We only met once, at the Indigo League."

"I guess we just hit it off well," Ritchie agreed. He then blinked, and rummaged in his bag. "Oh, yeah, I forgot! This is Fortune, he's new too."

The Pokémon who solidified from the Pokéball was a sleek Rapidash. He looked Ash over, then nodded.

"I use him to get around when Zippo's kind of a bit big," Ritchie filled in. "I've got a few more... there's Goldie, my Cherrim, Soaker – a Finneon – and a Poochyena called Sooty... and I think that's about it."

He glanced over to make sure that Eevee was okay, then turned back to Ash. "So – who do you have who I've not met? Who's evolved?"

Ash took a breath. "This could take a while... okay, Riolu evolved-"

Ritchie looked up at Lucario. "I'd never have guessed."

"_It was quite dramatic," _Lucario assured him.

"Apart from that..." Ash counted under his breath. "...right, let's do them in chronological order. I met a Lapras..."

* * *

><p>"You've been busy," Ritchie complimented him, as the list approached the end.<p>

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I _know."_

He looked up as Brock handed him a plate. "Oh – thanks, Brock, you're awesome."

Brock smiled, passing another plate of food to Ritchie. "Well, this _is_ turning into a picnic."

"You have cool friends, Ash," Ritchie said, smelling the food. "That smells _delicious_, Mr. Slate."

"Please, call me Brock!" Brock asked firmly. "Mr. Slate is my Dad. Makes me sound old!"

Ritchie chuckled. "I'll remember that. So, Ash – was that the end of the list?"

"Not quite," Ash hedged. "There's a couple-"

He looked up. "What was that?"

The scattered conversations between the Pokémon went silent too.

For a moment, there was stillness. Then a tremor of movement ran through the camp as over half the Pokémon came to their feet.

"_Who else heard that?"_ Lucario asked, paws already sparking into bright blue life.

"I_ certainly did!"_ Zippo roared. _"What was it?"_

"_A Lugia,"_ Lucario said, having teased out the voice itself. _"In severe pain. We should hurry!"_

Brock's food fell to the ground, forgotten, as all four trainers set off at speed.

* * *

><p>"Marvellous," Namba said, chuckling.<p>

Catching the young one had been easy enough, but the adult... that had posed more of a problem.

Or it _had_ – until six Shadow-enhanced Pokémon had simultaneously caught her in a powerful Gravity trap as she crested the hill searching for her babe, and slammed her into the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

The grunts – mostly from Cipher – moved in to get their specimens underground. It would be important to have this Lugia in the machine before she recovered enough to fight.

* * *

><p>Ritchie got there first, with Fortune's help.<p>

Unfortunately, he couldn't head straight on in. By the time he got there, the Cipher team was ready for him.

He was attacked by a Liepard as he dismounted from the Rapidash, its wicked tail-scythe slashing at Fortune's legs, and he returned the Rapidash before switching out to Cid.

For his part, Cid opened hostilities with enthusiasm. Grabbing the tail just behind its scythe with one arm, he pulled the startled feline towards him and volleyed in a Brick Break before it managed to eel out of his grip and regain some distance.

"What the hell's going on?" Ritchie asked, gaze flicking back and forth and noticing the other three admins – as well as at least a dozen grunts, all standing back as reserve.

Liepard darted back in, tail lashing, and Cid raised both arms in a Quick Guard – successfully deflecting its attempt at Fake Out – before giving a pace and blocking a Night Slash.

His next move was a sudden switch to aggressiveness. Lashing out with a Power-up Punch, he knocked the incoming Dark-type backwards and pounced forwards as a follow-up – then grunted as the local gravity suddenly tripled.

Ritchie grunted, looking up, and saw a Dusknoir with strange purple-shadow highlights was focusing on the area. Probably that was the one using the enhanced-gravity move.

A slap-BANG drew his attention, as Cid used Vacuum Wave – barely slowed by the higher gravity. It licked out and punched the startled cat in the face, sending it skidding backwards.

The Liepard shook his head, tried to get up, and slumped back.

Apparently the man Ritchie was fighting considered the battle as good as done as well. He scowled, and switched to some kind of bizarre hieroglyphics-like flying Pokémon.

"You back here as well, Cid!" Ritchie instructed, flipping open his Pokédex with one hand. "Huh. Sigilyph... okay, Sparky, you handle it!"

Sparky's cheeks... well, sparked. He jumped forwards, taking Cid's place on the battlefield, and snapped off an exploratory Thunderbolt.

The Raichu's bolt crashed forwards, then splashed off a series of Light Screens, and both human and Pokémon frowned.

"Looks like it's not going to be as easy as all that..." Ritchie sighed, and Sparky nodded.

"_Perhaps we should try – whoa!"_

A beam of psionic energy hit the ground where Sparky had been. Not wanting to be hit, the Raichu dodged away from the next two blasts as well, and focused.

His tail lashed back and forth, glowing for a moment, and then stopped glowing and he volleyed in two more blasts of electricity.

"_I predict you're in trouble,"_ Sparky said lightly, still running around in circles.

"That's not going to help," the Cipher man said with a chuckle. "You realize that trying the same thing when it failed the first time is insanity?"

Ritchie grinned.

Then a ball of light appeared next to Sigilyph, hovered there for a moment, and shot sideways.

"_Future Sight!"_ Sparky explained, tail snapping, and he sent forwards a Thunder Wave just as the Future Sight ball hit.

Distracted by the multi-pronged attack, the Sigilyph's screens let through the crackle of electricity. It slumped to the ground, and Sparky pounced with a Wild Charge.

"Still think that was insanity?" Ritchie asked, as the Psychic-type skidded along the ground from the force of the Electric attack.

The Cipher man pursed his lips. "I'm afraid you're unlikely to appreciate _this_ properly, boy, but needs must. This is a _Shadow_ Pokémon! Druddigon!"

Ritchie winced at the sight.

It was a Druddigon, right enough, but it was... wrong. Purple energy gathered on its claws and on the edges of its rocky skin, and it had dead-looking eyes.

"Watch out, Sparky..." he said, frowning. "This could be a tough one."

"Shadow Smash!"

* * *

><p>Brock gaped. "You're... are you <em>real?<em>"

Miror B pointed to a grunt. "Music!"

Some Latin-styled dance music began playing from a boombox.

"There we go!" Miror B said, starting to dance. "But I got to tell you, you ain't gonna have an easy time of it with me!"

He reached to his waist. "Go! Ludicolo! Ludicolo! Ludicolo! Ludicolo! Ludicolo, and Ludicolo!"

"That's..." Brock was lost for words.

"_Ludicolous?"_ Ninetales recommended.

He gave her a look. "You're not helping."

"_Sorry..."_

"Okay" Brock took a breath. _Right. Ludicolo._

At least he knew how to handle that Pokémon, having used it himself.

"Crobat! Forretress!" he sent out.

As the two Pokémon materialized, Miror B was giving his own commands. "Rain Dance! Now, just plain dance!"

The six Ludicolo started dancing.

* * *

><p>Ice roared skywards, and a Tropius with crackling purple energy running over its wings jinked to one side.<p>

A second blast followed, and this time the Grass-type wasn't so lucky. It was caught in the powerful Ice Beam, and came crashing to the ground.

"Hm," Misty's opponent said, seeming offended. "So much for the vaunted strength of Shadow Pokémon... some brat finished it off."

Misty shook her head. "You really expect a Water-type specialist not to have _some_ plan for Grass-types?"

She shrugged. "Besides, Shadow or not, it's still got the same weaknesses as usual!"

"You'll pay for that," her opponent promised. "But if weaknesses are the problem... Manetric!"

Misty was already returning her Gyarados, and switching to Staryu. "Okay, Staryu – Cutting Water Dance!"

"Hah!" Staryu replied, spinning up into the air.

* * *

><p>"Look out!" Ash called, and Lucario ducked below a sweeping Blaze Kick from his opponents' Blaziken.<p>

Palms glowing, he slapped the follow-up punch aside, and slammed home a Force Palm as Blaziken overextended a little.

"Hm," Nascour said, frowning. "Feisty little boy, aren't you..."

"More than you'd think," Ash said with a grin. As he said that, Lucario formed an Ice Punch on his off-hand, and started giving ground from the Shadow Pokémon he was fighting.

Nascour looked closely. "There's no way that's... what are you up to?"

There was a sudden _crash_ from behind the Cipher admin, and he looked around – the puzzle of Lucario's tactics forgotten.

His gaze fell on the Shadow Dusknoir who had been forming part of the trap for Lugia – or, rather, one of them in particular, who was currently being beaten up, down and sideways by phantasmal copies of several wildly distinct Pokémon. (Including, strangely enough, a Lugia.)

"_Got him!"_ Houndour yapped to Ash, poking his head over a small rise next to the Dusknoir.

"Good work!" Ash called back. "Now get the next one!"

As he said that, the duplicates disappeared, and the Shadow Dusknoir fell to the ground.

Nascour looked back to the trainer, just in time to see his Lucario do an uppercut which went nowhere near Blaziken.

To his astonishment, an instant whirlwind formed from nowhere at all, sweeping his bewildered Fire-type into the air. Lucario blurred after him, delivering a combination of stunning mid-air blows, and then finished off with an axe kick which sent Blaziken slamming back to the ground.

Undeterred, Nascour switched to his Alakazam.

* * *

><p>"Hang in there, Sparky!" Ritchie said. "Just one more... there! Electroball!"<p>

Sparky's long tail whipped out in a circle, pulling together the electricity for an Electroball before launching it forwards. It was especially potent against such a slow Pokémon when fuelled by his earlier Agility, and despite the unfavourable type it proved to be enough to finish the Shadow Druddigon off.

"Good work!" he added, as Sparky landed next to him.

His opponent sighed. "Eelektross, handle this peon."

Ritchie blinked at the sight – another Shadow Pokémon.

"Cruise, you handle this!" he instructed. "Have a rest, Sparky."

The Pupitar jetted into position, and hovered there for a moment as the shadowy Eelektross began to circle.

"Giga Drain!" the Cipher admin shouted suddenly.

Eelektross lashed its tail and darted forwards, teeth glowing inside the sucker-like mouth-

And Cruise fired a Hyper Beam.

"What!?" the admin asked, startled at the sudden eruption of brightly-glowing energy.

Ritchie shrugged. "He learned it back in Almia," the young trainer volunteered, as Eelektross staggered back. "Good work, Cruise – now, Smack Down!"

A circle of glowing rocks formed, orbiting Cruise at speed. They spun faster and faster, then speared out at the recovering Eelektross and knocked it to the ground.

"Earthquake!" Ritchie added, hoping to hit the grounded Electric-type before it recovered.

* * *

><p>Crobat skimmed low over the heads of his opponents, spinning off Air Slashes to hit the Ludicolo.<p>

They barely seemed to notice, continuing to dance.

"Uh..." Brock began, hesitantly. "You've been dancing for the last five minutes. Are you going to fight?"

Miror B shrugged, dancing himself. "Why would I do that?"

"Not sure, it just seems like the thing you do in this situation," Brock admitted.

Forretress opened her shell slightly, and fired a Signal Beam out – playing it over one enemy at a time, hitting all six in sequence.

Again, no reaction. That could just be because they were using Rain Dish to heal, though.

There was a plume of flame from behind Miror B and his Pokémon, as Ninetales managed to sneak up on one of the Magnezone and Fire Blast it.

This got no more reaction from Miror B or his Ludicolo than anything else.

Brock took the time to try and get some kind of overview on the fight.

Ash and Misty seemed to be doing fine... and as he watched, Ritchie's Pupitar finished off a Shadow Electric-type, so he was doing well too.

There was a _bang_ from the other side of the battlefield, drawing Brock's attention. None of them were over there, so what was _that?_

* * *

><p>Lucario lowered his paws as his opponent slumped to the ground.<p>

It had taken longer than either Ash or Lucario were comfortable with to beat the Alakazam, and he'd managed to get a few nasty psychic blows before going down...

On the plus side, Houndour had managed to get the other Dusknoir, so there were only the two Shadow Probopass left blocking the friends' large Flying-types.

"That Lucario of yours is... inconveniently powerful," Nascour said, frowning in irritation. "Very well – I'm sure this will handle him."

Out came a Camerupt.

"Okay, Lucario, take a break," Ash said. "Your turn!"

Suicune emerged, landing lightly, and smirked. _"I'll do my-"_

"What!?" Ritchie called from halfway across the battlefield. _"That's awesome!"_

Ash waved, a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I was about to mention..."

"Did you actually catch her?" Ritchie asked. "That's so cool!"

"Camerupt!" Nascour snapped. "Sunny Day!"

The sun blazed brighter in the sky, banishing the clouds.

"Now, Solar-"

There was a rumble of thunder, and the clouds returned.

Taking advantage of the reprieve, Suicune fired a Hydro Pump at her still-charging opponent.

"Miror B!" Nascour said, in tones of complete exasperation. "What the _hell_ was that for?"

"You're not the boss of me, man!" Miror B called back. "I be dancing!"

"We've got a damned _Legendary_ to deal with now!" Nascour admonished him, and got a rude gesture in return.

One of the 'balls on Ash's belt trembled.

"Not yet," he said to it, as the two Cipher admins continued arguing. "They've still got some of their trap set up. Just a little longer."

No further movement, but he could tell Lugia wasn't happy with even as much waiting as they were doing.

Nascour sent out a Luxray next, who promptly got a faceful of Brine.

"_What was that for?"_ he growled, looking with intense irritation at Suicune.

She smirked back. _"A friend showed me."_ With that, she darted in, and slammed her paws down to deliver a Bulldoze.

Luxray went skidding backwards from the blow. He snarled, and snapped off a Thunder at this irritating Water-type-

Which grounded off his tail back into his fur.

"_Told you,"_ Suicune said, and rammed home a second Bulldoze.

* * *

><p>"Man, I can't believe these guys all got out of prison," Wes said.<p>

"I guess we missed a few," Rui replied with a shrug. "Hey, at least we managed to catch up with them."

"I guess."

Their mount rocked a little.

"Hey... that's strange," Rui added, frowning. "I think there's some Aura adepts over there."

"Really?" Wes looked up. "Where?"

"I think it's some of the kids. Not that one with the Raichu, though."

Another Cipher grunt jumped in their way, and released a Girafarig and a Medicham. "You won't get past me!"

Wes sighed. "Metagross?"

_Affirmative. Meteor Mash._

Raising his two forelegs, Wes' Metagross slammed home a Meteor Mash onto both Psychic-types.

When he resumed his advance a few seconds later, neither were conscious.

"These guys aren't very tough," he added, as the peon sent out a Delibird and a Parasect. "But it's taking ages to get through them."

He came to a decision. "Okay, you two," he said, releasing his twin starters. "See if you can help clear us a path."

Umbreon and Espeon jumped down from Metagross, landing lightly, and began lending supporting fire with Dark Pulses and Psybeams.

* * *

><p>The ground shook slightly.<p>

"Hurry up!" Dr. Namba hissed, eyes flicking across the control panel.

It didn't help, of course. The whole Shadow-ification process was going to take as long as it took, especially when combined with his Rage Crown modifications, and it wasn't going to be sped up by berating the computer.

Perhaps he _should_ have started with the younger specimen. That one might have taken less time...

As he considered it, the young Lugia cried out in its native language. Namba wasn't sure what it meant... probably something about calling for a parent, actually.

* * *

><p>The Chandelure fell to the ground, wavering, and its flames dimmed.<p>

"Good work, Cruise!" Ritchie said, grinning. "Nice Stone Edge!"

Cruise floated there for a moment longer, as Ritchie's opponent scowled.

"Right, you brat!" he said, simmering. "That rock lump of yours isn't going to last the match! Simisage, Seed Bomb!"

Simisage emerged from his 'ball, and stepped forwards with a Seed Bomb charging in his hands.

Ritchie's reply was a grin. He returned Cruise, and switched Pokémon. "Zippo, blast him!"

Simisage's attack fizzled out as he looked up (and up) at the burly Charizard.

He sighed, and put his hands over his eyes just before Zippo used Flamethrower.

"Got anything left?" Ritchie asked, as Simisage collapsed to the ground.

The admin looked frightened.

"Guess not," Ritchie decided. "Come on, Zippo, let's go!"

"Grunts!" the admin shouted. "Stop them!"

The Pokémon the grunts sent out were underwhelming to say the least. Ritchie left them to Zippo, sending out Fortune once more and swinging onto his back. "Come on, Fortune, let's get into that lab!"

Fortune snorted an affirmative – then staggered, nearly losing his footing as the ground shook.

* * *

><p>Kabutops slashed his scythes through an incoming Charge Beam, deflecting most of the electricity aside in twin blasts which blew troughs in the ground.<p>

Some of it got through, though, and crackled up his arms. He grunted, pivoted on one leg and swiped his left scythe down with a Night Slash.

The Grumpig he was facing was knocked backwards, reeling.

Capitalizing on his advantage, Kabutops ran forwards. He pushed through a pulse of telekinetic energy intended to check his advance, crossed his scythes, and brought them down-and-across in an X-Scissor.

That was finally too much for the Psychic-type, who passed out.

"How did you do that?" the admin asked. "I – but – you're a single-type trainer!"

Misty grinned, and flashed a V-sign. "Single-type trainers do have weaknesses, but they know what they are and train to overcome them!"

The admin muttered something.

Deciding to ignore him, Misty looked around to see if her friends needed much help.

Kabutops stood from where he'd finished off the Grumpig, then jumped – back, towards Misty. His scythes flashed out, cutting a Vine Whip as it reached out for Misty.

She looked around, startled, and then towards a grunt with a Tangela already readying more vines.

"Gyarados!" she called, pointing. "Get him!"

The grunt suddenly looked a lot less confident as Gyarados charged up a Flamethrower.

His Tangela got a brief reprieve, though, when the ground shook. It fell over, but the flamethrower was aimed where it had been and missed.

* * *

><p>Brock snapped his fingers. "I know! Forretress, use Toxic Spikes!"<p>

Forretress glanced back at him, nodded, and did so. Her shell glowed as she sent out dozens of the toxic caltrop-like spikes, aiming them especially where the half-dozen Ludicolo were dancing.

"Hey!" Miror B said, as his Ludicolo started to wince and flinch – finding the spikes as they danced. "Stop messing up my dance, hombre!"

Brock shrugged. "Sorry, but this _is_ a battle..."

"Huh." Miror B frowned, looking honestly confused. "I thought it was a dance-off, man."

"...why would you think that?" Brock asked, thrown.

"Well, look at your Forretress!" he said, indicating her with a gesture. "She's breakdancing!"

"...that's just spinning."

Miror B shrugged. "Same difference."

Brock shook his head. "I've got no idea how your thought process works. Crobat – Venoshock!"

Crobat came swooping in, trimming his wings, and delivered some globs of greenish gunk on a low-level bombing run of an attack. When they hit one of the Ludicolo, there was a flash of discharging energy and the Grass-type staggered.

They were still dancing, though.

Then the ground shook, knocking Brock and Miror B staggering and all six Ludicolo off their feet.

* * *

><p>Ash frowned, as Pikachu opened up enthusiastically on the shadow Walrein in front of him. "I heard something there! A faint-"<p>

The 'ball at his waist shook again, more strongly still, and then burst open.

_Ash!_ Lugia said, opening his wings. _That was Silver, I'd know his voice anywhere!_

Nascour gaped. "You have... a Lugia?"

Then he grinned. "It doesn't matter – we've still got our trap set up, after all. Probopass, use Gravity!"

Lugia grunted as the two powerful Gravity attacks clawed at him, and began to glow as he resisted the psychic attack.

Then the force on him abruptly halved, allowing him to begin to gain height.

Nascour blinked. "What just-"

Ash punched him in the chin.

Nascour went down like a sack of potatoes, and Ash shook his hand to get the stiffness out. "_Man_, he was annoying..."

"_Secret Sword!"_

Keldeo's voice echoed off the nearby hillside as he fired the ranged version of his signature attack. It scythed across the outside of Namba's lab, carving a path through the rock facing, and slammed into the remaining Shadow Probopass.

The Rock-type didn't stand much chance against Keldeo's powerful attack.

"_Sorry I took so long!"_ Keldeo called. _"I was trying to take the one over here by surprise!"_

Ash glanced up, and saw Keldeo was in fact standing on the unconscious Probopass.

With a crackling _bang_, Walrein went down, but then staggered back upright.

"You doing okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked, worried.

"_I've got this!"_ Pikachu replied. _"Lugia needs your help now!"_

Ash nodded, and jumped aboard as Lugia gained height.

_This lab should not exist,_ Lugia said firmly, inhaling in preparation for his signature move.

Just before he did, though, the whole place trembled.

"Was that you?" Ash asked.

_No, it wasn't.._. Lugia informed him, puzzled. _I wonder if-_

The lab exploded from the inside out.

Clinging on, Ash gaped as a completely _transformed_ Lugia climbed free of the ruin – gaining height quickly. Rather than the usual downy white feathers sported by all Lugia Ash had seen before, she was completely different in colour – a dark purple, nearly black, with glowing red eyes.

_Love!_ Lugia called, suddenly.

"That's your mate?" Ash asked, bewildered. "Why does she look-"

_I don't know!_ Lugia replied, mental voice full of anguish. _But that's her! I'd know her anywhere!_

"_Lugia!"_

Lugia looked down to see Suicune facing up at him.

"_We'll help your son! Go save her!"_

Lugia glanced up to see his mate heading east at speed – already a considerable distance away – then back down to Suicune. _I will. My thanks, Suicune._

He whirled, turning almost in his own length, and set off after his mate.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

The Lugia Incident. I've kind of expanded this one out, slightly.

A couple of characters we've met before – Ritchie's evolved his Pikachu, Sparky, into a Raichu, and his Kirlia who turned up in the League in this fic has become a Gallade.

As for Wes and Rui, they're the protagonists of Pokémon Colosseum – one of the games with which I've merged this incident, the other being the sequel, Pokémon XD (that's where the Shadow Lugia's from, though the idea of it being Silver's mother is merely common fanon rather than canonical to the game).

Oh, Fortune is a 'mon I've sort of "imported" from the excellent series of Nuzlockes by Kitfox-Crimson. Well, I imported the name-mon combo, not the personality – Fortune's kind of different to this in the Platinum Nuzlocke. (Apologies to Kit if he's offended!)


	84. Johto 26

This is the second of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>"What just happened, Wes?" Rui asked, as they watched the second – white – Lugia vanishing off to the east after the first one.<p>

"And why are you asking me?" Wes replied, shaking his head. "I don't know any more than you do."

"Well, excuse me for-"

_Query. Does this argument serve a purpose?_

Wes winced. "Metagross... don't interrupt."

_Correction accepted._ Metagross' mental tone somehow seemed smug, as it slammed aside two more Pokémon and battered through to the last member of a Grunt's team.

Espeon contributed at that point, firing a beam of psionic energy which knocked the burly Magmortar to the ground, and Umbreon pounced with claws ready.

"Who are these kids, anyway?" Wes asked, as their ride continued tearing the Cipher perimeter a new one. "I swear I saw one of them using a Suicune. And – wait, is that Miror B?"

Rui stood to get a better view. "...yes, that's him."

Wes took in the view for a moment longer. "At least someone gave him a beating... wait, how come he's got _six_ Ludicolo? Where'd he get the other two?"

Rui shrugged helplessly.

_Requesting input._

"Huh?" Wes shook his head, looking around. "Huh. Looks like we ran out of grunts."

_Affirmative. Requesting input._

That was _definitely_ smug.

"Okay, you big bucket of bolts," Wes said with a sigh. "Uh... provide cover, I guess. We should go see what those kids are here for..."

"The same as us?" Rui suggested. "I mean, they're presumably from this _country_, at any rate, which is more than we can say."

Wes crouched, sliding down Metagross' head and dangling his feet off for a moment, then jumping down. "Yeah, but I mean more why they're picking a fight with Cipher in the first place."

His knees bent, absorbing the force of impact, and his twin starters flowed into position on either heel. "You coming, babe?"

Rui made a rude gesture and jumped down behind him. "Don't call me that."

"Yeah, yeah." Wes waved her off. "Okay, where's the Shadow Pokémon around here?"

She gave him a look. "_Everywhere!_ Or haven't you noticed the-"

"Okay, okay. Jeez." Wes grinned. "Right, let's go."

* * *

><p>"Okay, I think that's all of them," Brock said, dragging one of the grunts over with his arm twisted up behind his back. "Lucario? Can you handle this one?"<p>

Lucario nodded, and picked up another one of the reinforcing rods scattered all over the place from Shadow Lugia's spectacular escape (which had blown the concrete of the lab to bits). He bent it into a knot with casual strength, and used it to tie the hands of the Cipher grunt behind his back.

A second rod went around his ankles, tying them together.

"Thanks," Brock complimented him.

"_No problem."_ Lucario looked up, scanning. _"There's several more over there, but they seem under control for now."_

"Why's that?" Misty asked.

"_There's a Metagross staring at them."_

"That would do it, yeah," Ritchie said. "Hey, who's this?"

Wes waved. "Hi! Name's Wes. This is my main babe, Rui."

Rui's cheeks flamed. "Stop _calling_ me that!"

"Why?"

She didn't reply.

"Heh." Wes returned his attention to the locals. "So... what brings you here?"

"We were having lunch just over there," Ritchie explained, nodding. "Then most of our Pokémon heard a noise – they said it was a Lugia in pain. Really nasty pain."

The two Orreans exchanged a look.

"That was probably the creation of a Shadow Pokémon," Rui said, after a moment. "We've fought them before – this is Team Cipher."

Wes aimed a kick at the unconscious Nascour, which missed – probably deliberately. "Especially _this_ jerk. I don't recognize most of the cannon fodder, though."

"We've run into Shadow Pokémon before, too," Brock said.

Pikachu winced. _"That was not pleasant."_

"Huh, really?" Wes shrugged. "Good to know we're not the only ones who can handle it. How'd you purify them?"

"_Ash appealed to the Pokémon in question, and managed to bring him back,"_ Lucario said by way of an explanation.

"Yeah, sounds about right," Wes agreed. "Worked for Metagross."

Pikachu blinked, at the news that the burly pseudo-legendary glaring at a band of captured Cipher personnel had previously been a Shadow Pokémon.

"So, where's this Ash?" Wes went on. "It'd be nice to compare notes, I guess..."

He looked around at the piles of unconscious Pokémon. "And see if we can kinda speed up the process of helping these Shadow Pokémon, there's like two dozen..."

"Professor Krane could help with that, couldn't he?" Rui asked. "I heard something about-"

Wes shrugged. "Like I listen to the old fart."

Rui decided to ignore that for now.

"Ash... went off on Lugia, I think?" Brock asked, glancing at Suicune for confirmation as she loped back over.

"_That's right,"_ Suicune confirmed. _"I said we'd help Silver. Keldeo's trying to find a way into the lab."_

"Who's Silver?" Rui asked, frowning.

"_Lugia's son – the child of the two Lugia you saw,"_ Suicune explained. _"Are you a... ah, I see. You're an Aura adept, like Ash."_

"So he's an Aura user?" Rui asked. "Interesting, I've not met many others before."

They glanced off into the distance, trying to spot the Lugia, and saw the occasional flash of light.

* * *

><p>Ash bent low over Lugia's back, trying to produce as little wind resistance as possible.<p>

_I'm... not having much luck... catching her,_ Lugia reported, sounding a little out of breath even in his mental tone. _She's flying faster than I'm used to._

"Can you catch up?" Ash called. "Just get close enough for me to jump over?"

_That might be difficult,_ Lugia reported. _Why do you need to jump over?_

"I've got an Aura technique – Aura Purge!" Ash told him. "I need to be in contact, but I think it can help her!"

_That is excellent news._ Lugia broke off for a moment, as they hit a cloud. _Anything that works – we have to try it._

"I agree there," Ash said.

He glanced down at his belt, and winced. "Oh, no – I left everyone back by the lab!"

_A pity._ Lugia frowned, hammering his wings much more than usual as he tried to squeeze every last breath out of his speed. _Then we're going to need to slow her down some other way. Sorry, love._

He inhaled, energy rushing towards his mouth. Not for long – far less time than it would normally take to charge the attack. Then he fired a weakened Aeroblast.

The bluish beam traced across the flank of the Shadow Lugia. It didn't hit very hard, but the effect was immediate – rather than flying at full speed away, XD001 banked in a startlingly tight turn and bore back in on them, screaming with rage.

_Hold on tight, Ash!_ Lugia warned, sideslipping in the air and ducking away from his corrupted mate.

After a moment, Lugia felt a warmth on his feathers as Ash started using Aura to cling on.

That worry alleviated, he threw himself into trying to outfly his mate.

It took some doing – she wasn't as experienced as he was, but the process which had turned her into a Shadow Pokémon had made her faster and stronger and a _lot_ more powerful.

Lugia found himself forced to focus entirely on defence within the first few seconds as she spun off a tornado of dark, _wrong-_feeling energy and whipped it at him. He established a Light Screen with hurried intensity, which splashed the attack off it, but it clawed at his wings despite that and tried to suck him down towards the sea.

Then she did – something.

Shadowy wings churning the air, she gathered together a ball of energy between her talons. It throbbed, like a heartbeat, and then pulsed outwards in a spherical wave.

Lugia grunted as it hit his Light Screen, smashing it to pieces, and she followed up with another of those tornadoes of dark energy before he could get his shield back up again.

Deciding not to stick around, Lugia replenished his shield and began to climb – gaining height as fast as he could.

_Is she following?_ he asked Ash. _I can't spare the attention to look._

Ash _did_ have the chance to look, though, and he turned back as Lugia's climb went near-vertical. "Yeah – she is! She's going slower, and – _look out-"_

Ash's voice gave Lugia just enough warning. He rolled forwards, already charging an Aeroblast, and fired it at her just as she launched her own corrupted version of the attack.

The two beams hit one another halfway between Lugia and Shadow Lugia, producing a violet ball of energy as they flowed towards one another. The ball grew, crackling with lightning, and then exploded as it passed a critical threshold.

Immediate danger over, Lugia resumed his climb.

* * *

><p>Doctor Namba shook his head, trying to clear it.<p>

The process had been going fine, and then... the Lugia had cried out, and then XD001 had...

Had...

As the world came back into focus, Namba saw the ruins of the machine and realized what must have happened.

The process of turning a Pokémon into a Shadow Pokémon was well understood, but his Rage Crown additions were new and much more poorly studied. The combination of the two must have left XD001 unstable, and then the sound of an injured juvenile had startled it and driven it to act.

How inconvenient.

Voices floated down through the lab to him, and he sat up – pushing a few small chunks of plaster off his legs – then stood.

The young Lugia was still in its cage. There were scorch marks all over the walls next to the shadowification machine, and most of the structural damage seemed to be over that side of the lab – and, with no XD001 in sight, he could deduce the course of events.

XD001 had broken out of the machine, then blasted through the roof and left that way – bringing the upper levels down on top of the hole once it was through.

The fact it hadn't rescued the juvenile probably meant that the shadowification process had changed it, though. Otherwise – presumably – it would have saved its child.

Namba was contemplating his next course of action when there was a crash from overhead.

"...nearly there," he heard someone say.

"Lucario, are we-"

Then something he didn't quite catch.

He paled. That meant the guards were defeated.

Namba reached for his waist. "Kadabra, get me out of here!"

His Kadabra nodded, raised her spoon, and they vanished in a flare of teleportation.

A few seconds later, the ceiling crumpled and collapsed near the centre of the room. A Metagross slammed to the floor, looked up, and began using psionic force to hold the rest of the building up.

"Thanks," Brock said, dropping through the hole himself. "There he is!"

Silver looked up, frightened. _"Who are you? Are you friends of the bad person?"_

"We're with your father," Brock said. "He's trying to make sure your mother's alright."

"They're related?" Wes asked. "Neat."

The Orrean followed Brock through the hole, being caught by Metagross with a casual exertion of telekinesis, and looked around. "Wow... man, I'm surprised to see some of this stuff. I thought it was all impounded way back when."

"Where do you think the other Shadow Pokémon came from?" Rui asked, rolling her eyes as she hopped down into the lab. "Sometimes, Wes..."

Wes shrugged. "Whatever."

"Hey, quieten down," Brock said, keeping an eye on Silver. "I think this poor guy's a bit scared."

"_I'll help,"_ Suicune volunteered, leaping down through the gap herself. She landed with feline grace on the floor surface, and smiled. _"Hello, Silver. Remember me?"_

"_Suicune?"_ Silver asked, tilting his head. _"Didn't you visit me and momma a few times?"_

"_That's right,"_ Suicune confirmed. _"Now, we're going to get you out of here, okay?"_

Silver considered that, then nodded.

"_Good."_ Suicune looked back up through the hole. _"Keldeo? I think we might need your help down here."_

Hooves clattered on the floor above, then there was a sudden blast of water (soaking Metagross for a moment, who then established a telekinetic shield and looked annoyed) as Keldeo slowed his fall with Hydro Pump.

* * *

><p>Lugia rolled, snatching his tail away from a blast of Shadow Storm, and slapped the air with his wings as he banked.<p>

"How high are we?" Ash called, as Lugia's trajectory stabilized once more.

_Several miles!_ Lugia glanced down, then performed a peculiar little wingover to evade a Shadow Blast. _I can't tell more precisely, but the air's definitely thinner up here._

"Right," Ash nodded. His grip tightened for a moment. "Okay, I'm going to need to get onto her back at some point – but when I do the Aura Purge, we're both going to pass out."

Lugia twisted his neck around to look at Ash. _Really? You didn't mention-_

"I've been kind of preoccupied!" Ash admitted. "Sorry. But – I'm going to have to do it."

_Then I'll have to catch you,_ Lugia decided. _Keep the two of you up while you're doing it._

"Won't work," Ash said, shaking his head, and winced as another corrupted Aeroblast came uncomfortably close. "If you touch someone in Aura Purge, you get pulled in too. I guess... the best thing to do is to follow us down, and to pull us apart psychically if we're about to hit the ground."

_Won't that ruin the attempt?_ Lugia asked, half his attention on his attacking mate.

"It's better than hitting the ocean that hard!" Ash pointed out.

_True. Okay, be ready to jump... I'm going to try to get you heading towards her._

Ash nodded. "Got it," he said, rising to a crouch on Lugia's back.

For the next several seconds, Lugia was trying to avoid being hit. Shadow Shed blew away his attempt to maintain a shield, and then he was clipped by a Shadow Storm which spun him around in mid-air.

At that moment, though, he saw his chance. Folding one wing, he side-slipped out of the line of fire and below Shadow Lugia as she tried to close on him.

Rolling and pitching, wings snapping back open, he pulled a wingover and was heading the same direction as the corrupted Pokémon for a moment.

Ash gathered himself and leaped.

He covered the forty or so feet between the two Pokémon in a couple of seconds, but Shadow Lugia had been turning and dodging as he moved.

Ash missed her torso, got clipped by her lashing tail as she turned into an escape dive, and fell past her.

_Ash!_ Lugia called, folding his wings in and following.

Ash glanced up, spreading his arms to increase his air resistance and slow his plunge towards the sea miles below. "Lugia-"

The wind built up around him as his speed increased, snatching at his clothes. The cape slowed him, but it was pulling on his neck harder than was comfortable-

And the comforting white bulk of Lugia loomed up next to him. A quick pull-up, and he was on Lugia's back again.

"Thanks, Lugia," he said, as the windrush vanished. "Okay, that wasn't close enough by the looks of it."

_I concur,_ Lugia replied, using the velocity from his dive to climb back to fighting altitude again. _I am going to have to make contact with her._

He inhaled, building another Aeroblast, and then fired it upwards as Shadow Lugia tried to catch him off-guard with a Shadow Blast.

This time, it was a more powerful Aeroblast – and the Shadow Blast had been charged for longer. The globe of clashing energy grew faster and remained stable longer, producing a stunning concussion when it finally destabilized which knocked both Lugia tumbling.

Ash's hands wound around Lugia's feathers as his ride spun through the air, then breathed a sigh of relief as he regained control of his attitude. "Do you think you can get close enough?"

Lugia contemplated that for a few seconds, as his mate likewise recovered her flight regime. _Yes,_ he said after a moment.

He tilted back, gaining height, and his wings slammed the thin air for as much traction as he could gain.

_Sunny Day,_ he announced, and the sun blazed brighter in the sky overhead. Using it, he moved so he was above and a little to the south of his mate.

Hiding in the sun.

Then, when she seemed to have lost track, he turned downwards.

Ash saw the bluish fins on Lugia's back fold in, and crouched low over his neck to reduce air resistance as they dove.

Shadow Lugia noticed him coming about half a second before he arrived – not enough time.

The impact was stunning for all involved, making Ash's teeth click painfully together and knocking both Lugia out of their flight regime.

Ash's friend recovered first, twining his tail around that of his mate to hold them together for as long as possible. Then, as she began to thrash about to get him off, Ash jumped from one neck to the other – barely four feet of distance.

He wrapped one arm around her top right fin for grip.

"Lugia, go!" he called.

Seeing Ash was on safely, Lugia released his mate and dropped free.

A second later, Ash's glowing palm touched XD001's back, and they fell into Aura Purge.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Silver," Brock said. "We need you to duck down now, okay? Hide in that corner of the cell."<p>

Silver nodded, and squeezed himself into one corner of the tough metal cage.

"Ready, Keldeo!" Brock said, unnecessarily.

"_Sacred Sword!"_

A curved beam of light slashed out from Keldeo and sheared off the entire top left edge of the cell. A second one followed, cutting off the bottom left edge, and several of the bars clattered to the floor.

"There we go," Misty said. "Can you get out that way?"

"_I... think so,"_ Silver said. He pulled in his wings, to take up as little space as possible, and gingerly eased his way through the missing bars.

"_There we go,"_ Suicune said with a smile. _"Now, let's get out of here, okay?"_

She looked around. _"Metagross? Can you lift us out of here?"_

_...the important thing, I find, is that those actions are not ones I want to do now. Therefore, my actions when I was a Shadow Pokémon are not 'mine', and as such I can consider myself not to be responsible for them._

Pikachu nodded. _"Thanks, that gives me a lot to think about. I can tell you've put thought into this."_

Suicune cleared her throat.

"_Oh!"_ Pikachu looked up. _"Sorry, we were distracted."_

Metagross stamped its feet on the floor as it rotated to face them. _Right. I think I can help lift people up through one at a time, though it would be easier if there was no overburden above us._

"Right," Ritchie said. "Zippo! Cid!"

Zippo and Cid duly emerged from their Pokéballs.

"Can you two help clear away some of the stuff on top of us?" Ritchie asked.

Cid nodded, leaping up the hole and starting to use Psychic to move the rubble out of the way. Zippo jumped after him, wings flapping to make the jump, and began moving material too.

"Psyduck, you help!" Misty said, sending him out.

Wes sent out Espeon. "Hey, can you help move stuff too?"

Espeon gave him a look.

"Hey, Umbreon can't do this kind of stuff!" he protested. "I don't use you as a night light, I don't use him for this stuff, it evens out."

Espeon's reply was a disdainful tail flick. He looked up, and started moving material with Psychic.

* * *

><p>Ash came to his feet, looking around to get his bearings.<p>

It was... interesting. He'd been in several inner worlds so far, and they'd all been quite different from one another – indeed, there'd been the implication that they changed depending on the circumstances.

This one was a rocky, windswept island. The air was chill, and there was no greenery whatsoever.

Ash shivered as the wind started to bite. It was _really_ cold...

He started up Lucario's Airslip Aura trick, diverting the main force of the wind around him without letting it bite, and looked around. There had to be something important-

Movement caught his eye, and he turned in time to see something emerging from the low clouds.

Shadow Lugia.

A glow built around her mouth, and Ash dove sideways with a yelp just as Shadow Blast fired. It carved a trench in the black rock of the island, sending gravel flying in all directions, and narrowly missed Ash's boots.

He came to his feet, looking around for where the corrupted Lugia had gone.

Closing his eyes for Aura Sight, he caught a glimpse of her vanishing upwards into the clouds. Once there, she became much more blurred – though still possible to track.

Ash squinted, looking closer as she turned and came back down through the low cloud layer. This time, ready for her, he could get a closer look.

In addition to the dark colour of her feathers, there was something else wrong...

Ash ducked behind a hexagonal pillar of rock as she made her second attack run, forcing her to sheer off to avoid crashing, and it was then that he got a good look at her head.

Some kind of metal headband, with an angrily-glowing red crystal on it centred right between her eyes.

That _had_ to be something important.

Ash's first reaction was to ask Pikachu to hit it, but before he said anything he realized – he didn't have Pikachu. In fact, he didn't have _any_ Pokémon whatsoever.

He would have to do this himself.

But how to hit the headband – and Ash was sure he had to get it off – without hurting Lugia? Either he had to get onto her back _again_, this time without a friendly Lugia to help, or...

Or he'd have to attack it off.

As he thought, Ash kept the pillar between him and the shadow Lugia, using Aura Sight to keep an eye on her position while also glancing around for what might help.

Perhaps he could use Aura Sphere?

No, that wasn't a good idea. In the first place, it would be hard to hit the headband, and in the second place getting _just_ the headband would be very difficult indeed – it was placed in a very inconvenient location.

Ash racked his brains, trying to think what to do.

Then something... suddenly seemed to make sense.

Ash couldn't tell you what the logical chain was that led to the realization. He just knew there was _something_ he could do which would solve the problem, if he could pull it off.

At that moment, Shadow Lugia got tired of his dodging. A Shadow Blast lashed out, hitting the base of the pillar Ash was hiding behind and bleeding past on both sides.

Fortunately for him, Ash was in the blast shadow of the pillar.

Unfortunately, the pillar was being hammered by what amounted to an Aeroblast, and it wasn't able to withstand that kind of pummelling. It creaked, cracked, and began to fall over.

Ash ran for cover, looking around for another pillar to use.

_There!_

The one which caught his eye wasn't a single hexagonal spire of rock like most of the rest. In fact, it was formed of dozens of them, crowded together right near the centre of the island in a big irregular accumulation.

Better still, some of them were snapped off at different heights, providing a convenient way to climb up. Ash wasted no time, making a series of Aura-enhanced jumps to get to the top of the series of pillars.

* * *

><p>Lugia trimmed his wings, holding down his speed to make sure he followed his mate and his trainer as closely as possible.<p>

It was disconcerting to watch, as Ash and his mate plunged limply towards the surface of the ocean – still a couple of miles below, but getting closer faster than he'd like.

There was a brief slap of moisture, as they passed through a wisp of cloud – then it was clear, heading towards the ocean below with nothing but air beneath them.

_I hope this works, Ash..._ he said silently.

* * *

><p>Ash got his fingers over the lip of the column, and hauled himself up by main strength.<p>

Almost immediately he was hit by a blast of wind as Shadow Lugia skimmed low over the surface of the rock, and he raised an arm against flying debris – mostly pebbles.

That over, he took a deep breath and looked up.

Shadow Lugia was circling overhead, now, apparently having given up the attacks for a bit.

That suited him fine.

Ash reached for his staff, and swung it off his back.

He'd done this once before, about a year ago, in his own mind – with the memory of Keldeo.

He was in another's mind now, though. He only had himself to work with.

But, in theory, it should work. So he concentrated, focusing on the _idea_ of what he wanted to do.

_I want a sword._

Alone, that wouldn't help. But he also knew from working with Keldeo that the Sword moves _could_ be used at range.

And that should be what he needed.

The staff twitched for a moment, as it felt his Aura and the idea of the staff tried to react with the idea of what he wanted to do.

Ash's eyes snapped open as the back of his neck prickled. He ducked, and Shadow Lugia _didn't_ take his head off with her feet.

Pushing himself back to his feet, Ash focused on the staff. He needed this to work!

He needed to help Lugia – by hitting _just_ the headband, and nothing else.

And the staff quivered in his hands – then changed.

For a moment, Ash was distracted by its new appearance. It was, most certainly, a sword.

There was nothing particularly special about the cross-guard, nor the hilt – though it was certainly not a katana. It looked a little bit European, if anything.

The blade had letters inscribed on it, though Ash saw only a few – _burn._

Shadow Lugia let out a screeching roar overhead, reminding Ash of her presence some distance away.

He grimaced – _I hope this works_ – and wound up, then threw the sword.

It was a clumsy, two-handed swing with a weapon not built for throwing.

But it didn't seem to matter. The blade sliced out with perfect accuracy, rotated once, and cleanly sheared the headband in two right at the crystal with its razor tip.

Two brassy halves fell away, and then everything went white.

* * *

><p>Lugia came to a decision.<p>

They were too low. He had to pull Ash away, had to make sure they didn't crash into the sea – which would be like hitting the ground, from this high.

He reached out with his mind, groping for Ash's form to break the connection, as they plunged through the last few hundred metres. One moment the sea was a uniform blue, then he could see the white of the wave-crests, then the waves were as clear as could be-

And he couldn't get a grip on Ash.

Instinctively, Lugia spread his wings and pulled up and away as the water loomed close. The moment he did, he regretted it – he should have-

Saffron-scented air blasted him from behind.

"You were kind of cutting it close, there," a voice said.

Turning frantically, Lugia saw-

A human teen. Ho-Oh. (Though a different one to the familiar one of Johto.)

Ash was safe, coming back to groggy awareness on Ho-Oh's back.

And then, in a fountain of spray, _his mate_ burst back out of the sea. White-winged, hale and well, and most certainly _not_ corrupted.

Lugia felt a bit breathless from the sudden shocks. _What just happened?_ he asked.

_Good question,_ his mate asked, looking around in some confusion. _The last I remember, I was in a laboratory._

The human teen shrugged. "Okay, this might take a while – hey! Where'd you go, you little..."

A Celebi emerged from beneath Ho-Oh's wing, and shrugged.

"You took us here!" he said. "You could at least explain."

Celebi shrugged again, and vanished in a flash of light.

"...fine, be that way," the boy said. "I'm Wes. Let's head back to the lab, I'll try and explain on the way."

* * *

><p>Clearing the overburden took several long minutes, after which Metagross was able to send the humans and Pokémon up one by one.<p>

Fortunately, Houndour hadn't gone into the hole in the first place – being Dark-type, he would have had to seek alternate means of exit.

"Phew," Misty said, wiping her brow. "Glad that's handled."

Metagross levitated out of the hole behind her, and there was a rumbling _crash_ as he stopped holding the roof up.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Wes asked, jerking his chin in that direction.

"Not sure," Brock admitted. "Any ideas?"

Ritchie frowned. "Well, I've helped the police with their inquiries before, up in Almia... I guess it depends on how nice the individual Jenny is."

"Japanese police are all called Jenny?" Rui asked, blinking. "I heard about that, but I wasn't sure if it was true..."

"It's true," Brock assured him. "Well, there's support personnel – I think you'd call them deputies – but the police are all from the Jenny clan."

"Weird," Wes said succinctly. "Right, everyone still-"

He stopped.

"Oh, come on!"

"What is it?" Rui asked.

"Miror B got away somehow. Heck knows how..."

"I've never understood how a man that incompetent evades the police so easily," Rui admitted.

Wes shrugged. "He's probably going to be Michael's problem someday. Right, we done?"

"We should wait until Silver's parents get back," Misty suggested.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," Wes admitted. He looked into the east. "Wait, I see something... looks like... two Lugia and a Ho-Oh."

"Is Ho-Oh here?" Brock asked, interested. "It'll be nice to-"

One of Wes' Pokéballs burst open, and a Celebi came out. "Biiii!"

Wes looked up. "What is it, Celebi?"

The time-travelling Pokémon tapped one of the other balls on his belt. "Bii!"

Misty blinked. "He's saying that's _your_ Ho-Oh. You have a Ho-Oh _and_ a Celebi?"

"Sounds familiar," Brock said to her _sotto voce_.

"Oh, great." Wes looked around and spotted a small rise. He jogged over behind it, Celebi following behind, and the friends watched with some bemusement.

Wes sent out Ho-Oh with a flash of light and clambered aboard. Celebi circled them as Ho-Oh took off, and then they all vanished in a flash of light.

A few seconds later, he came gliding down on Ho-Oh from the east.

"Hi!" he said, waving. "Miss me?"

"...you were only gone four seconds," Ritchie said slowly.

"Huh. Cutting it fine, then," he mused. "Anyway. Here's your friend back."

Ash stepped off Ho-Oh's back with slightly unsteady legs, and got mobbed by his Pokémon – Pikachu first.

Silver looked up joyfully. _"Mama! Papa!"_

The two Lugia, who had been lagging a little behind Wes' phoenix, separated from their close formation and came down to land either side of their son.

His mother swept Silver up in her wings. _Silver! It's good to see you, dear!_

_It is, indeed,_ his father added, embracing them both. _I was so afraid for you._

* * *

><p>The reunions and explanations took some time after that.<p>

Ash and his friends were informed of the trouble Cipher had already caused in Orre, and how they'd been turning Pokémon into Shadow Pokémon to make them more powerful. It seemed that Wes and Rui had tracked down rumours of Cipher looking abroad for help across the Pacific to Johto, and arrived in the proverbial nick of time.

In return, Ash told Wes and Rui a slightly edited version of their adventures so far – touching mainly on the most important moments, such as Shamouti and the Lake of Life.

Ritchie got in on the act by telling everyone the fuller story of his mission to save Almia. One of the moments everyone was quite impressed by was the last-minute evolution of Cid to defeat a mind-controlled Tyranitar.

Once that was done, there was still a hearty meal to have as everyone unwound from the tense battles they'd been through for the last hour or so, and then there was talking to the police – who arrived halfway through dessert, and left some time later with a large number of Shadow Pokémon and a number in Orre to contact for help if needed.

As the sun began to slip towards the horizon, though, everything that needed to be said had been said.

Ritchie and Rui both promised to come to the League to see Ash battle – and after some arm twisting, Wes reluctantly agreed to come too.

The Orreans said their goodbyes first. As it turned out, they had taken a passenger jet from Orre, which had landed them in Olivine, and simply Surfed the rest of the way on Wes' Feraligatr. They had a plane to catch, so left to return to Olivine the same way.

Ritchie hung around for a bit longer, discussing things with Ash, Brock, Misty and their Pokémon. Pikachu spent about half an hour having a long discussion with Sparky about evolution, which left him quite contemplative.

Eventually, though, Ritchie left too, and Ash and friends were on the seashore as the light faded.

_Ash,_ Lugia said after a while.

"Yeah?" Ash asked, turning.

_I haven't said this enough. Thank you, for helping me save my son and my mate._

Ash blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's fine, really... I mean, I'd help out any-"

_Nevertheless._ Lugia nodded to him. _I am, once again, in your debt. And – I look forward to the League. I expect to compete by your side._

Before Ash could really react to that, Lugia spread his wings and took off. He circled his family once, and they too took to the air – flying back towards Silver's home for the night.

_I'll tell Pidgeot where you are,_ his mental voice floated out of the gathering gloom.

* * *

><p>Giovanni considered the report in front of him for some time.<p>

"You say they forced you to apply the research to Lugia?" he said, eventually.

"That's right!" Dr. Namba said, nodding vigorously. "I'd never do it myself – too dangerous – but they threatened me, and I had to tell them how to do it until I got a chance to get away."

"Indeed," Giovanni said. "It's a good thing they didn't know about your Kadabra – but they must have been guarding you very closely, for it to take five days for you to have a chance to use her to escape."

Namba prevented himself from swallowing nervously with an act of will.

Giovanni examined him for a few minutes more, then shuffled the papers on the desk with a sudden _slap._

"How well did it work?" he asked.

"The specimen was transformed physically," Namba said, happy for the move to safer topics. "It was clearly much more powerful, but also uncontrollable – or, at least, they didn't manage to establish control."

"So they _did_ finish," Giovanni mused. "Interesting. Their security must have been _excellent_ to keep you from escaping for so long."

Namba said nothing. It was probably the safest option.

"Well," Giovanni said, eventually. "It's a good thing we don't seem to have been officially linked with this whole sorry incident. I'm assigning you some bodyguards to make sure you're not snatched again, Sambo."

Giovanni hid his amusement at the twitch in the man's eyebrow.

He wasn't all that pleased with the scientist at this point. The bodyguards _were_ for his protection, yes, but they were also for Giovanni's protection – against any actions by the good Doctor of which he might not approve.

Really, Samba was getting off lightly.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

And that's where I was going with that. It's one of the scenes I've been planning for a long time, the Shadow-Lugia-versus-Lugia bit of it...

Shadow Blast is basically a Shadow version of Aeroblast, by the way. I used all the moves the canon Shadow Lugia has in Pokémon XD except Shadow Down, because I couldn't find a good way or place to use it.

And – yes, Wes does canonically get hold of a Celebi and a Ho-Oh. He also gets a _lot_ more 'mons, many of them very powerful.


	85. Johto 27

This is the first of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>Olivine City again," Ash said, as they stepped off the boat. "And it looks like Amphy is back to work in the lighthouse."<p>

The others followed his gaze, and saw the clear light shining out of the lighthouse windows.

"Looks like," Brock agreed. "It's nice to see he's better."

Ash nodded. "Which means that Jasmine should be ready for a gym challenge!"

He started forwards, then stopped. "Hm..."

"What is it, Ash?" Misty asked, worried.

"Oh, I was just wondering who I should use in this gym battle," Ash explained. "I wonder if anyone is waiting for a battle..."

* * *

><p>Based on this, they headed to the Pokémon Centre first.<p>

* * *

><p>"Right!" Ash said, some time later. "Let's do this!"<p>

He knocked on the door of the Olivine Gym.

After a few seconds, the door opened. "Hello?"

"I'd like to challenge the gym!" Ash announced.

The girl who'd answered the door blinked. "You seem a little bit-"

She was interrupted by Jasmine's voice. "Is that Ash?"

The door opened further. "It is!" Jasmine said, smiling. "I see you're here for your gym challenge!"

"That's right!" Ash agreed. "Sorry for the wait."

"Not at all," Jasmine said with a shrug. "It's whenever you have time – which is now, I suppose. Come in."

"Uh..." Ash hesitated. "You're having the battle inside?"

"That's correct," Jasmine confirmed. "Why? What's the problem?"

"Oh, well..." Ash shrugged. "It's just that – well, I was wondering if you might not want to have it somewhere else. I kind of wreck gyms these days."

Jasmine smiled. "Don't worry, this gym is quite durable. It's actually made out of old rolled armour they never got around to putting on battleships, so the walls are over a foot thick and made of armour steel."

"Really?" Ash blinked. "Huh. Now that's tough."

"Precisely," she said. "Now that your worries are alleviated, perhaps we can go inside...?"

* * *

><p>The gym was large, and nearly featureless – some sand on the floor, presumably for grip, but the walls were nearly blank steel.<p>

"Seems kind of boring..." Misty said, looking around.

Jasmine shrugged. "There's living rooms in the back, they're much more pleasant. Right, challenger – select your first Pokémon!"

"Got it!" Ash said, reaching for a Pokéball. "Do we go on a three-count, or-"

"Why not. Three, two, one-"

"Go, Ivysaur!" Ash said, sending him out.

Brock blinked. "Are you sure that was a good choice?"

"Why not?" Ash asked, as Ivysaur formed.

"Well, he's part-Poison type, so-"

Ash shrugged. "Moves matter more."

"Indeed," Jasmine said, as her Aggron materialized on the other side of the battlefield. "This should be interesting. Aggron, Stone Edge!"

The ground trembled, and rocks burst up from it. They formed a large slab, which promptly fell towards Ivysaur.

The Grass-type wasn't there any more, however. He backed hastily away, vines lashing out at the slab to break it up again, and managed to get clear before the rock fell on him.

"Flash Cannon!" Jasmine added.

Aggron roared, energy gathering in its eyes.

"That's probably bad," Ash commented.

"_I noticed!"_ Ivysaur said, using Dig to get underground just before Aggron fired his eye beams.

"Interesting," Jasmine said, as the Flash Cannon died down and revealed the hole in the middle of a small, glassy crater. "I didn't know that Ivysaur could Dig."

"He's been able to for a while," Ash shrugged. "It's actually quite lucky for us that the floor of the gym isn't steel like the rest of it."

"I need the clear earth for moves like Stone Edge," Jasmine agreed. "That and the steel plate was costly enough. Aggron – be ready to hit him when he emerges."

* * *

><p>Underground, Ivysaur considered his options.<p>

He could tell where Aggron was easily enough – that much Pokémon meant quite a lot of weight, so it wasn't hard to tell – but damaging him was another matter.

He stretched in the confines of his tunnel, and came to a decision.

* * *

><p>"...is your Ivysaur coming back up at some point?" Jasmine asked, looking around. "I mean, I understand the need for tactics, but-"<p>

The gym floor heaved up, and then huge roots came smashing up out of the floor towards the startled Aggron. They wrapped around his arms and tail, holding him still for a moment despite his thrashing.

Ivysaur punched up out of the ground directly underneath Aggron, delivering a powerful Dig attack as his target struggled to get free.

"Aggron!" Jasmine called. "Fire Punch! Use it to break the Frenzy Plant!"

Aggron roared, and his fist burst into flame. He pulled on the roots as they smouldered from the sudden heat, and they began to give way.

"Now, Heavy Slam!"

Ivysaur blinked, then started trying to get back down his tunnel.

Aggron came crashing to the floor in a belly-flop of doom, and mashed Ivysaur into his hole.

"Ivysaur!" Ash called, as Aggron got back off again. "Are you okay?"

A frond waved feebly. Then there was a crunch, as Ivysaur dug himself out of the hole.

He looked up in time to see Aggron coming down for another Heavy Slam, and his vines lashed out and up.

They wrapped around Aggron's shoulder-spikes, and Ivysaur used that leverage to get himself out of trouble – barely. The Heavy Slam came within inches of getting him a second time, and he skidded to a halt halfway across the gym panting heavily.

"You alright?" Ash asked.

"_I've been better,"_ Ivysaur admitted. He examined Aggron closely as the big Steel-type came back to his feet. _"Not sure if this is going to work..."_

He slammed his forelegs into the ground. _"Fissure!"_

The white line formed from his foreleg, and lanced out towards Aggron. The Iron Armour Pokémon took a forward step, foot landing just behind the leading edge of the Fissure, and then cried out as his foot sunk into the ground.

About two feet, leaving most of him still above the ground.

"_Oh, well,"_ Ivysaur sighed. _"Ground's just not deep enough here to really – whoa!"_

He broke into a run, barely avoiding another Flash Cannon.

Jasmine was doing some mental arithmetic. "Let's see... two hundred and sixty... one hundred and sixty... Aggron!"

Aggron deactivated his eye beams, and turned to her.

"Autotomize – twice! Then Heavy Slam again!"

Nodding, Aggron emitted a series of whirrs and clanks. His stance became more erect, less hunched over, and then he burst forwards with astonishing speed.

Ivysaur was unable to avoid the crashing belly flop of the Heavy Slam this time, nor did he have a convenient hole to dampen the effect. Aggron now weighed less than half what he did the first time, but that still meant over a hundred and fifty kilos of Pokémon landing on top of him.

There was a muffled shout from underneath Aggron, then a grassy explosion blew Aggron back to his feet as Ivysaur detonated a Seed Bomb at point-blank range.

That revealed, however, that the effort had been too much for Ivysaur. He was unconscious.

"Nice work, Ivysaur," Ash said, returning him. He gave Aggron a considering look, taking in how battered the Steel-type seemed. "Okay, Kingler!"

"That's an interesting choice," Jasmine said, as Kingler formed. "He's got type advantage..."

Ash shrugged. "Moves are the important bit – Kingler, you know what to do!"

Kingler clicked an affirmative, raising his pincers. Both of them clashed once, knocking like a pair of castanets, and then zeroed in on Aggron.

"Flash Cannon!" Jasmine ordered.

Kingler's left pincer fired a Bubblebeam straight at Aggron's face. The burly Steel-type was forced to raise his arm, blocking the stream of high-speed bubles from hitting him but also blocking his own aim with his eye-beams.

Then the right pincer opened up. It wasn't as spectacular – just a stream of water, which was losing momentum by the time it reached Aggron – but it quickly started pooling on the floor of the gym.

Janina hit a button on a control panel, and small platforms came grinding out of the walls for the trainers to stand on.

"Very modern," Ash said.

"I try," Jasmine admitted. "Okay, Aggron, that's enough water. Thunderpunch!"

Aggron's fist crackled with electricity, and he brought it down into the water.

Kingler grunted as the electricity grounded through the water into him, staggering a little, but seemed still fairly hale. His pincers rotated, clicking twice, and he switched to Surf on both of them.

As Aggron raised his fist, he took both bursts in the face. That made him stagger, and then – betrayed by his reduced weight – he overbalanced and crashed to the floor.

Kingler capitalized on that, scuttling forwards as Aggron came laboriously back to his feet. As the Steel-type finished standing back up, Kingler brought both pincers down in Crabhammers aimed for the knees.

That made Aggron stagger again. Roaring, he raised both fists and shrouded them in electricity before volleying in a one-two Thunderpunch.

Kingler was knocked off his feet by the second blow, pushed nearly under the water by the force and crackling with electrical bleed.

A grin formed on his crustacean face, and his pincers clacked open with a sound like the action on a gun.

Then they slammed closed.

One of the supercavitating explosions went off underneath Aggron, sending him a few inches into the air and fouling his Thunderpunch.

The other went down, into the hole Ivysaur had left, and blew a large amount of muddy water into the air to rain down over both combatants.

"_Mud Sport,"_ Kingler explained, pushing himself back to his feet and swinging his left claw in another Crabhammer.

Because it couldn't hurt to try, Aggron tried to use Thunderpunch again. The mud worked, however, making the attack fizzle before it finished charging.

Aggron switched tactics, and came down in a Heavy Slam.

He didn't make it to the floor. Kingler crossed his pincers, and managed to hold Aggron up off his carapace by main strength. (It helped that Aggron had reduced his weight by more than half.)

"Stone Edge!" Jasmine called.

Aggron nodded, thumping his tail on the floor. Rocks peppered Kingler's underside, but he endured the blows grimly.

His left claw glowed, and he slammed it into Aggron's neck. Getting a grip despite the Steel-type's struggles, he hauled Aggron off the ground and slammed him to the floor head-first.

The Guillotine did the trick. Aggron twitched, then slumped.

* * *

><p>"Not bad," Jasmine admitted, returning her Iron Armour Pokémon. Her free hand toyed with her bow for a moment, then she took another Pokéball. "Magnezone!"<p>

With a flash, Magnezone appeared. _"Preparing to engage."_

"_Uh oh..."_ Kingler said. He stuck his right claw underwater, aiming it at the tunnel, and fired another Crabhammer burst – repeating his Mud Sport from before.

Mud rained down in spatters all over him, tainting the water a greyish colour, and he pulled a hunk of mud from the floor before aiming his claw at Magnezone.

"_Magnet rise."_ Magnezone crackled, and drifted smoothly sideways away from the glob of mud. _"Locking On."_

Kingler glanced back. _"Ash?"_ he asked. _"Any ideas?"_

"Hyper Beam!" Ash decided.

"_Right."_ Raising his left pincer, Kingler clicked it. An orange glow built in the centre of the claw, brightening quickly.

Magnezone fired first. _"Zap Cannon."_

The high-impact Electrical attack shot unerringly for Kingler, then burst in a shower of tiny lightning bolts as the Hyper Beam fired straight through it. It hit Magnezone with an audible _screeeeech_, sending the Electric-type floating jerkily backwards, and small secondary beams went reflecting off all over the gym – scoring small lines in the armour plating of the walls and making the trainers flinch back slightly.

After several seconds, the Hyper Beam died away.

Magnezone was almost uninjured. Electricity crackled over its magnets, and then it fired a crackling, booming Thunder at Kingler.

Tired from his Hyper Beam, Kingler was unable to dodge. The mud helped, but not enough, and he slumped to the floor.

* * *

><p>Jasmine waited several seconds, until the electricity playing over the walls subsided. "Uh... Ash?"<p>

"Yes?" Ash replied.

"Sorry, but – can we drain the water? I don't fancy my entire gym being electrified with every attack Magnezone uses. It was bad enough when Aggron was doing it, but that was just too dangerous."

Ash shrugged. "Sure, we can take a break to do that."

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, the gym floor was merely moist.<p>

"Those are powerful fans," Ash said, as the artificial breeze died down.

"I've got them installed so I can do things like pump out poison gas," Jasmine explained. "It's kind of a problem, actually, because a surprising number of people forget Steel-types are immune to poison."

Ash blinked. "Wow."

"_Yeah, imagine someone forgetting about type immunity,"_ Pikachu chuckled.

"Fair point..." Ash said, remembering all the times he'd had Pikachu attack a Ground-type. Then he remembered the times it had actually _worked_, and frowned before shrugging it off. "Okay. Pikachu, you next!"

"_Sure!"_ Pikachu said, jumping forwards and landing with a _splat_ on the moist floor.

Magnezone's main eye rotated smoothly down to eyeball him. _"New target acquired."_

Its magnets rotated into position, and began to vibrate.

"_I'm resistant to Steel-attacks,"_ Pikachu pointed out. He rolled his neck. _"So you may as well use Electric-type attacks like Zap Cannon."_

"_Incorrect."_ Magnezone's magnets spun faster. _"Your ability – Lightningrod. It means electrical attacks are flawed."_

"_..kinda hoped you'd be fooled by that,"_ Pikachu admitted. _"But you don't have many good-"_

"_Type resistances are irrelevant against Sonicboom."_ Magnezone's magnets emitted a baleful, high-pitched hum, and then fired two closely-spaced pulses of sound and air pressure.

Pikachu jumped out of the way, getting lightly splashed by wet sand from the resultant crater, and began running around with Agility to avoid being hit.

Magnezone's eye narrowed slightly as it fired off more Sonicbooms, trying to pin Pikachu down, but with only two magnets able to fire at any one time it was hard to properly bracket the fast Electric-type.

"Magnezone!" Jasmine called.

Leaving off the attack for now, Magnezone spun to face her.

"Supersonic!"

"_Affirmative,"_ Magnezone buzzed. It rotated again, spinning up all three magnets, and got a Force Palm to the face.

"That's... new," Jasmine blinked, as her Magnezone went skidding backwards in mid-air with a noticeable paw-shaped dent next to its eye. "I was warned about you, but I didn't think it was that bad."

Pikachu went backwards from the recoil, skidded to a halt, and jumped forwards again.

This time, however, Magnezone was ready for him. It trained both magnets on him, emitting a rising whine, and Pikachu had just enough time to notice his mistake before they hit him with twin Sonic Booms.

The first one halted him, cancelling his forward momentum and leaving him falling straight down. The second one sent him rocketing backwards towards the wall, which he hit feet-first to absorb his momentum.

Ash shrugged as Pikachu avoided a nasty impact with the wall. "We originally worked on it to handle a Steelix."

Brock muttered something about hypocrites.

"I see," Jasmine said, with a little concealed smile. "Well, we'll see about that..."

As she spoke, Pikachu was running up the armour-plate wall, which shivered from near misses as Magnezone barraged it with more Sonic Booms – none of which hit, though a few came close.

"_Tactic switch,"_ Magnezone announced. _"Locking On."_

Red beams of light pulsed out of its central eye, bouncing off the steel walls around Pikachu until a few of them hit him.

The magnets raised, and fired off another Sonic Boom – this one aimed unerringly at Pikachu's position.

Pikachu's response to that was... unorthodox. Jumping off the wall, he curled into a forward roll, tail shimmering with Iron Tail, and produced a "buzz-saw" effect from the jagged appendage. When the focused air of the Sonic Boom hit it, it was slapped aside into two smaller pulses which burst on the steel either side of his former position.

Coming out of his roll, Pikachu raised a glowing blue paw as he descended. _"Force palm!"_

Slamming the close-range attack in, he drove Magnezone halfway to the floor with the force of the blow. A matching dent appeared the other side of Magnezone's eye from the impact, and a stray crackle of electricity arced between the tips of the outer magnets.

Then Magnezone used Metal Burst.

There was a thunderous _bang_, and Pikachu was sent backwards as fast as he'd come down. He hit the wall with an audible _crash_, and dropped to the floor.

Ash took his hands off his ears. "What was _that?_"

"Magnezone can't normally learn it," Jasmine admitted. "It's kind of a Steel-type fusion of Counter and Mirror Coat. I happen to like it."

Pikachu pulled himself up out of the sandy impression he'd left, brushing sand off his fur. _"Ow."_

He looked up, yelped, and jumped clear of another Sonic Boom which scattered the sand he'd landed in.

Pikachu kept running after that, avoiding two more Sonic Booms and a Signal Beam, before skidding to a halt on the other side of the gym. Magnezone's eye took a while to track around to see him, affording Pikachu precious thinking time.

He took a breath, and held up both forepaws. Each one began to produce a glowing blue sphere.

"Aura Sphere?" Jasmine asked, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting. Okay, Magnezone, be ready for this."

Magnezone's magnets came up, humming as they built resonance.

Pikachu grinned, and slammed the blue spheres together.

A cloud of smaller blue Aura Spheres went in every direction. The Sonic Boom detonated on one of them, but the rest were unscathed – and, as Pikachu ran for cover, they meant Magnezone was too busy to focus on targeting.

The twenty or so seeker spheres curved in towards their target, who was forced to use Protect – abandoning all its offensive capacity for pure defensive shielding.

When the cloud of explosions faded, his shield bubble took a moment longer to disappear.

Then Magnezone blinked, looking around. _"Target not identified-"_

Pikachu slammed into it from above, palm glowing with Force Palm.

Once again, the impact overcame Magnezone's electromagnetic levitation. It went jerking towards the floor with the impact – and, as it began to recover, Pikachu's other palm hit just as hard.

An unmusical crash echoed through the gym as Magnezone hit the ground, fouling its magnets with sand and dirt. The Magnet Rise shut down completely, and Pikachu kicked off from its body to land in the blind spot behind it.

As he charged a Force Palm, Jasmine raised her voice. "Stop!"

Pikachu did so, looking up.

"You win that one," Jasmine said with a smile. "No point carrying on."

She returned Magnezone, and reached for another Pokéball.

"Pikachu, come back here," Ash instructed.

"_What?"_ Pikachu asked, indignant. _"I can still-"_

"Yeah, but I'd rather have you rested, just in case," Ash explained.

Pikachu considered it, then nodded. _"Sure."_

"I see," Jasmine said. "Please have your next Pokémon ready before I send mine out."

Ash nodded. "Ready!" he said, taking the Pokéball from his belt.

"Right. Bronzong!"

"Keldeo!" Ash said, then frowned. "Ugh. Psychic type... do your best, Keldeo!"

Keldeo nodded, and set his stance firmly on the sandy floor of the gym.

Bronzong hovered there for a moment, then rotated itself so that the open end faced Keldeo.

Keldeo cantered to the side, so that the open end no longer faced him.

Bronzong paused, then rotated so the open end faced Keldeo again.

Keldeo again moved so he wasn't being targeted-

"Just use an attack!" Jasmine said.

Bronzong's strikers moved outwards a little, then CLANGed back into the bronzed metal of its body. Air shivered in the body cavity, and then a pulse of psychic energy pulsed out towards Keldeo.

The Sword of Justice kicked off, using a quick burst of water from his hooves to gain height and avoid the Psychic. It hammered into the wall below him, and he landed on the far side with a Sacred Sword glowing on his horn.

"Wait a moment," Jasmine said, snapping her fingers. "I know where that Pokémon seems familiar from! He's like Cobalion, isn't he?"

"_That's right!"_ Keldeo replied, with a quick smile. _"I grew up with Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion."_

She smiled, then her expression firmed. "That means... Bronzong, don't let him close! That's a powerful Fighting attack!"

Bronzong clanged in agreement, and fired another Psychic which Keldeo galloped out of the way of.

Horn still lit, Keldeo turned at bay and tossed his head. The blazing blade separated from it, scything forwards, and the lower half of the attack clipped one of Bronzong's strikers.

The upper portion of the attack hit the armour-plate wall with a grinding, tearing sound, making a visible cut in it.

Jasmine gaped for a moment. "That... but – that's Vickers face-hardened steel armour!"

Ash blinked. "Is that bad?"

"Well, I've never seen it much more than scratched before," Jasmine admitted. "That's half an inch deep!"

Bronzong slammed his strikers into the metal of his body again, making the air in his central bell-cavity resonate more strongly before pulsing out another Psychic.

This one clipped Keldeo's hoof as he dodged, spinning him around slightly with a cry of pain.

Recovering, he cantered halfway around Bronzong and began to prepare another Sacred Sword. As he charged, though, Bronzong tracked around to face him and fired a Psychic, and he had to get out of the way.

Coming to a halt once more, Keldeo loosed his Sacred Sword – which hit a Light Screen, slowed considerably, and did very little damage to Bronzong.

"_Ash, this kinda seems like a stalemate,"_ Keldeo said, wincing. _"Any ideas?"_

Ash frowned. "Give me a minute..."

Keldeo nodded, willing to do that, and jumped over another blast of Psychic energy. The water spraying from his hooves whipped in the intense telekinetic shove, splashing into the wall behind him, but it didn't hit him directly.

Jasmine was thinking hard too. "Bronzong! Trick Room, and Gyro Ball!"

Bronzong _bong_ed in agreement, and then bashed its clappers three times in quick succession.

Unlike the earlier ones, a resonance began to build in the whole room.

"Uh oh..." Ash said, frowning. "Keldeo, do you know Curse?"

"_I don't – why?"_ Keldeo asked, then blinked. _"Wait – did he say Trick Room?"_

Trick Room activated.

Blue light pulsed out from Bronzong, washing over Keldeo, and he suddenly felt almost like he was moving through syrup – it took no more effort, but much more _time._

Bronzong, on the other hand, began moving much faster. Lights sprang into life on the ends of its clappers, and it started to spin at speed.

"Look out, that's Gyro Ball!" Ash called in warning.

Keldeo tried to get out of the way, but the effect of Trick Room slowed his reactions. Bronzong hit him in the flank with one spinning arm, and he hit the wall with a cry – though one more of shock than pain.

He pushed himself back to his feet, raised a hoof through the slowing influence of the Trick Room, and braced himself against the wall with another hoof.

Then he opened up with Hydro Pump, as powerful as he could make it, and aimed at the oncoming Bronzong.

Water went everywhere, sprayed off in a broad arc by the high-speed spin. It also made Bronzong slow a little, and the Gyro Ball flashed and partially-discharged repeatedly under the stream of water.

"Keldeo!" Ash called, his own voice slightly distorted by the speed-altering effect of Trick Room. "Use your Hydro Pump to get around!"

Keldeo blinked, and nodded with a grin. _"Got it!"_

He lowered his hooves to the floor, and then fired full-power Hydro Pump from all four. That sent him rocketing into the air, and he controlled the sprays as best he could to avoid hitting the wall.

The propulsive force from the sprays wasn't affected by the psychic effect, and he shot off as fast as he could normally manage – though he had more trouble than usual steering, simply because his legs couldn't move as fast to compensate.

Bronzong rotated to try and fire on Keldeo, but the Fighting-type was moving too fast to pin down even with Bronzong's speed boost from Trick Room. Psionic bursts splashed off the walls and ceiling behind Keldeo, and he bobbed and weaved to make the job of aiming harder.

With a flash, he switched to Resolute Form, and formed Secret Sword as he hurtled overhead.

Raising his horn, he swung it in a sluggish circle as he landed. _"Work Up!"_

The glow of the Secret Sword increased in intensity, and he released it just as Bronzong's spin let it retarget.

The Psychic attack knocked Keldeo backwards into the armour plated wall, forcing the air from his lungs, and he gasped to try and recover.

Bronzong had it much worse. The attack hit like a freight train, sending it skidding into the wall, and those parts of it which weren't slowed by the Light Screen went on to hit the wall – cutting deep gashes into the armour plate of the wall.

The Steel-type seemed to have been left in a bit of a dent, struggling to get out again, and Keldeo had a few precious seconds to recover.

Jasmine shook off her surprise at the heavily damaged armour plate, and frowned. "Bronzong! Sandstorm!"

Bronzong's strikers came out one more time, and clanged back into the main body of the steel bell. The resonance rang in the room, picking up the sand scattered on the floor, and began to bring it up to hang in the air.

Keldeo inhaled, shaking his head as he shook off the stunning effect of the impact, and spun his neck again – much faster this time, as the Trick Room collapsed. _"Swords Dance!"_

A Sacred Sword formed on his horn, and went knifing forwards as he fired it. That was too much for Bronzong, and it went rigid.

Jasmine returned her Bronze Bell Pokémon, and took another look at the scarring on the inner wall of her gym. "That's not going to buff out..."

She sighed. "Oh, well. They've got some armour plate left over, I think."

Keldeo winced. _"Sorry..."_

Jasmine turned to him, and sighed. "Don't worry, it's not really a problem, it's just... inconvenient." She chuckled. "The others did warn me, and so did your trainer."

She cleared her throat. "Right. Do you want to switch Keldeo out?"

"Well-" Ash began.

Keldeo interrupted him. _"I want to stay out!"_

Ash waved his hands. "Sure – if you want to, I mean."

Keldeo nodded in confirmation, and turned back to Jasmine. _"I'm ready!"_

"Okay, then." Jasmine smiled.

* * *

><p>"<em>Rime Crasher!"<em>

The Jumpluff was engulfed by a shower of freezing water, and came out the other side with ice clinging to his puffs. He wobbled, losing height, and Blastoise ignored the Mega Drain it pulsed down at him.

"_You don't have the dedication to push through! You're just blowing in the wind!"_ Blastoise proclaimed, cannons clicking as they retargeted. _"Ice Beam!"_

Jumpluff went crashing to the floor.

"Not bad," Ramos allowed, returning his Pokémon. "Looks like I'm down to my last."

"_I'll take 'em all on!"_ Blastoise announced. _"Bring him on!"_

"Hold on," Gary said, shaking his head.

Blastoise spun, giving Gary a look. _"What!?"_

Gary indicated Furfrou. "She wants a go."

"_Indeed I do,"_ she said, with a nod. _"I want to try out some of my new moves."_

Blastoise stared for a moment longer. _"Fine,"_ he said eventually, with bad grace, and stomped off the field.

Furfrou replaced him, facing across the grassy field. _"Who am I to fight?"_ she asked, curiously.

By way of answer, Ramos sent out a Gogoat.

"_Hello,"_ Furfrou nodded to him.

"_Greetings,"_ the Gogoat replied. _"I wish to thank you for your manners. Now – to battle!"_

He tapped his hooves on the floor, producing a scent of new-mown summer lawn and making the grass glow softly. The plants hanging off his back glowed as well, bristling up and thickening.

"_Interesting,"_ was Furfrou's main comment. She tilted her head slightly, then dove underground with a quick Dig to avoid the storm of Razor Leaves sent her way.

"Underground is a bad idea here," Ramos said. "Gogoat! Earthquake!"

Gogoat reared up, and slammed his hooves into the floor. The ground shook – and Furfrou erupted from the ground in a huge torrent of water.

"_Please!"_ she said, coming down to land with a _splat._ That threw her off her patter for a moment, and she looked with disdain at the wet grass. She tossed her head, and sighed. _"Oh, that's awfully crude..."_

Gogoat's horns glowed green, and he charged forwards towards her. His hooves drummed on the floor, turning to a series of splats as she reached the wet section.

As he arrived, Furfrou turned to face him, and took the Horn Leech attack on her shoulder.

She kept her footing quite easily, despite the water.

Gogoat frowned. _"Normally this is more effective."_

She batted her eyelashes at him. _"Could you really hurt such a lady as myself with so brutish an attack?"_

Gary chuckled. "Between Fur Coat, Charm and Cotton Guard... not really."

Furfrou tossed her head, her ears flying. _"Now we've resolved that,"_ she said as Gogoat stepped back warily, _"Let's try the other side of the coin."_

She jumped into the air towards Gogoat, evaded his horns with exquisite care, and nipped at his shaggy grass pelt with flame-shrouded teeth.

"_Excellent,"_ she pronounced, seeing the effect of the flames. _"Just as I hoped."_

Gogoat turned back towards her, horns glowing again, and used Giga Drain. She slipped underground just as the attack came in, and Gogoat started looking around for any sign of her.

The ground erupted again, this time beneath him. Furfrou's head emerged just long enough to deliver an Ice Fang, and then she was back underground and gone.

"This could take a while," Gary said, looking for a place to sit down.

* * *

><p>Growlie bounded into the campsite, James on his back.<p>

"We got takeout!" James announced, holding up some big carrier bags. "Who wants some?"

A lot of Pokémon wanted some, as did his partner-in-sort-of-crime. They got the groundsheet out, and settled down for a slap-up meal before bed.

* * *

><p>Some way off through the foliage, an interested pair of blue eyes watched them.<p>

Moltres frowned, not sure what to make of these humans. They'd certainly saved her, and she felt she owed a debt... but the question was what to actually _do_ about it.

And even though she'd saved them... it didn't feel like the same. She was sure they'd have been able to handle it without her help...

"Ya know, that ain't really very polite," a voice said.

She jumped, her flames flaring up with the shock. _"What? Who's there?"_

Looking around by the light of her wings, she saw – nothing.

Then a Meowth seemed to fade out of the darkness beneath a branch. "Hey."

Moltres blinked. _"But – you weren't there! I looked there!"_

"Yeah, that's ninja skills for ya," Meowth shrugged. "Hey, ain't you dat Moltres what blew up Jessiebelle's helicopters?"

"_I – well, I blew up _some_ helicopters,"_ she admitted. _"I don't know whose they were."_

"Why'd ya do dat, then?" Meowth asked, sitting down on a tree root.

"_Because they looked like they were going to hurt – someone," _she explained.

Meowth considered her for a bit longer, then shrugged. "Whatever. Thanks, I guess – but it _is_ rude ta stare."

With that, he vanished.

Moltres frowned, not sure what to do now.

* * *

><p>"Oh?" Jessie said, as Meowth walked back into camp. "Where were you?"<p>

Meowth shrugged. "Just a walk. I got ta stretch my legs sometime, Jessie!"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Steel-type gym!

It's been a while since Ivysaur and Kingler have fought a gym.

Jasmine's got a very tough, durable gym. It's built out of the armour from what used to be the Japanese naval yards, which is about as "Steel-type" as I think is feasible to do.

Of course, Ash is Ash. So it might be a good thing there's some spare knocking about.

Meanwhile, Gary Oak Is Fighting A Gym, and that Moltres is still interested in the Rockets.


	86. Johto 28

This is the second of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>With care, the Gym Leader took a simple Pokéball from her belt. "Rusty, let's do this!"<p>

In a flash, Jasmine's Steelix materialized in the Gym. He took up a fairly large amount of the floor at full stretch, and he reared up to roar at Keldeo.

Unfazed, Keldeo set his stance.

Jasmine then shook out her wrists, and held up a bangle. She slipped it onto her right wrist, and held it up.

Ash blinked. "What's – wait, is that a-"

The small red bow on Rusty's head began to glow, matching the bangle Jasmine had just put on.

"That's a Mega Stone!" Brock said, blinking. "I didn't know Steelix had one!"

As he said that, Rusty flashed orange as the Mega Stone activated.

When the glow had died down, the friends saw through the gathering sandstorm how Rusty had changed.

He was a little bit longer – a few feet. His lower jaw had expanded, forming protrusions either side of the chin, and his head had flattened down a bit.

Most of the changes, however, had happened to his body.

A rotating ring of glowing crystals girdled the base of his neck, flashing irregularly as the energy of the Mega-Evolution jumped between them. There were pairs of similar iridescent crystals growing out of alternate body-boulders, with the other body segments smaller than before and marked with glowing blue hexagons.

"That's pretty cool," Ash admitted. "I didn't know you had a Mega Stone – or a Key Stone."

"You're well informed," Jasmine said, with a smile. "Most people haven't heard of it – this is for special occasions."

"I'll say..." Misty muttered. "Wish I had a Mega Stone."

"You know what to do, Rusty," Jasmine told him. "Begin!"

Keldeo squinted through the sandstorm, and dodged aside as Rusty's head came slamming down with Thunder Fang crackling.

Horn glowing, he lashed out with a Sacred Sword which splashed off Rusty's armoured carapace.

"_What?"_ he said, blinking. _"That should have done at least some-"_

Rusty's head came forward again, lightning-fast, and slammed home with an Iron Head attack which knocked Keldeo backwards.

The Colt Pokémon kicked out with his rear legs, hitting the wall with a _clang_, and arrested his movement that way. Charging up another Sacred Sword, he tried to get a bead through the sandstorm.

He saw Rusty coming just a little too late.

The Steelix slammed into him at high speed, and this time there was nowhere to shed the force before hitting the wall. Keldeo cried out at the impact, fired his Hydro Pump more-or-less randomly, and went shooting off across the gym – his Sacred Sword fizzling as he lost control of it.

Landing one-hoof-first and staggering, he turned to look into the core of the sandstorm. Aiming his forehoof somewhere into the cloud, he fired a burst of water.

There was a brief sound of water drumming on metal, and then Rusty's tail came sweeping out of the sand at about knee height.

Keldeo was able to dodge that sweeping Iron Tail with another burst of water from his hooves, jumping barely over the appendage, but one of the crystals clipped his rear left leg and destabilized his landing.

Capitalizing on that, Rusty swung his tail back again to hit Keldeo before he recovered. This time, the Water-type was too slow, and Rusty sent him slamming into the wall.

Staggering a little, Keldeo lit off his horn and built up one more Secret Sword. He worked out where Ash and his friends were, and where Jasmine was, and then sent it shooting off into the clouds of sand midway between the two trainers.

Rusty roared in surprise and pain, and Keldeo felt a fierce triumph that he'd scored – then the Mega Steelix retaliated with a large rock at high speed, and knocked Keldeo out.

* * *

><p>Ash held his arm up to shield his eyes. "This sandstorm is really annoying... okay, let's see if this works."<p>

He reached for another Pokéball. "Okay, here goes – Charizard!"

* * *

><p>The big Fire-type erupted into the air, and snorted at the sand as it reached for him. His wings hammered as he hovered near the roof, sending great gales into the swirling sand and driving it towards the floor.<p>

A rock flew up at him from the cloud, and he smashed it aside with a Metal Claw before retaliating with a huge blast of flame – not especially potent, but hot enough and broad enough to drive most of the sand to the floor.

It cooled quickly, fused a little by the heat and made sticky and cohesive.

Charizard smirked, satisfied with his solution to the Sandstorm – then yelped, ducking out of the way as a blizzard of rocks flew in his direction.

Rusty's crystalline spines glowed as he levitated more rocks for a particularly dramatic Stone Edge, then flung them too at Charizard.

Flying out of the way, Charizard quickly came to a conclusion – the indoor gym, large as it was, was too small for a Pokémon his size to properly fight in the air.

Grumbling about that, he dove for the floor – managing to reach it quickly enough to avoid all the rocks, though one was a close thing – and roared defiance.

Rusty considered Charizard, spines flickering with multicoloured light, and then his tail slammed into the floor – shattering the glass there into smaller pieces.

Through the gap, more rocks came rumbling up to hover around him – ready for use.

While Rusty was preparing, Charizard had not been idle. He began with a shot of fire, aimed not towards the Mega Steelix – but to his left, towards the wall. It burst with a loud _crack_, releasing clouds of thick smoke, and he took a half-flapping leap into the concealing darkness.

The smoke drifted for a moment, and then rippled as Rusty sent the first half-dozen rocks into it.

There were a loud series of _clang_s as they struck the armour plate on the other side of the cloud of smoke.

* * *

><p>Jasmine frowned. "That didn't quite sound right... I hope that doesn't mean that bit of the armour's unsound."<p>

* * *

><p>Rusty sent pattern after pattern of rocks into the smoke, producing loud clangs with a monotonous regularity – and no grunt of pain from Charizard.<p>

It didn't sound like any of the rocks were hitting flesh, either.

Finally, after a couple of minutes of this, Rusty tired. He came forwards in a grinding, slithering motion, pivoted about a third of the way down his body, and whipped his tail through the smoke.

It hit something with a _clang – _and stopped.

Rusty blinked, clearly confused. He tried to bring his tail back, and found it was being held still.

"_Inferno!"_ Charizard roared, punching out a lance of blue flame from the smoke cloud. It splashed off Rusty's head and side, heating it to cherry-red and even orange in some places.

The blast also sent the smoke away in coils, and everyone could see what had happened.

Charizard was standing up, refurling his wings – which had, until that moment, been shielding him in tough, hard-to-damage Steel Wings. And his tail was unwrapping from his legs, still shimmering with the Iron Tail which had made it, too, too tough for Rusty to damage easily.

Shaking his head and recovering, Rusty snatched his tail away from Charizard's grip. Rather than be dashed into the wall by it, Charizard let it go – instead, he took off once more, and fired a Draco Meteor at the pile of rocks which was most of Rusty's ammunition.

One flash of orange and a roar of overlapping explosions, and all Rusty had to work with was gravel.

Undaunted, he switched approaches. Coiling briefly, he launched himself forwards for a powerful physical headbutt.

Charizard was caught wrong-footed, coming down to land, and the headbutt hit him in the chest. He slid backwards several feet, then managed to dig his clawed feet into the ground and halt his backwards movement just short of the wall.

"Charizard!" Ash called.

Charizard looked over, then turned back to Rusty as the Steel-type's fangs began to crackle with energy. Using his head, he slammed the mouth closed again with a headbutt of his own. _"Kind of busy here!"_

"Whenever you want, use-" Ash began, then Rusty pushed forwards again with a grinding cacophany of metal on rock.

Charizard roared, putting one foot on the armourplate of the wall, and _shoved._ He drove Rusty skidding backwards a few paces, then unleashed a point-blank Fireblast and got clear in the explosion.

"-Blast Burn!" Ash completed.

A grin crossed Charizard's face. _"Sure thing!"_

He hit the ground arms-first, rolled, and came to his feet as Rusty turned towards him. The big armoured faceplate of the Steelix was shimmering faintly with heat as he cooled, and he looked a little more sluggish than he had done.

Charizard began to inhale, and an eerie light built in his throat.

Correctly interpreting this as terrible news, Rusty lunged forwards in an Iron Head attack to try to interrupt him.

The Fire-type opened his wings and beat them with a fiery _crackle_. Flame sprung from his tail, surrounding him and his wings, and then rocketed forwards in a bright orange-yellow pulse to spring up in a column of fire between him and Rusty. The same flap of the wings also sent Charizard into the air, out of the way when Rusty broke through the Fire Pledge.

Rusty turned in on himself and launched over half his body length into the air, jaws opening to try and grab Charizard's tail and pull him down that way.

Diving to gain speed, Charizard snatched his tail away from the clamping Thunder Fang, and pulled up just before hitting the cracked-glass floor in a wingover.

At about that point, he charged up as much as he was intending to.

A pulse of incandescent flame and plasma erupted from his mouth, slamming into Rusty's first thick body segment a little left of centre and driving him backwards into the armour-plating of the wall. Steel armour ablated off in a plume of golden radiance, and Rusty's body was nearly white hot by the time the second or so of the attack ended.

A little of the Blast Burn had missed Rusty's body itself, instead striking the armour plate of the walls directly. As the glow of overheated metal began to cool down, the spectators saw – with not a little awe – that there was a deep dent melted into the steel plate, and the whole section around it was deformed.

Rusty flashed orange and slumped forwards, revealing that the armour plate he'd been driven into was itself deformed and softened by the burst of intense heat. He was back to a non-mega-evolved Steelix by the time he hit the floor.

Charizard smirked. _"Mine was better."_

* * *

><p>"Nice one, Charizard!" Ash called, after a few seconds of silence. "That was awesome!"<p>

He glanced over at Jasmine. "One left, right?"

"...my poor gym..." Jasmine said, softly. Then she shook her head. "Right. Sorry about that... okay."

She raised a Pokéball, and returned Rusty. That done, she raised another.

"That's a Lure Ball," Ash said, recognizing it. "Back here, Charizard, that's going to be a Water-type-"

"_No!"_ Charizard said immediately.

Ash blinked.

"_I want to do this,"_ Charizard told him. _"If I faint, then fine – but this is the last one, and you don't need me to conserve my strength."_

"Sure, then," Ash shrugged. "I'm going to leave Charizard out."

Jasmine blinked. "Fine, then. Empoleon!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Good day,"<em> Empoleon said, with an elaborate bow towards his opponent. _"I am Empoleon, and I will be your opponent today."_

"_Yeah, I gathered,"_ Charizard agreed. He slammed one fist into the other palm. _"Let's do this!"_

"_Very well."_ Empoleon nodded. He stood up straight, clicking his heels together, with his flippers straight down at his sides.

Charizard blinked. _"What's-"_

"_Aqua Jet!"_

Empoleon took off, gouts of water erupting from the base of each flipper and sending him into the air.

When he was about halfway to the roof, he stopped there for a little – and then tilted forwards, sweeping his flippers up behind him and jetting towards Charizard.

The bigger Fire/Flying type sent a blast of flame towards Empoleon, which was met by a precise Water Pulse – both attacks detonating in mid-air – and Empoleon then swept past him, flippers coming out to his sides to slow down and perform a wingover.

As he did, water sluiced over the wall, producing a great cloud of steam from the still-hot metal.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked. "I thought penguins couldn't fly..."<p>

"_Ash,"_ Pikachu pointed out. _"Keldeo flies. The same way, even."_

"True," Ash agreed with a nod.

* * *

><p>Empoleon banked around, flippers shifting again from <em>beside<em> to _behind_ as he accelerated, and fired a string of Water Pulses at the dodging Charizard.

By dint of luck, skill and a judicious blast of Dragonbreath, Charizard managed to avoid being hit by all but one of them. That one hurt, though, slapping into his chest and knocking him backwards.

Growling, Charizard tracked Empoleon's next turn. There was definitely a weakness there... he just had to work out how to use it.

First, though, he had the attack run to deal with.

Empoleon rolled as he came in, accelerating hard, and opened fire with a Bubblebeam. The glowing white bubbles hit the ground in front of Charizard, tracked across it towards him, and then locked on.

Charizard used the moment's warning well. Sweeping his wing up – once more glowing with Steel Wing, as he'd done against Rusty – he used it as a shield, reducing the impact of the Water-type attack and protecting his tail.

Behind the wing, an eerie green glow built up.

As Empoleon reached his closest approach, he had to stop firing – and Charizard whipped his wing back down, opening fire with a gout of Dragonbreath that swept across the flying penguin from front to back.

Empoleon staggered in the air from the influence of the Dragon-type attack, then recovered. Sweeping his flippers back to their outer position to increase his manoeuvrability, he slowed and banked-

"Look out!" Jasmine shouted-

And Charizard arrived.

As soon as his dragonbreath blast had done its job, the Fire-type had pushed off from the ground with all the strength in his powerful legs. Wings snapping out, he hammered them against the steamy air and leaped after Empoleon, aiming to grab him and physically prevent him from using his unorthodox flight method.

This approach got him a faceful of water from the water-jets as they shifted position, but he powered through it and his grip slammed home on the banking penguin.

"_Seismic Toss!"_ Charizard explained, another flap of his wings carrying him towards the wall – holding Empoleon out in front of him to take the impact.

This did not go as planned.

* * *

><p>Jasmine's jaw dropped as the two fully-evolved starters slammed into the wall – and tore an irregular section of the steel off.<p>

A rough circle about eight or nine feet across parted company with the rest of the armoured steel with a horrible screeching of rent metal, leaving a jagged hole in the side of the gym and admitting both Pokémon into the open air outside.

"What the-" she began, staggered.

Through the hole, she saw Empoleon struggle free of Charizard's grip and take off – soaring into the sky at the head of a plume of water.

Roaring, Charizard followed with a crack of leathery wings, and she lost sight of him too.

"What just happened?" Ash asked, looking over at her. "I thought you said this was battleship armour!"

"It is!" Jasmine replied. "Or – well, was? But..."

She blinked. "Oh! I know what it is!"

"What is it?" Ash asked, as the Gym Leader and challenger both hurried over to the hole to see where their Pokémon were.

"Steel expands when it's hotter. Your Charizard's attack heated that section of steel to..." Jasmine trailed off for a moment, calculating in her head. "About a thousand degrees? More?"

"Oh, right," Ash nodded. "I get it. So he heated it up, then your Empoleon cooled it down, and that made it weaker?"

They reached the hole, and picked their way carefully over the jagged edges of the torn steel.

"Pretty much," Jasmine agreed. "When it cooled down, that bit suddenly shrank – and it had expanded before, so there must have been cracks all through it as it changed size."

She looked skywards, searching for the combatants. "There they are!"

* * *

><p>Charizard unleashed a Fire Blast, aiming it at Empoleon. The flying penguin's flippers tilted, letting him dodge away from the direct line of the attack, but Charizard had planned for that – it detonated near Empoleon, knocking him sideways a little in the air and making his flight path a bit unstable.<p>

Water jets traced a path in the sky as Empoleon regained control, and then shot off at an increasing speed.

Charizard followed, losing ground steadily as Empoleon's jets pushed him faster and faster, and then kept a careful eye on his opponent as he began a wide, high-speed circle.

Empoleon didn't use Bubblebeam this time, as he steadied down on his next attack run. His trident glowed as he prepared an attack, but this time it was a single watery sphere striated with white lines.

Charizard recognized it, and slipped sideways in the air away from it. He had to get as much distance as possible, before-

The Hydro Cannon detonated.

The huge amount of high-pressure water still had the speed it had started with, and spread in a watery cone whipped by the wind and pulled down by gravity. By the time it reached Charizard, the slowing effect of air resistance on the leading edge had made it pile up into a kind of saucer-shape, the rim reaching for him as he tried to get out of the attack basket.

He almost made it. The edge of the disk of water slapped into his side, and only a quick tail-curl managed to keep his flame from being hit by the it was, though, his right wing was forced against his body by the impact, and he began to tumble. The ground went right-below-left-behind-above, and he fought the disorientation it produced.

Empoleon dropped into a shallow dive, following his foe down, and then hissed in disappointment as Charizard's right wing extended again and he corrected his spin. The yaw was corrected next, and Charizard pulled up and out of the dive – going low enough that he went sweeping past the glass windows of a skyscraper.

No Bubblebeams shot at him, despite his vulnerability, as Empoleon's Hydro Cannon had nearly spent his element. He was recovering fast, but during that period Charizard was most in danger Empoleon was having to use all the water he could just to stay flying.

Wings working, Charizard pulled back up again, and didn't stop climbing until he had a good few thousand feet under him for safety. Empoleon followed him up, and the two Pokémon circled warily for a moment before diving back in.

* * *

><p>"This seems unusual," Brock said, shading his eyes to watch the battle overhead. "Is the water raining down all over the city going to be a problem? I know Pewter occasionally complained when Onix made the ground shake too much."<p>

Jasmine frowned. "I'm not sure, it's never really been a problem before... oh, I'm going to have so much paperwork. I need to see if the naval yard has enough armour for replacing the gym wall..."

* * *

><p>The two Pokémon flew at one another, rolling and passing at a distance of just a few feet. Steam exploded as their attacks collided, and Charizard wrenched himself around in a turn to try and get on Empoleon's tail.<p>

The sound of Bubblebeams told him that Empoleon had had the same idea, as they whipped off in the direction of where he'd been going before the turn. That also gave him a target, and he slammed out a Dragon Rage which hit home with an explosion which rocked the dissipating cloud of steam.

Continuing to turn, he caught sight of the dark form of Empoleon. Water jets shot out erratically as he tried to regain level flight, and Charizard grinned before launching down a Fire Blast.

Unfortunately for Empoleon, the blast detonated just as he managed to recover, and threw him off all over again. The penguin seemed to stagger in the air, slowing, and Charizard dove hard.

Flame crackled in his mouth, then roared forwards and encircled Empoleon in a Fire Spin. It hissed as water blasted out into it, and Charizard pumped more power into it to keep it up.

He had a plan. Empoleon couldn't steer if he didn't know which way the ground was, and with the fire circling him-

There was a huge blast of water, erupting out in all directions and extinguishing the entire Fire Spin. Empoleon appeared from inside it as it fell to the ground below, pointing both flippers straight down with huge torrents of water flowing out to try and avoid crashing.

The lower he dropped, the slower he was moving as he shed speed. About fifty feet above the ground, and barely ten above the roof of the nearby gym, he finally bottomed out.

Charizard used Overheat.

The potent, hoarded Fire-type attack slammed into Empoleon, blowing away his water-jets and slapping him to the ground just outside the gym. As he landed, Charizard swept down on top of him and slammed his fists down in a Rock Smash.

Empoleon twitched, and finally went limp.

Charizard panted, watching Empoleon for any sign of a recovery, and when he was sure that the Water-type wasn't going to get back up again he roared his triumph. _"Hah! Take that, Water-types!"_

Ash came around the corner of the gym. "Charizard – that was awesome!"

He glanced over his shoulder. "I think you broke the gym, though..."

* * *

><p>"You've certainly earned this badge, Ash," Jasmine said, a few minutes later. "Twice over, if you count helping Amphy. But now I <em>really<em> feel I should have insisted you take it just for helping him."

Ash chuckled nervously. "Sorry about the wall..."

* * *

><p>"Hello, and welcome back to the breakfast hour," the presenter said, smiling into the camera. "Now, we have a very special guest joining us today – the powerful, mysterious Pokémon Mewtwo. Hello, Mewtwo."<p>

Mewtwo nodded. _It is nice to be here._

The presenter nodded, then frowned. "Oh, sorry, I'm being told that there's a few technical-"

_Allow me._ Mewtwo raised a hand, which glowed. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

"That's – er..." Her hand went to her ear for a moment. "That's fine now. What did you do?"

"Before, I was speaking using my psychic powers," Mewtwo explained. "I'm using psychic energy to create sound, so it appears I am speaking out loud. Your cameras can pick it up."

"Oh, I see." The presenter nodded. "Thank you for that."

"It is my pleasure," Mewtwo said placidly.

"Well... okay." She shuffled her papers, and decided to try and push past the confusing moment. "Mewtwo, I understand that you're returning to the world of media?"

"That makes it sound all very official," Mewtwo shrugged. "I'm writing a book, that's all."

"I see," the presenter smiled. "That's a lot more than a lot of us do."

"I try," Mewtwo shrugged. "It's mainly about the relationship between humans and Pokémon. I've come at it from the other side, as it were, so-"

There was a pink flash.

Mewtwo sighed. _Not now, Mew._

"That's Mew?" the presenter asked, sounding startled all over again.

_Ooh, this is nice!_ Mew giggled, waving into the camera. _Hi, everyone! I'm in your TV!_

_They can't hear you, Mew,_ Mewtwo told her. _That's a film camera. It records sound and images._

_Awww..._ Mew pouted, then hovered over to just behind Mewtwo. _What are you talking about?_

"We're discussing my book," Mewtwo said, out loud this time as a courtesy to the camera. "This really isn't a good time, Mew."

_Nonsense!_ Mew said, and tapped him on the forehead. _Tag!_

Mewtwo shook his head. "I'm sorry about this," he said to the presenter.

She took a deep, steadying breath. "Right. I know you're – sorry, this is just a bit startling."

"I understand," Mewtwo said, shaking his hand to try to get Mew off. "She's nice, and she's given me a lot of help, but – she _can_ be a bit of a handful."

_I'm on your hand, so of course I'm a handful!_ Mew giggled.

* * *

><p>"Wuffles!" Whitney wailed, as her Bidoof bounced off two walls and came to a concussed halt in the corner.<p>

Raikou rolled his eyes, and held up another sign. _Do I get the badge now?_

He'd had to make a lot of signs recently.

"No you don't!" Whitney said, crossly. She put her hands on her hips. "You've still not finished the battle!"

Raikou made a sound like thunder over the horizon, and wrote another sign.

_Hurry up, then._

"I will!" Whitney told him. "Miltank! Get him!"

Miltank nodded, curled into a ball and began Rolling Out towards him.

Raikou examined her, then snapped a Thunderbolt at her from his tail and loped out of the way.

Electricity crackled around the bovine Pokémon, but she continued to roll on regardless.

"_Hm, that's interesting..."_ Raikou mused, watching her turn the corner and pick up speed. _"I suspect she'll just keep accelerating, becoming more and more dangerous..."_

Another Thunderbolt. This one hit home, too, but Miltank toughed it out and kept coming. Raikou had a little less leeway dodging this time.

"_Right!"_ Raikou said, electricity building on his mane and arcing over his body. _"Let's start by paralyzing you, then!"_

His legs coiled up behind him, and he launched himself foewards. _"Nuzzle!"_

Raikou hit Miltank with a thunderous _boom_ of impact and discharging electricity. The Normal-type went cannoning across the room, and slammed into the wall with a _thud_.

She dropped to the floor, residual static frizzing up her fur.

"Miltank!" Whitney said, gaping.

She turned to point a finger at Raikou. "You beastly, beastly, beast!"

"_What?"_ Raikou asked, rhetorically. _"She's paralyzed."_

He glanced over. _"And unconscious, I grant you... anyway."_

Loping back to the entrance, Raikou held up a sign. _Do I get the badge now?_

"Fine!" Whitney said, sulkily. "And never darken my doorstep again!"

Raikou accepted the badge, and pinned it to a scarf wrapped around his neck.

Three down, five to go. Now, where to head next...

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Looks like the gym _wasn't_ tough enough.

Oh well. At least there is that spare armour.

Meanwhile, Mewtwo's threat level goes ever closer to "negligible" in the eyes of the public, and Raikou demonstrates an unusual interpretation of the move Nuzzle.

(Incidentally, note that she's not using her Clefairy. She's not allowed to, it's retroactively Fairy-type and always has been... unless of course her gym were the Cute gym rather than the Normal one.)


	87. Johto 29

(This is not, despite my earlier mistake, the first of two chapters today. Sorry for the confusion.)

* * *

><p>"I never really realized how much easier this journey was than when we went the other way," Brock said with interest. "I mean, on our way south we were dodging away from things which happened last time which were bad, running into other things, and all that. As for the way back through... it's just been cake!"<p>

"_I agree,"_ Ninetales said, flirting her tails. _"Perhaps it's just that we've taken the main road, this time."_

"That might be it," Ash agreed. He glanced overhead at the circling form of Noctowl. "Everything alright?"

"_Rather,"_ Noctowl said. He dipped his wings, flying a little lower. _"I do believe we're about to arrive on the outskirts of Ecruteak."_

"We made good time, then!" Misty said. "Right, what do we have to do here..."

"I can't think of anything," Ash admitted.

* * *

><p>As it happened, though, something to do found them. As they entered the city proper, they were met by a familiar face.<p>

"Oh, hi Sakura!" Ash said, recognizing her. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Sakura told him. "The bells started ringing, so we knew you were coming."

"Which bells?" Misty asked. "You said there were a lot, as I remember."

"Yes, that's right," Sakura confirmed. "A lot of them started ringing. But one of them was that one which rings when someone worthy of Ho-Oh is approaching, and of course that means you."

Ash gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Right."

"Anyway," Sakura went on. "We have a rather unusual request to make. If you'd follow me to the hall?"

Ash looked among his companions, who shrugged, and turned back to her. "No problems here."

"Excellent," Sakura smiled.

* * *

><p>"So, what did you want?" Ash asked, some minutes later.<p>

Tamao cleared her throat. "We were wondering – we heard that you'd been seen with Suicune, and whether that meant-"

There was a flash, and Suicune emerged from her Fast Ball.

"...well, that answers that," Sumomo said faintly.

Suicune waved.

"Do you mess with us deliberately?" the girl asked plaintively, as her Vaporeon stretched on her lap.

"Not deliberately, no," Ash said, with a shrug. "It just kind of... happens..."

Koume tapped the table. "If I may. We were wondering whether we could request that one of your battles take place where we may observe it, since we have never seen the Beasts at battle first-hand before despite our extensive studies."

"The closest we've come is watching things on television," Satsuki said. "We missed catching that broadcast of you in the Whirl cup, though."

Dexter beeped. I could provide you the recordings.

"That would be nice," Sakura admitted.

For her part, Suicune frowned. _"Hm... I wonder whether Entei's going to challenge you again soon. I might ask him. Or, if Raikou's willing to put his all into it this time, we might have that instead."_

"She says she'll check," Ash translated. "Maybe we should all go to that clearing from last time, actually."

"That seems a fine idea," Tamao smiled.

* * *

><p>Suicune loped into the basement of the Tin Tower.<p>

"_Hello, Suicune!"_ her brother said, looking up. _"It's been a while."_

"_Sorry,"_ she said, looking around. _"I... where is everyone else?"_

Entei frowned, one paw going to his chin. _"Let me see... well, my double is handling a little matter up north in Almia, since I intend to challenge Ash again some time soon. His brother is headed down to Hoenn to speak with Rayquaza on a matter of some urgency – Lord Ho-Oh requested it – and your own double is of course handling her new duties."_

Suicune nodded, then blinked. _"And what of our brother?"_

He sighed. _"We've got no idea. He went off a couple of weeks ago talking about sign language, and seems to have vanished off the face of the earth."_

* * *

><p>Raikou turned the pages of the guide. <em>"Hm... ah, I see! The gym relies on Ghosts? Well, that means I'll just have to make sure I brush up on my Dark-type attacks!"<em>

He emitted a low, rumbling growl. _"But how to make sure I'm up to snuff? Perhaps I should try and bite some trees!"_

* * *

><p>"<em>He'll turn up,"<em> Suicune said with a shrug. _"Eventually. Anyway, Ash is in town, and the Kimono Sisters were wondering if you'd be willing to challenge him without a race – to have just a battle."_

Entei began to respond, then stopped. He stood, and paced in a circle. _"He has that Pidgeot of his with him, right?"_

"_That's right," _she confirmed.

"_Right, so I can't outrun him, and as such it would come down to the battle anyway... very well, then."_

Suicune smiled. _"Excellent. Shall we head over there?"_

* * *

><p>"Lord Entei!" Koume said, bowing. "You honour us."<p>

"_It is not a problem,"_ Entei stated. _"As my sister has said before, your work is valuable and done well. We have no complaints."_

He frowned, very slightly. _"Except that the bell reporting our presence probably needs a muffler. We live here."_

Ash translated.

"I think I know which one you mean," Sumomo said, frowning. "But it's broken – it doesn't ring, even though the clapper strikes it."

"_Not to you, maybe,"_ Entei said. _"We can all hear it quite well. It's too high pitched for human ears."_

When that was explained, the sisters winced. "Sorry, lord Entei!" Koume said, blushing. "I'll be sure to prevent it disturbing you."

"_It is no fault of yours,"_ Entei dismissed. _"Now... Ash Ketchum."_

"I'm listening," Ash said.

"_On account of your Pidgeot, I am well aware that I could not escape you. From my sister's tale, your Flying-type is able to fly any of us to exhaustion – and there is no clear route to run a sprint, here in the heart of Honshu. So I propose that we have our battle as a battle alone."_ Entei indicated the clearing with a sweep of his head. _"Right here, as it happens."_

"Sure!" Ash agreed. "Uh, should I only use five Pokémon?"

"_Six will be fine,"_ Entei replied. _"You have ten minutes, if you need it."_

* * *

><p>"Okay, guys," Ash said, about ten seconds later. "Who do I use?"<p>

He frowned. "I can see two important issues. Who's able to resist fire, and who can do a lot of damage..."

"_Do I count?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Of course," Ash agreed with a smile. "But – okay. I'm _not_ going to use either Suicune or Keldeo."

Keldeo's Pokéball burst open.

"_Why not?"_ Keldeo asked, hurt. _"I can help!"_

"I know you can," Ash told him. "That's why I don't want to use you – it doesn't feel right, because you'd make it _too_ easy."

Suicune released herself. _"I agree with your logic, Ash. I'd fight if you ordered me to, but... I would feel uncomfortable fighting my brother like that."_

"Which is another reason not to use you," Ash agreed. He smiled. "And thanks for your trust – that you'd do it if I asked, I mean."

She returned his smile.

"_Uh... we're wasting that ten minutes, Ash,"_ Pikachu pointed out.

"Right!" Ash said, more firmly. "Hmmm... okay, I've got a plan. Dexter?"

I'm listening.

"I'm going to want you to get Squirtle from Professor Oak," Ash explained. "And Houndour – he's with his family, I know, but I'd really prefer to have him."

Sent. Will you want Kingler as well?

Ash considered. "Him or Totodile... it's tricky..."

Who else are you using, then? Dexter asked.

"I'm using Pikachu, Squirtle, Quilava, Houndour, either Totodile or Kingler, and you," Ash told him.

Totodile burst out of his Pokéball. _"Pick me! Pick me! I've got Hydro Pump, and Muddy Water, and-"_

Quilava joined him. _"And I've learned Rollout, so I can certainly help."_

At that point, Dexter beeped. Got Squirtle and Houndour. What's your decision on Kingler?

As he spoke, the Water-type and the Fire-type emerged from their Pokéballs and looked around.

"_This should be awesome!"_ Squirtle pronounced.

Ash looked around. "...when did I become completely surrounded by Pokémon?"

Suicune shuffled back a few steps to give him more room.

He thought a bit more, then confirmed his decision. "I'll use Totodile, I think. Right, Houndour? Dexter? Here's my plan..."

* * *

><p>About eight minutes after Entei had given the time limit, Ash walked over to stand opposite him. "I'm ready," he said with a nod.<p>

"_Very good."_ Entei took a breath, and let it out. _"Sister? Please ensure the spectators are safe – and so is the forest."_

"I'll help with that," Misty volunteered. "Water types."

"_Just so long as you don't use Rain Dance,"_ Entei muttered. _"Right. Three, two, one, now!"_

Pikachu opened the battle with an earsplitting _crack_ as he fired a Thunder straight at Entei. The Fire-type blurred into motion, mostly evading the bolt of incandescent lightning, and roared. _"Sunny Day!"_

The light clouds overhead vanished, pushed aside by the powerful weather-alteration attack, and Entei grinned when – for once – it wasn't immediately countered by a Rain Dance. _"Finally!"_

He spat a Fire Blast at Pikachu to celebrate.

Houndour jumped in the way, the flames bursting on his black fur and scarring the ground – some of it flowing into his Flash Fire. _"Nope."_

Pikachu fired another Thunder. This one went slightly wide, the heat in the air throwing off his aim slightly despite his best attempts, and Entei more easily dodged it.

Tracing, Dexter announced. Trace complete.

Houndour loped out of the way as Totodile opened fire with a blast of water, and approached Dexter. _"Ready?"_

Yes, Dexter agreed. Be gentle.

Houndour's reply was a fanged grin. He concentrated, and Dark doubles of most of Ash's team appeared to either side of him.

Then, one by one, they kicked Dexter in the vector.

* * *

><p>Entei fired off a Lava Plume as he slowed, boiling off the Hydro Pump Totodile was sending his way in the stream of intense flame.<p>

Then a blur of orange and yellow hit him in the side.

"_Ow,_" he said, not really very injured, and turned to see what had hit him.

The blur came in again, and hit his other flank this time. The impact was worse this time, and the blurred ball of fire bounced off, spun for a moment on the floor and shot off through the fire and flames surrounding him.

Entei's brow furrowed. He wasn't at all sure _what_ that could mean...

Then something blue and pink and moving _incredibly_ fast hit him in the chin at a slight upwards angle, knocking him clear out of his Lava Plume.

Crashing to the ground and rolling upright, he looked around.

"_What?"_ he asked, blinking at the sight of Dexter. _"Was that you?"_

Dexter nodded. Justified plus Beat Up plus Zen Headbutt equals considerable stopping power.

Entei growled, smoke escaping his nostrils. He lunged forwards, paw reaching out to bat, and then a high speed ball of flame hit his wrist and knocked his paw off target.

He swiped at the hurtling missile with his other paw, and missed.

Dexter had vanished while he looked around, and he switched targets to Pikachu. That one, at least, was an easy target.

* * *

><p>Pikachu caught Entei's little frown as he selected a new target.<p>

He grinned, putting his arms out to either side, and began to charge electricity to his cheeks.

A _lot_ of electricity, actually. But, rather than use it for a Volt Crash, he held it – unused, and ready to _be_ used. For when-

Entei's paws dug in, and he leapt forwards. The speed of his charge meant that Quilava missed her latest attack run, and spun on past Entei's former position before beginning a fast, wide turn to come back in.

When he was about halfway between his starting position and Pikachu, Entei came under attack from Totodile. He unleashed a huge Fire Blast back down the oncoming Muddy Water, producing a bubbly explosion of steam and sending rapidly boiling water everywhere.

Pikachu flinched away from the force of the explosion, and relied on his electrical sense instead for where Entei was. He could feel the Fire-type Beast running from the tiny electrical currents in his nervous system – not very well, but easily enough to tell how close the Volcano Pokémon was getting.

In a very short space of time, Entei got close enough.

Pikachu opened matters with a crackling close-range Thunderbolt, slamming it into Entei as he charged, and dodged out of the way as two big grey paws tried to slap him into the ground.

The earth shook as Entei delivered his Bulldoze, barely missing Pikachu and making the spectators wobble slightly.

Totodile took advantage of Entei slowing down, and fired a Hydro Pump directly at Entei's flank. Though it was weakened by the Sunny Day, it still struck home hard, and Entei growled before shaking his mane. A series of small explosions erupted from it, filling the clearing in choking black ash and smoke.

Now unable to see Entei even if he'd been trying, Pikachu elected not to bother. He closed his eyes instead, relying on Aura Sight coupled with his electrical sense, and fired off another Thunderbolt at close range.

Entei snarled at the impact, returning his attention to Pikachu._ "Incinerate!"_

Pikachu's tail was clipped by the flame, despite his best efforts. He shifted it to Iron Tail briefly, extinguishing the smouldering tip, and kept running – the more trouble Entei had with him, the better.

"_Let's see if this works..."_ Pikachu muttered. Lightning snapped around his tail, and he jumped onto Entei's back and slapped it home – delivering a burst of electricity which crackled around Entei's paws and fangs.

The Legendary shook his head, more startled than hurt, and shook Pikachu off. Turning in his own length, he slapped the Electric-type aside as he dropped through the air.

There was a crackle of discharging electricity, and Pikachu's cheeks flared brighter as they absorbed the electricity.

"_Thanks,"_ Pikachu grinned, skidding to a halt. _"I wondered if you'd heard of Ion Deluge."_

Entei replied to that with another Bulldoze. Pikachu jumped, avoiding the attack itself, and then spun out an Electroweb and threw it at Entei's forelegs to tangle them.

Another Incinerate flashed out, then a Heat Wave. The smoke whipped as Quilava passed through, delivering a glancing blow to Entei's flank as she did so, and then a very loud voice drew everyone's attention.

"_This water of mine is icy cold! It's so cold that even the sun's blazing heat can't impact it!"_

Entei blinked, thrown, and squinted through the clearing smoke. _"...what... was that?"_

"_That means, when it's used in the light, it's not even affected! It's still just as wet as ever, and that's what it means to have a Torrent of dedication!"_

Pikachu shrugged. _"You kind of tune it out after a while."_ He then fired another Electroweb, and this one hit home more easily now that Entei was distracted.

Snarling, Entei rounded on the Electric-type. _"That's it! No more surprises! You-"_

"_Super Destructor Waterfall!"_

Squirtle arrived.

Entei was surprised.

* * *

><p>When the Fire-type finally fought free of the Electroweb ensnaring his paws, he was about a hundred metres<em> past <em>the end of the clearing and still being pushed by Squirtle's huge Water attack.

He retaliated with the only thing he could really do under the circumstances. Opening his mouth, he quickly charged a Solarbeam – paws scrabbling to avoid being pushed still further – and fired it through the torrent at Squirtle.

Rainbow light went scattering everywhere as the water refracted the light from the Solarbeam into crazy patterns. Much of it was wasted, playing over the trees and going into the air in a light show visible from the Tin Tower, but enough hit Squirtle that he had to abandon the attack.

Panting, the Water-type starter sent himself soaring into the air with a spiralling Hydro Pump, before being hit by a second Solarbeam as he started to come back down for an attack.

The moment after Entei finished firing the attack, Quilava's Rollout hit him in the jaw.

"_Ow!"_ he yelped, and looked around for the pesky Fire-type. For several seconds, only flashes of fire caught his eye through the thick ground cover, and then she darted out of one – moving faster still – and bounced off his back before vanishing again.

Entei came to a conclusion. If she was using the forest as cover...

Then he just had to get rid of the forest.

Fortunately, the local Pokémon had basically abandoned the area as unsafe when the fight started.

"_Lava Plume!"_

Even more fortunately, there was a particularly skilled Water-type user on hand, along with two unengaged Legendary Water-types.

That patch of the forest, however, was pretty much doomed. The intense heat blasted out across an area of ground twenty feet in radius, burning away the ground cover in seconds.

Quilava was blown through the air by the pillow of overpressure. She bounced off one of the surviving trees outside the blast zone, wobbled, and came back in – straight into the path of a Bulldoze.

* * *

><p>The Kimono Sisters held up their hands in reflex against the sudden dry heat – then winced at the sound of soaked branches exploding.<p>

"Is this safe?" Tamao asked, as Totodile waddled across the clearing to get a bead on Entei once more. "Quite apart from anything else, Lord Entei seems... upset..."

"_I assure you, it is fine,"_ Suicune said. _"My brother is often full of praise afterwards for battles he finds infuriating in the heat of the moment."_

Punctuating her words, there was another roar of frustration from Entei's side of the battlefield. The smoke hid the reason for a moment, but then it became evident that Houndour had just intercepted a Fire Blast aimed at Pikachu and negated it completely.

"What was that you said?" Sumomo asked. "We can't understand you."

"_...oh, my apologies,"_ Suicune apologized. She glanced over at Misty. _"Can you help, please? I'm afraid I'm getting used to this whole translation business very quickly..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Come here!"<em> Entei snapped, paws slamming down just behind Houndour's dodging form.

"_Not seeing the advantage for me, there,"_ Houndour replied, turning a right-angle and barely avoiding a Bite attack. He went back on himself, got in under Entei's body, and kicked out at a knee as Entei tried to turn and target him.

Entei staggered, barely avoiding tripping over as he found himself suddenly supporting himself on his two right legs, and Houndour slipped out of the danger zone again.

The bigger Fire-type whirled to follow, and then got interrupted by a Zap Cannon from back over by the clearing. He spotted it in time to dodge, and it shot bare inches over the top of his mane with a hum of static.

Another Fire Blast went shooting off towards the Electric-type, and he blurred out of the way with Agility before it exploded. A moment later, Totodile arrived and began firing a steady stream of Bubblebeam across the gap between them. The heat of the sun reduced the potency of the attack, but some of the white bubbles still started to burst on Entei's flank before he got moving again.

"_Beat Up!"_ Houndour announced. Just in case Entei was starting to get comfortable with the situation.

As the illusionary doubles closed in, Entei slammed his paws on the ground. _"Right! Lava Plume!"_

Dexter, curving in for another Zen Headbutt, was sent flying into the air by the force of the firey blast. All of Houndour's shadow-clones vanished as well, blown away before they could land a hit, and Houndour himself was only technically unharmed.

Yelping, he bounced across the smoke-strewn ground and skidded to a halt.

One of Entei's paws slammed down just in front of his head. He tried to roll out of the way, but a second paw landed the other side.

"_Anything to say?"_ Entei asked, smirking through the ash-clouds his Lava Plume had produced.

"_Yes, actually,"_ Houndour replied. _"Bet you can't beat us without using another status move."_

Entei blinked, not having expected that. _"...that's it?"_

"_I'm not sure what you're having trouble with here,"_ Houndour admitted, one eye on the slowly clearing ash clouds. _"It's a simple challenge. No more status moves. Or are you not confident that you, a Legendary, can beat us?"_

Entei shook his head. _"No, I just-"_

He frowned. _"Wait a moment! You're stalling!"_

A paw slapped Houndour into unconsciousness.

Entei whirled towards the clearing, which he was just about able to see through the smoke hanging in the air, and leaped to the side to avoid a crackling, electrified Brine shot from Totodile and Pikachu together.

"_Clever!"_ he admitted, and charged forwards again. He sent a Heat Wave spearing back down the next Water attack – a Hydro Pump – and grunted as a Thunderbolt skirled over his forelegs, then arrived at the two Pokémon before they could attack again.

Pikachu was his first target. He sent a Bulldoze Pikachu's way, knocking him backwards into a tree with a soft _crunch_ of scorched moss and a pained squeak, then rounded on Totodile and fired another Solarbeam.

That close, Totodile couldn't manage any tricks to dodge. He tried, firing a Muddy Water, but was knocked out by the time the green-yellow light of the attack faded.

Once that had ended, Entei turned back to Pikachu – coming to his feet covered in mud and ash. _"A good battle, but not quite enough,"_ he said.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked, trying to force electricity through the grime.

He scowled, concentrating, and his orange-yellow cheeks switched back to red as he pulled his Light Ball out of his voltage wells.

Lightning crackled around it, then stabbed forwards and cloaked Entei's body.

Entei tried to move, and couldn't. _"Thunder Wave? A nice improvisation."_

He spat an Ember, blowing Pikachu back into the tree and knocking the Light Ball out of his hands. Then the lightning intensified, locking him in place.

Pikachu panted as he pushed himself back up again, feeling absolutely exhausted.

Despite that, though, he couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

"_Why are you-"_ Entei asked.

Pikachu pointed up.

Dexter used Giga Impact.

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Ash said, as the blast of the impact sent a wave of ash and twigs flying in all directions.<p>

Closing his eyes to avoid getting anything in them, he took the Fast Ball he'd readied, and ran forwards. As soon as he saw the glow of fiery Aura which marked Entei, he sent the 'ball forwards with a fast overhand throw.

It hit Entei with a soft _thud_, opened up, and sucked him in in a flash of light.

Wobble.

Ash's run slowed, as he arrived at the crater where Entei had been, and glanced around to spot his Pokémon.

Wobble.

There was Totodile, already stirring – must have been only just hit hard enough to knock out.

Wobble.

Pikachu was lying against the base of a tree, and appeared to actually be conscious – though barely. And Ash had seen the Fire-types and Squirtle go down, so that only left Dexter.

The Fast Ball twitched one more time, then stopped. Ash knelt down, and picked it up.

It was... a strange feeling. It somehow felt different than when he'd caught Suicune, in terms of achievement... probably because he'd already caught her, and so the idea he could catch one of the Beasts of Johto wasn't so shocking.

Of course, it could just be that when he caught Suicune there was an emergency literally two minutes later.

"_Well done!"_ Suicune said, pacing up behind him. _"That was quite the battle. I noticed he's been practicing – did you notice the Bulldoze?"_

"Yeah, it seemed like he was using it a lot – aha!" Ash said, reaching down. "Here we are. Nice work, Dexter!"

Gravity is a harsh mistress, Dexter said indistinctly as Ash picked up his projector. Did you get him?

"Yeah," Ash agreed. He looked around. "Uh... we might have a problem, I think the forest is actually on fire..."

* * *

><p>The next few minutes were a confused mess, with Misty using her entire team to extinguish the fire while Suicune kept it contained and Keldeo jumped in and out getting the Pokémon to safety.<p>

Once that was done, though, Ash walked back over to the astonished Kimono Sisters.

"...wow," Koume said, not for the first time. "That was..."

"It's one thing to think, in the abstract, of one of the Beasts being caught," Sakura said. "But if that's what it's actually like..."

"Suicune was... different," Ash admitted. "The first part of that one was a chase – which went hundreds of miles."

"_It did,_" Suicune agreed. _"And it tired me out, quite a bit."_

She nodded towards Ash. _"Perhaps we should see what my brother has to say."_

"Good idea," Ash agreed, and opened the Fast Ball.

Entei promptly slumped to the floor, and began to snore.

"_We might need to head to the Pokémon centre first,"_ Pikachu suggested. _"I wouldn't mind that, either..._"

* * *

><p>It turned out to take about half an hour for the various Pokémon to be healed up. Entei caused quite a stir, but the sight of Suicune calmly standing to Ash's side helped to reassure the Joy that this was all above-board and legitimate.<p>

That done, Ash sent out Entei again. This time, he was significantly less unconscious.

"How are you-" Ash began, a little concerned.

Entei shook his head. _"I should have known, after last time,"_ he said, with a chuckle. _"I really should. But... well, we agreed on the rules. I have no complaints."_

"Good," Ash said, glad there were no hard feelings. "Oh, did Suicune tell you what I told her?"

"_About your rule that we may leave whenever we wish?"_ Entei nodded agreement. _"Most accommodating of you."_

He frowned. _"Hm. Now... what gym badges do you yet lack?"_

Ash blinked. "Pardon?"

"_It's a simple question,"_ Entei said patiently. _"What gym badges haven't you won yet?"_

"No, I understood, it just seems-" Ash broke off, shaking his head.

Pikachu spoke up. _"We haven't got the Glacier or Rising Badges yet."_

"_I see,"_ Entei said, considering. _"Well, both of those are tempting... _

"_A Legendary Fire-type in the Ice gym?"_ Pikachu asked.

Ash shrugged. "Keldeo had trouble in the Steel gym, though that _was_ because of a Psychic-type and then a Mega-evolution."

"_True."_

Entei considered. _"Well, I suppose we shall see nearer the time."_

"I guess," Ash agreed. "Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Suicune's already got a training regimen, and she discussed adding formal Aura training to it while you were being healed – for translating, and stuff. Do you want that too?"

He shrugged. "I mean, to go with the _other_ things you need work on."

Entei's tail lashed. _"Like what?"_ he asked, tilting his head on one side.

"Well." Ash started ticking off the points. "You seemed fine one-on-one, maybe two-on-one, but you were having trouble managing more than that at one time. So first off would be working on how to avoid that problem."

Entei grumbled a bit, but had to admit it was true. That _was_ how Ash's six had beaten him, after all – keeping him from focusing in on any one of them for too long. _"How do you suggest we work on it?"_

Ash shrugged. "Practice, really. Plus it helps the others get experience at fighting a single powerful opponent."

Pikachu grinned. _"I like the sound of this."_

"Yeah, but I'm also going to let him and Suicune go after you at some point," Ash replied without missing a beat. "Got to give you more dodge training, after all..."

"_Slavedriver."_

"I got punched in the chest by a Lucario last night!" Ash protested. "I do it to myself too!"

Pikachu was unconvinced.

"Anyway," Ash went on, turning back to the bemused Entei. "There was one other major issue – handling Water-types when you can't be the one to enforce the weather."

"_I admit, Water-types are a problem,"_ Entei nodded. He shot a glance over towards Misty, currently discussing Vaporeons with Sumomo. _"Especially when they use Rain Dance..."_

"I've got a couple of ideas on that front," Ash said. "First... there's a move called Energy Ball? Ninetales knows it. Not sure if you could, but it can't hurt to try."

"_If it worked, it would be a great help,"_ Entei admitted. _"Anything else?"_

"Trying to get you an Electric attack, like Thunder Fang," Ash shrugged. "That or a stronger neutral-typed attack – something like Shadow Ball, _I_ can probably teach you that one. Oh, and – if you go for the Aura training – there's always Aura Sphere."

Entei considered. _"I see you've given this a lot of thought."_

Ash waved a hand. "A bit. But a lot of it's kind of similar to what I've done with either Suicune or with my other Fire-types."

"_I'll be glad for the help, then,"_ Entei decided.

Suicune released herself, and gave her brother a smug look. _"Told you."_

"_Yes, yes, you don't have to rub it in,"_ Entei admitted. _"I admit it. You were completely right."_

Suicune beamed.

"_But don't expect me to say it again,"_ he muttered.

* * *

><p>"That was a pleasant experience," Tamao said, as they waved the friends off towards the east and Mahogany Town. "The Lord Entei did seem happier than he was during the fight..."<p>

"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "I wonder if that means Ash will be using him to fight gyms?"

"If not, he'll be using Lord Entei along with Lady Suicune to help fight evil," Sumomo predicted. "Remember? They mentioned that-"

"The Lugia, yes," Sakura agreed. "That sounded... worrying. Shadow Pokémon..."

"Indeed," Satsuki noted. "Especially if they were able to corrupt so powerful a Pokémon as the Lady Lugia. We should keep a look out – and warn others."

"Uh..." Koume said, pointing. "Sisters?"

The four other Kimono Sisters looked around, following her pointing finger.

"Is that... Lord Raikou?" Satsuki asked. "Why is he wearing a scarf?"

"I'm more confused about the bundle of signs on his back," Sakura admitted.

* * *

><p>Morty opened the door. "Welcome, challll..." He blinked, swallowed, and started again. "Raikou?"<p>

"Did you just say-" came a voice from behind him. There was the sound of someone moving quite quickly, and then Eusine appeared behind Morty at the door. "Morty? What's Raikou doing outside your gym?"

"I wish I knew," Morty admitted.

While they had been talking, Raikou was juggling signs about in his pack. Finally finding the one he was after, he held it up.

"Apparently challenging your gym," Eusine read. "Is that a thing?"

"So it would seem," Morty agreed, stepping back to let Raikou in. "Whitney sent me a whiny email about him last week..."

* * *

><p>"Are you ready for this, young man?" the examiner asked.<p>

Max nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Right. This will be an oral exam to test your knowledge of Pokémon, Pokémon types and the way they interact. There will be written questions, but you are expected to explain your reasoning out loud – simply giving an answer will not earn many points." The examiner picked up his deck of question cards. "First question. You're facing a Poliwrath. Which of these is the best choice?"

Max glanced over the three options. "Mudkip's neutral defensively and doesn't normally get any good offensive moves. Combusken has a few Flying-type moves, but the weakness to Water-type moves is too much of a problem, so the best choice is Taillow. If the Combusken has Speed Boost, though, it should be able to gain the advantage by way of sheer speed. But, all else being equal – Taillow."

"Good," the examiner said, making a note. "Second. Which of these three Pokémon is the best choice against Mudkip?

"Roselia," Max said promptly. He was about to continue, but the examiner frowned.

"What?" the young Maple asked.

"That's not what I have on the card..."

"Then the card's wrong," Max said boldly. "Roselia's a Grass-type which resists Water and which also has an advantage over it. Plusle has an advantage, but they're not resistant to Water-type attacks and are actually _weak_ against the Ground-type attacks that Mudkip learn early – even Roselia's Poison typing doesn't give it that weakness, because the Grass compensates for it. As for Torchic, that's a terrible choice because Fire is weak to Water."

The examiner wrote down a few lines of notes. "I can see I need to make a phone call... anyway, next question. Which of these evolves into Grovyle?"

"Treecko," Max answered without even looking at the card.

"Good. Which of these Pokémon is the best to battle Kirlia?"

"Any of them except Combusken," Max said. He pointed to Graveler, then to Togetic. "Both of these are equal-type match ups – Togetic has Fairy and Flying-type moves which do normal damage, the same for Graveler and its Rock and Ground moves, and neither has a weakness. Combusken's weak to Psychic."

He shrugged. "Graveler versus Kirlia would take less time, though."

The examiner nodded along with the logic, and then caught sight of the answer on the card. "What the – who _printed_ these?"

"Let me guess," Max said with a sigh. "It says Combusken."

The examiner wrote something on the back of the card and shook his head. "Sorry about this, kid. Give me a minute..."

Max watched as the examiner went though the cards, occasionally dropping one on the floor with a muttered comment. "The heck? Seviper doesn't evolve from _anything_..."

"Should I be worried?" he asked.

"Oh, don't worry, we're still using these ones," the examiner said with a shrug. "I'm just going to write down all the ways an eight year old is smarter than the question setters..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

That poor forest.

Dexter copied Justified off Keldeo, by the way. Sure he wasn't in the fight, but he was nearby.

Raikou's guide, by the way, is one of the works of Prima. (It's this kind of thing which is taking up an increasing amount of her time, and leading to her wanting to retire from her E4 job.)

Incidentally, the cards-thing is based on Pokémon Trainer's Choice, which was often misleading and on several occasions out-and-out wrong.

(This is not, despite my earlier mistake, the first of two chapters today. Sorry for the confusion.)


	88. Johto 30

"Hey, Ash, look!" Misty said, pointing.

"What?" Ash asked, eyes flicking around to try and spot movement. "What do you see, Misty?"

Misty walked over and tapped the sign. "Look!"

"Eggseter?" Brock read off, then groaned. "Ow, that's a terrible pun."

"See?" Misty asked, with a grin. "You're not the only one puns follow around!"

"That's cruel, Misty," Ash said, shaking his head.

"_True, though,"_ Lucario noted.

Ash – a reminder. This is where you got Donphan.

"I knew that," Ash replied to his Pokédex. "I don't lose track of things that important!"

Counterexample. Muk.

Ash blushed. "Usually."

"Is that Ash I hear?" a voice asked. "Hey, it is! Hi, Ash!"

Ash turned to look. "Casey?"

"That's me," Casey said, waving. Her Pidgeotto settled to her arm, and she braced it with her free arm to hold the weight. "Ugh... Pidgeotto! That's my pitching arm!"

The avian took flight again, and she rubbed her elbow for a bit before grinning at Ash. "Fancy meeting you here! How are you doing on badges?"

"Six down, two to go," Ash told her. "My most recent one was the Mineral Badge."

"Oh, cool," Casey nodded. "I've got five – I've not done the Mineral Badge, though. How was it?"

"Pretty good," Ash said, then winced. "We broke the gym, though. Same with the gym in Cianwood..."

Casey shook her head. "You have problems."

"I don't mean to!" Ash insisted.

"_You really, really do,_" Pikachu replied. _"Sometimes, anyway. Remind me how you beat Chuck's Machamp?"_

"...point taken," Ash admitted. "Pikachu just reminded me I dropped the roof on Chuck's Machamp."

"Really, really big problems," Casey repeated. "Anyway – I heard about this thing they do here called the Extreme Pokémon contest. Want to compete?"

"Sure," Ash nodded – then winced. "I don't have a skateboard, though..."

"Oh, that's okay, I met a nice guy who loans them out," Casey said. "Follow me!"

* * *

><p>"Here he is!" Casey said, sweeping her hand across the old man and his wife. "This is Mr. Shellby, and <em>this<em> is his wife. Mrs. Shellby."

"Hello again, Casey," Mr. Shellby said, nodding to them. His wife waved from behind the counter. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Ash Ketchum," Casey said. "He's a pretty cool trainer – he's even the current Indigo Champion! But I still managed to beat him..."

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" Ash asked.

Casey shook her head. "Nope!"

"Hi, Mr. Shellby, Mrs. Shellby," Ash said. "These are my friends, Brock and Misty."

"It's a pleasure," Brock said. "I've done a bit of training on being a Pokémon breeder, and that means I've done research into the kind of thing you do every day – but I'm sure you're much better at it than I am!"

"Well, there's always something new to learn," the old man said with a smile. "Perhaps I could show you around?"

"I'd like to have a look too," Misty said.

"And me!" Ash chipped in.

Mrs. Shellby chuckled. "I'll make lunch. You show the kids around, Tamazo."

* * *

><p>The tour started in the large paddock of the ranch, where several recently-hatched Pokémon played around together from the common to the rarer – Pidgey, Wooper, Happiny, Smeargle, even a Dunsparce (the sight of whom made Ash's palms itch – but he sighed and resisted the temptation)<p>

They were shown how Mr. Shellby fed all those Pokémon, and taken for a quick ride on his Tauros-drawn cart to make the point clear of just how _big_ the ranch was. After that, though, they returned to the house – where Mrs. Shellby reported that she'd like about another ten minutes.

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Shellby showed them into the incubator room – a room with six widely-spaced sets of open shelves, each of them holding hundreds of eggs in a toasty-warm, brightly lit climate.

"Notice all the mattresses on the floor?" Mr. Shellby asked. "Those are there in case a Pokémon hatches and neither of us get to them in time. The idea is, if a Pokémon falls off the shelf, at least they don't hurt themselves. And the large space is because some Pokémon hatch out _big_."

"I get it!" Casey said. "So, if – say – a Shinx hatched, it wouldn't be as much of a problem, but if a Rhyhorn hatched..."

"Eggsactly," the man replied, to general groans.

Ash, meanwhile, was looking around – wondering and worrying.

He certainly _hoped_ that Donphan's egg was still here, and he'd been betting on it – but-

_There!_ A familiar even blue, and with that glow to it in Aura Sight which meant it was his old friend. Until now it had been hidden by the sheer number of other eggs in the room confusing his senses.

He reached out, touching the blue shell. "It's really-"

"_Ash?"_ Pikachu asked urgently. _"Remember what-"_

The shell glowed.

Then over a hundred kilos of Pokémon appeared in a flash of light, let out a brief trumpet of happiness, and landed on Ash.

* * *

><p>"Ow..." Ash muttered.<p>

"What just happened?" Mr. Shellby asked, coming around the curve of the shelves. "Did a Pokémon just... hatch?"

"That's not a just-hatched Pokémon, is it?" Casey asked, frowning. "That's Donphan – it evolves from Phanpy?"

"_Ash!"_ Donphan said, nuzzling his trainer with his trunk. _"It's good to – where are we?"_

He looked around. _"Is this the day-care you got me from?"_

"Pokémon just evolve around me," Ash said, and sat up as Donphan sheepishly got off his trainer. "Sorry, Mr. Shellby, I didn't expect that..."

"Think nothing of it," Mr. Shellby said, waving his hand. "Let's see... D26. That egg wasn't waiting for anyone, so you may as well take him – he already seems to like you."

"_He's got that right,"_ Donphan said, as Ash stood. _"But why are-"_

"_We'll explain later,"_ Pikachu told him. _"It could take a while, but we will. Don't worry."_

"_Okay."_ Donphan nodded, accepting that.

"Well, after that eggscitement, I think everyone should have lunch," Mr. Shellby suggested.

More groans met this suggestion.

* * *

><p>"Right," Ash said, some time later. "We should discuss who does this, guys."<p>

"_What, precisely, is 'this'?"_ Entei asked.

"Oh, right." Ash glanced over at Meganium. "Do you want to explain?"

"_Sure thing,"_ Meganium said. She nodded over at the town. _"They do this every so often – I'm not sure exactly _how_ often, though. The idea is, the Pokémon pull the humans on skateboards. So, last time, I pulled Ash – I was a Bayleef then,"_ she clarified for Entei.

"_I remember hearing about that!"_ Donphan said, eagerly. _"That was when Ash won my egg, wasn't it?"_

"_I thought I did most of the work..."_ Meganium grumbled good-naturedly.

"_Yep,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"Bayleef beat Gary's Arcanine."_

Meganium nodded proudly.

"_She did?"_ Entei blinked. _"Arcanine are very fast... er... how?"_

She stopped nodding. _"...I'm not sure..."_

Donphan frowned. _"Chlorophyll?"_

"_No, I don't have that."_ Meganium frowned. _"Darn it, now that's going to bother me all day..."_

"Guys?" Ash reminded them. "Uh... anyway, the problem is... I'm not sure who to use."

"_Pick me!"_ Keldeo suggested.

Donphan raised his trunk. _"What about me, Ash? I'm fast – and it would be kind of nice, to win-"_

"_What about-"_ Entei began.

Ash started to laugh. "I can see you're all eager!"

"_Well, yeah,"_ Pikachu said. He hopped down from Ash's shoulder, and turned to face him. _"We like you, Ash. We're all competitive, some of us _really, really_ competitive, and we like to see you succeed."_

"_Lucario didn't volunteer,"_ Donphan said. He frowned. _"Speaking of which, when did you get a Lucario?"_

"_I simply wish to give the others a chance,"_ Lucario said loftily.

"_You seem less surprised than I would have expected that Ash has a Lucario,"_ Suicune mentioned. _"Or... three Legendaries, for that matter."_

Donphan shrugged. _"I'm sure I'll find out the details, and it's not like Ash has ever managed to avoid a Legendary."_

"_...that's surprisingly pragmatic,"_ Pikachu admitted. _"Guess I remember you more as a Phanpy."_

"_That's okay,"_ Donphan said. _"I don't mind-"_

"Okay," Ash said. He took a deep breath. "Donphan, I think it's going to be you. Sorry, guys," he added, looking at the rest of them. "But I haven't seen Donphan in nearly two years, so..."

"_That makes sense,"_ Meganium agreed. _"Doesn't it? Everyone?"_

Nods all around, though some of them (notably that from Entei) were quite grudging.

"Okay, Donphan!" Ash said, standing up. "Let's get practicing!"

He paused. "Wait. I just realized. Where are we going to tie the rope?"

"_...let's ask Brock,"_ Donphan suggested. _"He'll know."_

* * *

><p>"...so you just need to curl up around this metal axle," Brock said, proffering it. Donphan took it in his trunk, and rolled up around it in a Defence Curl.<p>

"Good," Brock said. He tied a couple of loose knots around it, one on each side of Donphan's body. "See? The knots can slip as the axle rotates, so they shouldn't wrap around it!"

"Thanks, Brock!" Ash said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You're a real help!"

"_Neat,"_ Donphan said, a little indistinctly. _"Let's try it out!"_

Ash nodded. He took the rope, and got on the skateboard. "Ready, Donphan?"

A trumpet of agreement.

"Go!"

* * *

><p>Ash's Pokémon watched as Ash, Donphan, a metal axle and a skateboard ended up in a pile at the foot of a hill.<p>

"_Kind of glad he's so tough,"_ Lucario admitted, wincing as Donphan bounced to a stop on top of Ash. The impact clearly winded Ash, but he hauled the Ground-type off his chest fairly quickly and stood.

They watched as Ash stretched, reassured Donphan he wasn't really hurt, and then they set off again.

"_Hey,"_ Keldeo said to Lucario.

The other Fighting-type looked down. _"Yes?"_

"_I was wondering... well, you're kind of human shaped, right? Could you ride a skateboard?"_

"_I've been surfing,"_ Lucario admitted. _"Not in the last couple of months, though... but I do know how to stay on a board."_

"_Great!"_ Keldeo said. _"I'll pull, you ride."_

"_...is that legal?"_ Lucario asked, curiously. _"Dexter?"_

Please wait. Dexter's projector flashed, producing an image of a floating hourglass. Downloading... parsing... done.

The hourglass vanished, replaced by Dexter's vaguely avian form. It is indeed legal. Nothing mandates that the rider has to be human, it just says 'contestant' – and since people can borrow Pokémon, that's fine too.

"_Great!"_ Keldeo said. _"Come on, Lucario, let's go borrow a skateboard!"_

"_We might have to make it quite a tough one..."_ Lucario suggested.

They headed off in the direction of the farm building, leaving the others behind.

"_...well, that's going to be interesting,"_ Pikachu said. He blinked. _"Dexter? Can you check if Squirtle's available?"_

You're going to participate with him, aren't you? Dexter asked. It was barely a question.

"_Yeah, kinda,"_ Pikachu admitted.

Okay, give me a minute...

Entei frowned. _"Hmmm..."_

"_I know that hum," _Suicune commented.

"_Well, I was wondering..."_ Entei began. _"I didn't get a chance to give Ash a race, so..."_

Suicune blinked. _"You're going to race him when he's on the skateboard? You realize that you're about four times faster than his Donphan at a minimum..."_

They watched as Ash and Donphan ramped off another hill, aimed for a precisely balanced landing, missed, and rolled down the hill in a confused bundle again.

"I think we're improving!" Ash's voice carried to them on the wind. "That time we lasted longer!"

"_I know I'm faster,"_ Entei said. _"So, I need some form of handicap."_

He turned to Dexter. _"Small computer! Where is the nearest rail yard?"_

I'm a- Dexter's vocoder cut out mid-sentence. Pardon?

"_What are you planning?"_ Suicune asked, suspiciously.

"_You'll see. Actually, you'll probably need to help."_ Entei pointed at Dexter. _"You as well, I will need to communicate with humans."_

* * *

><p>"<em>So... I have to pull you,"<em> Squirtle said, deadpan.

Pikachu nodded. _"That's about the size of it."_

"_Again."_

"_Last time you carried me, and we flew half of it anyway,"_ Pikachu pointed out. _"Besides, it's not like we'll actually be using the skateboard much."_

Squirtle blinked. _"Pardon?"_

"_How far can you do a Horn Drill Break, assuming you don't hit anything?"_

The Water-type began to grin, slowly. _"You're really going to do this?"_

Pikachu nodded. _"I'm going to take some poffin made entirely from confusion-healing berries beforehand... but yes."_

Squirtle rubbed his palms together. _"This changes everything!"_

"_I really hope I don't regret this,"_ Pikachu said quietly.

* * *

><p>The morning of the race, Ash showed up to the starting line in the centre of town with about ten minutes to spare.<p>

"Hey, Ash," Brock said, waving. "Cutting it close!"

"Kinda," Ash admitted. "Oh, are you competing?"

Brock nodded. "I sure am, Ash!"

"Mr. Shellby's run out of skateboards," Casey told him, walking over. "Oh, you're using that Donphan for this."

Donphan waved his trunk.

"He seems nice. What about you, Mr- uh, Brock?"

"Crobat," Brock told her. "Steelix and Stantler wanted to, as well, but Steelix is too big and Stantler is too young."

"Huh," Casey nodded. "Guess you have to think about these things... hey, what the- Ash?"

"Yeah?" Ash replied.

"Are those _your_ Pokémon?"

Ash followed her nod. "Lucario? Keldeo? What are you doing?"

"_Participating!"_ Keldeo said, proudly.

Lucario waved with the hand not holding the skateboard.

"...okay," Ash said. He exchanged a glance with Brock, who shrugged. "I guess that's not a problem... Lucario's the one riding on the skateboard?"

"_That is correct,"_ Lucario confirmed with a nod. He set the skateboard down on the other side of Brock from Ash, and Keldeo trotted around to take position just ahead of him.

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Ash said, addressing Brock. "Do you know if Misty's competing?"

"She applied," Brock said with a shrug. "Gyarados was all for it, but he's too big to be safe."

Ash nodded. "What about you, Casey? Who are you using?"

"Pidgeotto," Casey told him. "He's faster than Raticate, and Bayleef was training kind of hard earlier – she'd prefer a rest."

"Yeah, I understand," Ash said. "I saw Beedrill's fine, too..."

Casey nodded. "Yeah, he is. And-"

"Five minutes!" the race marshal announced. "Take your places!"

"Whoops," Casey said. "Guess we should be ready... okay, Pidgeotto?"

The Flying-type emerged, took the rope, and flapped up to hover at about chest height.

Brock got ready, too, sending out Crobat and tying his rope around the Poison-type's midsection. "How's that?"

Crobat nodded. _"Seems snug."_

Ash was just checking the axle Donphan was holding – and glancing over at the way Lucario and Keldeo were handling their own tether, which seemed a bit last-minute – when a familiar voice interjected.

"_'scuse us,"_ Pikachu said, stepping around a Raticate and her trainer heading over to the left end of the line, and then taking a place just next to Ash.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked. "What are you doing here?"

"_Participating,"_ Pikachu explained.

"_Hey, I said that first!"_ Keldeo told him.

"_I wasn't here, how was I supposed to know that?"_ Pikachu asked. As he spoke, Squirtle stepped in front of the Electric-type and proffered his tail, and Pikachu tied a line to it.

"Oh, no..." Brock said, wincing. "This isn't going to go well, Squirtle's in a sporting event."

"Is he really that bad?" Casey asked.

Lucario answered first. _"Yes."_

"Right." Casey shuffled a couple of steps to the side, further away from Squirtle.

As they waited for the flag, Ash looked around for Misty. She wasn't taking part, so she should be – aha!

It looked like she – and her Pokémon, and for that matter Brock's other Pokémon – were using Steelix to get a good view.

"Hey," Ash said, frowning. "Where are Meganium, Suicune and Entei?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Are you sure this is a good idea, brother?"<em> Suicune asked.

"_Of course I am!"_ Entei told her. _"Now, you two get on, and let's hurry!"_

"_Why both of us?"_ Meganium asked, using her vines to pull herself up onto the old rail push-cart.

"_Because otherwise I'd be pretty much sure who'd win,"_ Entei explained. _"This way, I've got a proper handicap."_

Suicune gave the cart an experimental push with her paw. _"This weighs a ton. A literal ton. It might weigh several."_

Entei shrugged. _"I didn't get my race with Ash, I want it this time. And it's not fair if I just run through at half the speed of sound... so, I am going to pull this."_

Frowning, the Water-type Legendary turned to Meganium. _"Ever had one of those moments where you realized you were probably the sane one?"_

"_All the time."_ Meganium sighed, shaking a small cloud of pollen from her flower. _"All the time."_

* * *

><p>"Three!" the marshal said, raising his flag. "Two! One! Go!"<p>

Several dozen Pokémon started moving.

"_All right!"_ Donphan trumpeted, jumping forwards and rolling up. He started slow, but soon he and Ash were on the move right in the middle of the pack – and speeding up, as they left the starting area and went out onto the course proper.

The dust gradually subsided.

"_Why haven't we gone yet?"_ Pikachu asked, as the last of the slower racers passed around the corner and out of sight.

"_You can't rush awesome!"_ Squirtle told him, already surrounded in a swirl of aura-saturated water.

Several more seconds passed.

"_Squirtle-"_

"_Bored now."_ Squirtle pointed his right arm forwards. _"Horn Drill Break!"_

Pikachu held on to the skateboard for dear life.

This turned out to be a decision of questionable merit. At least if he'd fallen off it would have been over quickly.

* * *

><p>"Left here!" Brock called, and Crobat rolled and pitched. His two pairs of wings cut the air, rippling as he pulled Brock around in a turn, and he carefully trimmed the change in momentum to avoid sending Brock too far outside his own turn path.<p>

"Great!" Brock added, as they reached an incline. "Now, straight up – the map says it's a straight the other side of the hill, too, so full speed!"

Crobat's wings developed white air shocks on them as he accelerated.

Then Casey drew level with them, her Pidgeotto producing great clouds of dust and grit on the downstroke of his wings. "Hi again, Brock!"

"Hi!" Brock said. He glanced back, trusting Crobat to keep them stable. "Looks like we're ahead of the pack."

"Yeah," Casey agreed. "But I'm not sure where-"

She blinked. "Wait. Do you hear that?"

"_...aaaaaAAAAAHHHH!"_

Brock, Pidgeotto, Crobat and Casey watched in surprise or astonishment as a huge, translucent, blue cone shot overhead – glittering in the sunlight, and raining down drops of water behind it.

"Is that _Squirtle?"_ Brock asked. "Wait, that must mean-"

He squinted, looking closer.

* * *

><p>Pikachu was not having a good race.<p>

His skateboard – to which he was still clinging – was tied to Squirtle's tail.

Squirtle was rotating very rapidly, and moving very fast, and throwing out long streams of water as he Horn Drill Broke his way through the sky.

The result of this was that Pikachu was being soaked in water, blasted with high speed air, and swung around in a wide circle at high speed.

He was, in short, going through a spin cycle.

"_I knew this was a bad idea,"_ he mumbled.

* * *

><p>Some distance ahead of Brock and Casey, Ash was holding onto a rope with both hands.<p>

"Good work, Donphan!" he called, as they went over a small bump and Donphan decelerated slightly to avoid throwing his trainer into the air. "Just keep up that Rollout!"

"You're pretty fast, kid," a man being pulled by a Tauros said, as the Armor Pokémon caught up to him again. "You're really giving Ushi and I a run for our money!"

Ash shot him a grin. "Thanks," he said, then leaned sharply over as both Pokémon-human teams swerved around another sharp bend. "Whoa!"

The skateboard skidded sideways for a moment, wobbling on two wheels with the wood of the board perilously close to the track, and then Ash pushed down on it as they straightened and the other two banged back down.

Ash's current opponent gave a curse as he went close enough to the side of the track for willow branches to hit him in the face. "Ow! Sunova... hey, Ushi, try not to whiplash me into the bushes, okay?"

Ushi mooed a reply. _"Sure. Just make sure you duck more."_

Ash transferred one hand off the rope to check the map. "Let's see... Donphan! The next bend is to the right! Don't slow down, it's banked!"

"_Got it!"_ Donphan said, indistinctly. _"Right turn coming up!"_

Ash braced himself, and they went around this corner at full speed. They slanted over at an alarming angle – probably not as steep as it felt – and then they were out, just ahead of the man and his Tauros.

As they settled down onto the straight, though, Ash's head came around. "Wait, that sounds familiar..."

He risked a glance back.

About a hundred metres behind them, and gaining fast, were two familiar blue shapes.

"Hey, Keldeo, Lucario!" Ash waved, as they got close enough to talk. "How's things?"

"_Could be better,"_ Lucario admitted, switching which hand was on the rope and using his heavy tail as balance.

"_Yeah!"_ Keldeo agreed, mumbling slightly. _"It took us ages to work out where to put the rope without throttling me, and then I tried using Hydro Pump-"_

"_It didn't work,"_ Lucario said succinctly. _"I could barely hold the skateboard on with Aura, let alone steer, and we nearly... crashed... into... Ash, are you seeing this?"_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I think that must be Squirtle."

"_Oh, sure, _he_ can fly with water jets..."_ Keldeo mumbled.

"_Watch out!"_ Lucario said quickly, and they barely swerved around a small rock in the roadway. _"Keep your eyes on the road!"_

"_I need to-"_ Keldeo started, stopped, and then started again. _"Sorry, focusing on the race."_

He put his head down and pulled harder, hooves hammering the road, and they started to slowly draw ahead of the two humans.

"You're not getting me that easily!" the man said. "Ushi, take this next corner on the inside! Fast as you can!"

Ushi nodded, snorted, and began to drift towards the left.

"Outside is fine, Donphan!" Ash said, holding his right hand out and producing an Aura Sphere. "I'll be fine, just worry about getting yourself around fast!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, look!" someone said, pointing.<p>

The table of judges watched a sparkling drill-shape of water coming rapidly towards them.

"The heck?" someone said. "Is that-"

"It's coming this way!" someone else said. "Take cover!"

The judges hid behind the table.

As it happened, though, the drill came crashing in to the ground about twenty metres from the table itself. They got sprayed with water as the pent-up centrifugal energy all suddenly had somewhere to go, and it was several seconds before someone felt confident enough to poke his head over the parapet.

They beheld a Pikachu wobbling in confused circles, a tired but triumphant Squirtle, and a large, damp crater in the middle of the right of way.

"Oh, for..." one of the marshals sighed. "Dugtrio! Fill this in, quick! The racers will be along soon!"

Squirtle looked up, indignant, as Dugtrio filled in the hole in about ten seconds. _"The _rest of_ the racers! We were competing too!"_

He rummaged in his shell and pulled out his entry form. _"See?"_

"Well, that..." The marshal rubbed his temples. "Okay, I can't understand you but I get the gist. Come over here, would you?"

Squirtle headed over to the damp, wobbling Pikachu, and guided him over to the judges' table.

Shaking his head, Pikachu downed another Persim berry and felt himself starting to recover. While he was, Squirtle hopped up onto the (righted) table and placed his entry form down. _"See?"_

Adjusting his glasses, the judge he'd put it in front of scanned it. "I must admit, this is all filled out... but you're disqualified anyway."

"_What?"_ Squirtle said, gaping. _"You can't disqualify awesome!"_

"It's a skateboard race. Where's your skateboard?"

Squirtle glanced back at where he'd landed. _"Uh..."_

He leaned over the edge of the table. _"Pikachu? Where'd the skateboard go?"_

"_It exploded halfway through the course,"_ Pikachu mumbled. _"I barely managed to grab the rope in time."_

"_Oh... right,"_ Squirtle said, wincing. He took the form and jumped back down off the table. _"Well, so much for that. At least it was fun, right?"_

"_Ask me when the world is no longer spinning."_

* * *

><p>"Not far to go," Ash told Donphan. "A few more corners."<p>

"_Good!"_ Donphan said, canting around as they went around a long, shallow curve. _"I'm starting to get a bit tired..."_

"_Join the club,"_ Ushi muttered.

"_Not a problem for me!"_ Keldeo said cockily. _"I'm still pretty fresh, because I'm used to running such long-"_

Ash heard a _snap_ sound.

"What was that?" he asked, glancing around.

Keldeo's eyes crossed, as he tried to look down at his own mouth. _"Uh oh..."_

There was another quiet _snap_, and then the whole rope parted as Keldeo's teeth finally rubbed through one too many strands.

Lucario had been drifting to one side, using the rope as support as he did so, to avoid an obstacle near one side of the track. The rope parting abruptly removed his counterbalance, and he had to push off the skateboard in a forward dive to avoid being carried into the trees.

Rooster-tails of dust went flying up as he used both feet and one hand-paw to brake, discarding the ropes, and the other racers went shooting off ahead and were out of sight by the time he'd stopped.

Keldeo trotted over. _"Sorry, Lucario..."_

"_No, it's fine. Not your fault."_ Lucario looked around. _"Where's the skateboard gone... ah, there we are."_

He crouched, paws flashing blue, and jumped fifteen feet into the air. At the apex of his jump, he plucked the wood-metal-and-plastic board from the crook of two branches.

Landing with another flash of Aura, he brushed the board off. _"It must have hit a root and been knocked into the air."_

"_Guess so,"_ Keldeo said, then sighed. _"That sucks, we were doing so well..."_

Lucario shrugged. _"Can't win them all."_

He glanced around, then started. _"What the – what _is_ that?"_

Keldeo followed the direction he was looking. _"I don't see – oh, right, Aura."_ Closing his eyes as well, the Colt Pokémon took a second look.

"_That's not normal..."_ he said. _"Wonder how they're managing _that?_"_

* * *

><p>"Keep it up, Donphan," Ash said, crouched low to help with air resistance. "Just a bit further. One more corner to go."<p>

"_I understand, Ash,"_ Donphan told him. _"I'll keep going all the way."_

Ash smiled, and glanced around. The Tauros was dropping back a little, sides lathered with sweat, and his trainer was getting a resigned look on his face.

"Looks like Ushi's getting to the end of his tether, kid," the man said. "Running so fast for so long isn't quite what we trained for. You've given us a good race!"

"Thanks!" Ash called back. "Pity you can't make it a photo finish-"

With a triumphant rumbling growl and a squeal of metal, Entei arrived.

"-what the heck!?" Ash said, for once shocked by the strangeness of what he was seeing.

There was Entei.

There was a heavy Rapidash collar around his neck, the kind used for pulling loads.

There were ropes – more like cables – coming from the collar.

There was a large railway handcart attached to the cables, the wheels digging ruts in the grassy field just next to the race track.

And there were Suicune and Meganium _on_ the handcart, both of them clinging to the central support.

"Entei!" Ash called, as they turned onto the final straight. "What's that?"

"_Well, I didn't get my race!"_ Entei explained, seriously. _"So I thought that now would be a good time. It is a good time, right?"_

"Well – but – what's with the cart?" Ash asked, blinking. Donphan tried to turn to look, then remembered he was pulling Ash and concentrated on speed.

"_It's a handicap,"_ Entei told him. _"I mean, obviously I'm faster, but what about when pulling this much extra weight?"_

"_Okay, seriously, Ash?"_ Donphan asked plaintively. _"What's going on?"_

"It's going to take a while to explain," Ash said. "Just – it's the final sprint, so I guess full speed ahead!"

"_Just what I wanted to hear!"_ Entei chuckled. He crouched down, paws working away as he accelerated, and the cart increased speed.

Both the passengers held on more tightly.

"_Brother?"_ Suicune asked. _"Please make sure we don't crash into anything when we slow down..."_

Ash crouched lower over the board, trying to make Donphan's task as easy as possible.

For several seconds, the two teams – Ash and Donphan, and Entei and his two ballast Pokémon – thundered down the line towards the finish. Entei was edging ahead, the axles of his repurposed cart squealing in protest, but Donphan was still close behind.

Meganium's voice rose in a question. _"What's that coming up behind us?"_

Ash turned to look. "That seems somehow familiar..."

Donphan jolted into the air for a moment as he hit a pebble, landed again, and squeezed out one last burst of acceleration.

As the finish line came up, the white shape which Ash and Meganium had seen got bigger very quickly. Then they passed the line, and there was a sudden roar of sound and air which blew Ash off his board.

Before he had time to position for the landing, Suicune had him. Leaping from the handcart, she kicked off the ground and came up underneath her trainer – letting him fall onto her back, before twisting in the air so she was facing the same way she was going.

That turned it into just running, and she slowed to a walk and then a stop before the end of the finishing area.

Entei, on the other hand, was having considerably more problems. He'd tried to stop, but rapidly discovered that stopping in front of a large railway cart was not a smart thing to do.

That left him running in front of the cart, slowing as it slowed, and he finally ended up coming to a halt several hundred metres away.

The moment he did, Meganium jumped off the cart and dug her roots into the ground, seeming like she'd be there for a while.

"That was – what happened?" Ash asked, looking around.

Then he caught sight of the _other_ finisher. "Casey? Congratulations!"

Casey waved, as her Pidgeot landed next to her. "Hi, Ash! Wonder who won?"

She patted the flank of the Flying-type. "Yeah, he evolved about three corners back. _Wow_, but he's fast! The whole last bit of the race was just a blur!"

"I can tell," Ash said, sniffing. "I think your wheels are smoking."

Casey looked down, and winced. "Oh, yeah, that could be a problem..."

Suicune used Water Gun. There was a hiss, and the skateboard was very wet.

"Excuse me?" one of the judges asked, clearing his throat. "Do you want to hear how you did?"

"Sure, I guess," Ash agreed. He returned Donphan, who'd rolled to a stop about halfway across the track, and swung off Suicune. "Thanks for the save, by the way."

"_Not a problem,"_ Suicune told him.

"Okay," the judge said, as they turned up. "The good news is, you both did the course properly – unlike these two-" he indicated Pikachu and Squirtle, who were coming over to Ash now that Pikachu was better, "-you can both be ranked. So one of you will be first-place."

"Really?" Ash asked, frowning. "I thought Entei was-"

"He never registered," the judge told them. "We're waiting for the photo – ah, here it is!"

The marshal handed over the picture. As the judge examined it, there was a wave of cheering.

Brock came rolling across the finish line accompanied by a wash of wind, a few seconds ahead of the Tauros trainer Ash had jockeyed for position with for much of the course.

"Ah!" The judge looked up from his rulebook. "If we apply that... right. Congratulations, young man!"

"All right!" Ash said, grinning. He then subsided, and glanced over at Casey. "Sorry you came second."

"It's okay," Casey told him. "Really-"

"And, as a special prize donated by Mr. Shellby, you are awarded this Pokémon egg!"

Ash gave the egg an interested look over. It was mostly yellow, with a black circle covering about the upper quarter and a yellow dot inside that.

"...and now I really wish I'd won," Casey said, as Ash took the egg container. "That looks like it'd hatch into a yellow-and-black Pokémon!"

* * *

><p>As Ash, Brock and Casey were nearly back to the starting line to meet up with Misty, there was a flash of light.<p>

Gary Oak appeared, his Alakazam's spoons raised and his Arcanine by his side. "Am I too late to register? Sorry, I-"

"You're too late to _compete,_" Ash pointed out. "Race finished twenty minutes ago."

Gary blinked.

"_Too late?"_ Arcanine barked. _"I knew it! Umbreon told you you shouldn't have slept in!"_

"But – how could..." Gary checked his watch again. "I _know_ the adjustment from Kalos time! The race shouldn't be starting for another... what, ten minutes?"

Brock raised a hand. "I know what the problem is, Gary," he said. "The clocks changed."

Gary blinked, then sighed. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me... how did I miss _that?_"

Ash shrugged sympathetically. "Sorry."

"Errrgh... right." Gary rubbed his temples for a moment. "Sorry about that, Arcanine. We'll do the endurance race in the south of Kalos instead, when it's on."

Arcanine gave a slightly mollified bark.

"Anyway, since I'm here..." Gary began, then paused. He pointed at Casey. "Is she trustworthy?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Ash nodded.

"Right." He turned to address Casey directly. "Don't talk about this, it's not been published yet."

"'kay," Casey said.

That done, Gary pointed to a ring on his finger. "See this?"

"Did you get _married?"_ Brock asked.

"No!" Gary denied, a little startled. He lowered his voice. "It's a Mega Ring, with a Key Stone."

"Neat," Ash said, looking at it. "It's a lot neater than mine..."

"It is," Gary agreed. "There's a neat thing it can do to any Mega Stone, too – it can identify them. By the way, I've got a Lopunnite and an Absolite I'm not using."

He shrugged. "So if you find any Mega Stones you need identified-"

Ash found the one he'd been looking for in his pouch. "What about this one?"

Gary blinked. "How long have you had that?"

"Since I fought Chuck," Ash told him.

"Right," Gary said, deciding not to question it. He adjusted the Mega Ring, and extended it towards the stone in Ash's hand.

There was a small, unspectacular flash as it made contact.

"You're one lucky trainer, Ash," Gary said, almost conversationally. "That's Heracronite."

"Wow," Ash grinned. "That's cool! Heracross can use it!"

"What's a Mega Stone, by the way?" Casey asked, curious.

Brock spoke up before Ash could. "You know the thing that Ash's Charizard did when he fought three Legendary Beasts at once?"

Casey nodded. "That was pretty cool!"

"Mega Stones let that happen."

"Neat." She frowned. "Can I have one?"

"Not easily," Gary said, coming back into the discussion. "Like I said, we're still doing research."

"Hey, Gary?" Ash asked. "What Mega Stones did you say you have?"

"Weren't you listening?" Gary shook his head. "Right. I've got Absolite and Lopunnite I'm not using, and Blastoisite I am-"

Squirtle burst out of his Pokéball. _"Blastoise has a mega evolution? I demand to see it!"_

Gary yawned as his translator earbud filled him in. "Dee? Can you send Dexter the pictures we took?"

Transferring.

That done, he pointed. "Okay, Alakazam, take us back to Kalos. If I had to waste getting up at two in the morning, I can at least get back to bed before losing too much sleep."

Raising his spoons, Alakazam teleported himself, Gary and Arcanine back to Kalos.

"You have strange friends," Casey said.

* * *

><p>After they'd returned their borrowed skateboards, and Ash had paid for the small one Squirtle had disintegrated, the friends hiked to the edge of town ready to leave.<p>

"See you guys later, I guess!" Casey grinned. "I'll beat you at the League final!"

"As if!" Ash replied with a grin. Then his expression sobered. "Seriously, though, Casey – if you want, you can have the egg."

"No way!" Casey shook her head. "You won it fair and square! Besides, I've already got some cool Pokémon, while you need all the help you can get!"

"_Was that an insult?"_ Pikachu asked, frowning. _"It sounded like one."_

Lucario shrugged – then his head snapped around at a polite cough.

"_Am I interrupting anything?"_

Lucario dropped into a brief bow, then straightened. _"I am honoured."_

"_You do have good manners,"_ a female Lucario said, coming out of the nearby underbrush. _"Clearly your trainer has taught you well."_

"Aren't you the one who broke my arm?" Ash asked.

"_You cracked my rib, honours are even."_ The Lucario shrugged. _"Sorry, though."_

"_Are you here to check up on me?"_ Ash's Pokémon queried.

"_Heavens, no,"_ she replied. _"You're clearly fine. No, this is something else."_

She straightened, and made eye contact with Casey. _"Young one, one of our number has been observing you training for some time now."_

"You've been watching me train?" Casey repeated. "Like... baseball scouting?"

"_I believe that might be an apt metaphor, yes,"_ the messenger said. _"In any case. We have decided... positively."_

Ash blinked. "Lucario? Is this-"

"_So,"_ the female went on, and beckoned.

Before the eyes of the group, a Riolu emerged from the brush. It seemed a little nervous, eyes flicking around to take in an unfamiliar situation, but was clearly facing down whatever fear she had.

And – immediately recognizable – she was a yellow-and-black _shiny_ Riolu.

Clearing her throat, the Lucario began. _"Casey Nanako of New Bark, will you accept this charge:_

_To educate in the ways of both battle and peace._

_To keep morality, and to ensure the same of your charge._

_To protect those weaker than yourself, with all the breath you have in your body._

_If you so swear, then we beg you accept this scion of one of our noble lines as an apprentice and companion."_

Casey gaped. "But – why me?"

The female inclined her head towards Ash's Lucario, a smirk playing across her lips. _"You were recommended."_

Casey blinked. "Ash? Did you-"

"Yeah, I asked them to take a look at you," Ash admitted. "After the bug catching contest. Lucario wrote a letter."

"I... wow." Casey sat down, a little heavily. "This is pretty huge."

"I felt kind of the same," Ash admitted. "And I was getting an egg."

Ash's Lucario knelt down next to Casey. _"Would you like me to give you some advice? I can answer any questions you might have."_

"Yeah, sure," Casey nodded. "Just – give me a minute. And I might want to discuss this with my Pokémon, too – can you help with that?"

"_I would be willing to facilitate."_

* * *

><p>The discussion took quite a long time.<p>

Casey was clearly well aware of what a big moment this was, and was acting appropriately – thinking it through, getting all the details, and talking things over with her entire team.

They weren't all of one mind, either. Her Bayleef was concerned that it might put them all – especially Pichu – in danger, while Beedrill and Pidgeot were all for it. Raticate, meanwhile, was more nuanced in her opinion.

In the end, the one who made the choice was effectively Pichu. He wandered off during the discussion, approached the young Riolu, and started to play around with her.

Catching sight of them, Casey smiled. Then her expression firmed, and she took a deep breath.

"Okay," she said, standing. "I'll do it."

"_Excellent,"_ the female Lucario said. _"May you two have long life and many happy memories together."_

With that, she blurred to the line of bushes – leaving Riolu behind, with her new trainer. Ash caught sight of the messenger pausing for a moment, in case they had any further questions, and then she set off for far-off Sinnoh.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

The Eggstreme - sorry, _Ex_treme - Pokémon race. Originally it had Gary in, but he was In Kalos.

The egg _is_ that of a specific Pokémon, but it's one for which there is no official artwork. As such, I used some fan art as the basis – partly because it was well thought out.

Here's the finishing order, by the way:

Squirtle and Pikachu – disqualified

Entei, Suicune and Meganium – not competing

Donphan and Ash – first place (by photo finish)

Pidgeot and Casey – second place

Crobat and Brock – third place

Tauros and (man who may be called Auron) – fourth place

* * *

><p>Oh, and since I've had a lot of questions about it – yes, Pokémon Heroes is approaching. It was first broadcast shortly after the eighth gym battle – Altomare was more-or-less supposed to be the friends' quick holiday before the League, I think – so it'll be after the Claire match.<p> 


	89. Johto 31

"...told you, there's no such thing as Squirtilite!"

"_You don't know that for sure,"_ Squirtle said, waving his hand. _"Gary said he found a new kind of Mega Stone!"_

"Yeah, but it's a new kind of evolutionary energy," Ash rejoined. "It's something which is, fundamentally, like an evolution. And fully-evolved Pokémon are the only ones who seem to have it."

Squirtle shrugged. _"Whatever. I'll prove you wrong and show how awesome I am."_

He frowned, thinking it over. _"Right! I need an Everstone, an expended Water Stone, a chisel, and an indeterminate amount of development time!"_

"...who keeps expended Water Stones around?" Misty asked.

* * *

><p>Professor Oak looked up. "Oh, Damos, can you answer that call please?"<p>

Answering.

There was a click, and Ash's voice came out of the speaker. "Professor? Uh, this might sound a little weird, but... do you have an Everstone?"

"I've got several, Ash," the Professor said, smiling. "Does one of your Pokémon not want to evolve? Who is it?"

"It's not quite for that, Professor," Ash replied. "And – do you have a spent Water Stone?"

"A _spent_ Water Stone?" Oak repeated. "I'm not sure, actually..."

Damos cut in on the conversation. Gary Oak left one here after evolving his Shellder to Cloyster.

"Ah! Well, there you are," Oak smiled. "What are they for?"

"Well, you see..." Ash sighed. "Squirtle found out about Gary's Blastoisinite."

Samuel winced. "Ouch."

"And now he wants to make his own Squirtilite," Ash went on. "By the way, can I switch him for Quilava?"

Oak put his head in his hands. "Ash... you know he's going to blow holes in the south paddock..."

"It's that or he does it to random towns," Ash said, apologetically. "Hey, Squirtle? Can you at least make sure you practice at the beach? The water's harder to break."

Oak heard Squirtle's voice, and Damos flashed up a translation on the monitor. Squirtle was okay with that plan.

"...okay, then," Oak said, eventually. "But I'm going to regret this."

"Great!" Ash said happily. "I'll-"

"Hold on a moment, Ash," the Professor interrupted, frowning. "I have a question. Have you done all that paperwork for getting Max officially registered as your student?"

"...no," Ash admitted.

"I ask because Professor Birch told me yesterday that Max passed his oral exams with flying colours – and that there's a pending investigation into the people responsible for the exam flashcards," Oak went on. "So I really think you should get that done."

Ash sighed. "I guess you're right. Can you send me Pidgeot instead, then? I'll fly over."

"Of course," Oak smiled.

* * *

><p>"Okay, guys, looks like I'm spending the day at Oak's Lab doing paperwork," Ash sighed. "Be back later this evening, or maybe tomorrow, depending on how much there is."<p>

Misty looked at the sky, then at her watch. "Ash... it's morning."

"It's paperwork," Ash replied, deadpan. "It'll take _forever._"

"Fair point," Brock agreed.

Dexter pinged, and produced Pidgeot's Pokéball. Here you go.

"Thanks," Ash said, taking it and returning Squirtle. As Dexter transmitted that one in turn, Ash sent the Flying-type out. "Hey, Pidgeot."

"_Hello, Ash. We're going for a flight, I understand it?"_

"Yeah, back to Pallet. I'll visit my mother while I get the chance, I think-"

"Actually, Ash," Misty interjected. "Can I borrow Suicune?"

"Ask her," Ash said, sending the Water-type out.

"_What for, Misty?"_ Suicune asked.

"Well..." Misty shrugged. "I think about now is when my sisters start thinking of just up and leaving me the gym to manage. If we're just going to spend today doing not much, I thought I'd let them know of my candidacy – and take the time to make sure they're running the gym properly, too."

"Sounds like a good idea," Brock agreed.

"_It'll be my pleasure,"_ Suicune told her. _"You live in Cerulean, right?"_

"That's right," Misty confirmed.

"_Good. I know the way. Climb on!"_

"Thanks for the favour, Suicune," Misty said. "I really do appreciate this."

Once she was on, Suicune loped off east in a blue blur – slightly ahead of Ash and Pidgeot, who shot off southeast towards Pallet.

Brock looked around the clearing. "Guess we're camping here tonight. Hey, guys, looks like we've got a chance for a full day's training!"

* * *

><p>A little after lunch, Brock lay back on a hummock and watched his Pokémon with a smile.<p>

Geodude was still working on that altered form of Stone Edge he'd been working on for months. It always seemed to be one more breakthrough away, but Brock didn't mind – with Ash around, there was rarely a need for _more_ firepower.

Besides, it was just a cool concept.

Some distance away was Steelix. He was focusing on something else entirely – dealing with fast, manoeuvrable opponents. Brock had suggested it, based on the simple observation that a slow opponent could simply be hit very hard by all thirty feet of metal snake until they gave up or were driven like a tent-peg into the ground.

As such, Steelix was lunging around and snapping away at a fast-moving, four-winged bat. That would be, of course, Crobat, who was in turn working on his aim with Venom Drench.

Drenching Steelix with Venom was of course completely ineffectual, so it was much safer than practicing with someone else.

Shooting spikes at Crobat in turn was Forretress. She had some good Bug moves and some good Steel moves, but the better her aim the better she would be at using them – and she had even less chance of chasing her opponent down than Steelix did, so it all worked out nicely.

She could even try out her Zap Cannon on Steelix.

As the other end of the clearing, Ninetales and Stantler were playing around and experimenting with Stantler's ability to maintain illusions while also making other attacks. Ninetales felt it would be helpful if he could perfect Me First, in particular, since it had the potential to be quite disconcerting if a Pokémon was suddenly hit from an unexpected direction by its own attack.

As Ninetales had reminded him, her Fire-attacks wouldn't actually harm her, and so Stantler could work on pre-empting them safely.

The wind sighed, and Brock stretched with a languorous pleasure. Sometimes it really was just nice to have a quiet day.

There was an explosion as Zap Cannon crashed into Steelix' flank. Well, maybe quiet was a relative term.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Brock startled awake. "Eh?"<p>

_Master._

He turned, seeing a familiar shape next to him. "Ninetales?"

_Master, come this way, please._

"Something you want to show me?" he asked, with a yawn. "Sure. Just give me a minute."

She waited patiently, as he got up and stretched, and then turned and padded into the trees – pausing halfway, to look back.

Something seemed a bit off, to Brock. He considered glancing back to check on everyone else, but almost immediately dismissed the idea.

Steelix could take care of them...

_Come, Master. It is important._

* * *

><p>Flames swirled around nine long tails. <em>"Okay, ready? Emb-"<em>

The Stantler she was aiming at vanished in a flash of light, and her teammate materialized at her shoulder. _"Me First!"_ he said quickly.

His antlers seemed to shimmer, the view through the space around them distorting slightly. Then there was a flash of fire-

And the attack fizzled.

Ninetales' Ember attack went off, shooting off across the clearing, and then fizzled too as Ninetales used Extrasensory to quench the flames.

"_Awww..."_ Stantler muttered, shaking his head. The bell on the antlers jingled, and he sighed. _"I thought I had it that time..."_

"_Well, you're certainly doing well with your illusions,"_ Ninetales told him. _"I couldn't even hear the bell – but it did still collapse when you tried to use Me First."_

Stantler nodded seriously, taking the advice in. _"Again?"_ he asked.

"_Sure,"_ Ninetales agreed.

"_Oh, look!"_ Stantler added, nodding, as she began to pace around in a half-circle for another go. _"Brock's up."_

Ninetales glanced around. _"Looks like he's off to stretch his legs! I'm not surprised, after that nap."_

She turned back to Stantler, and didn't find him. _"You cheeky little fawn!"_ the Fire-type said, with a chuckle. _"Right, where are you... aha!"_

Her tails flickered. _"Ember!"_

Stantler jumped aside, illusion wavering for a moment, then cloaked again. Ninetales sniffed the air, tails lashing, with a grin across her muzzle.

This was _fun_.

* * *

><p>Brock walked through the woods, following the sleek vulpine shape.<p>

Something about this seemed... wrong, somehow. It was... almost like-

Ninetales glanced back, red eyes flashing. _Come, master. We are late._

"Okay," he said, the niggling worry fading into the background.

It probably wasn't anything important anyway.

Ahead of him, the Fox was picking her way along an old path. It seemed to be overgrown, with moss and even tree roots across it, but Brock could still tell where it was and Ninetales seemed familiar enough with it.

But... Brock frowned. Ninetales had never been here before...

Had she?

_Master, it is not much further._

Rubbing his temples with one hand to stave off a mild headache, Brock followed her along the path. He nearly stubbed his toe at one point, but cream-coloured tails eased his foot gently over the root.

After a walk of some minutes, they came to a house. It seemed momentarily strange to Brock that there was such a well-kept house in the middle of a forest, but Ninetales glanced back and beckoned him on, and... it seemed to be less of a problem.

As he approached the scrubbed and glistening front door, Ninetales barked softly. There was a pause, and then the door opened.

"Master, you're back!" a woman in a kimono said, bowing lightly. "It is good to see you here again."

"Right," Brock said, a little confused. "Uh – what's going on?"

His head ached.

Ninetales glanced back at him, eyes flashing, and the dizziness increased slightly.

"Brock?" a familiar voice asked. "Are you alright?"

Brock looked up, and saw Professor Ivy coming out of a door adjoining the entry room.

"Philena?" he asked, frowning. That made his headache twinge, and he winced – the question of what she was doing here in northern Johto slipping his mind.

"Oh, you look exhausted!" Philena said, wincing. "Come on, you'll feel better after a sit down."

That made sense to Brock. He followed Ninetales into the building, and the door clicked shut behind him.

* * *

><p>"<em>Come on!"<em>

Stantler's illusions flickered and vanished, revealing to Ninetales that he was actually right up against her side. Her Ember attack collapsed, and they both looked towards Geodude.

His rocky arms worked frantically as he used Stone Edge. _"Come on, come on... work this time!"_

Slowly, with a grinding noise, the ground in front of him mounded up. Grass and earth cascaded away, and a large, earth-and-stone clenched fist rose out of the ground.

The others stopped their own sparring, turning as well to watch Geodude's attempt.

"_Right,"_ he said, when the fist was out of the ground to the wrist. He clenched his own right arm into a fist, then made a sweeping gesture.

With a screeching of rock moving against rock, the fist moved too. It tilted, fingers opening in a copy of Geodude's hand, and then slowly shifted back.

Then it fell apart.

"_Aaaargh!"_ Geodude sighed. _"It was so close that time!"_

"_Don't worry,"_ Steelix said, kindly. _"I'm sure you'll get it eventually. You're making progress!"_

"_Yeah, but it takes a long time. It's really not cool."_ Geodude shrugged. _"Hey, where's the Brockster?"_

Crobat shrugged, rolling in mid-air. _"Probably just having a walk-"_

"_I don't think so,"_ Ninetales interrupted. _"He's been gone for nearly an hour, now. He'd have said something."_

"_...you're right,"_ Geodude agreed. _"This is serious."_

He slammed one fist into the other. _"Right. Where do we start looking?"_

"_I'll look from overhead,"_ Crobat suggested.

"_Good,"_ Ninetales agreed. She paced over to where Brock had been, and took a deep sniff. _"There's something..."_

Sniffing occasionally, she followed the trail towards the edge of the clearing. About halfway there, she blinked.

"_What!?"_

Stantler eyed her warily as her hackles raised and she began to growl faintly. _"Uh... Ninetales?"_

"_Someone else was here. Another Ninetales."_

Geodude blinked, then slammed his fist into his forehead. _"Stupid! I can't believe we forgot about this!"_

He pointed at Steelix. _"You remember? That Ninetales who thought Brock was her old master?"_

"_I do!"_ Steelix thumped the ground with his tail, making the ground shake and both quadrupeds stagger slightly. _"Uh, sorry. But – what do we do?"_

Ninetales sniffed again. _"I have Brock's scent. Follow me!"_

* * *

><p>Brock was led into a lounge room, with a high-backed armchair and a roaring fire in the grate.<p>

He sank gratefully into the armchair. "Oh, I feel so much better, now..."

The headache receded a little, and he looked around – blinking rapidly.

Where _was_ he, actually? Ninetales had led him... here, and it seemed familiar, but it also seemed... wrong. Like the time he'd been here last hadn't been good...

"Philena?" he asked. "Where are we?"

"That doesn't matter, Brock," she said calmly. "What's important is that you're here, and you're not well. You need to get better."

That... made sense.

Didn't it?

For whatever reason, Brock wasn't quite sure...

_Master, you need to relax,_ Ninetales said, pacing around to lie down across his feet. Her tails flirted slowly, back and forth in a complicated pattern, and she looked up at him with glowing red eyes. _You need to relax._

Brock listened, and relaxed.

It wasn't really that big of a problem anyway. This was quite a nice place...

* * *

><p>"<em>Anything?"<em> Geodude asked.

"_Nothing!"_ Ninetales replied, scowling. _"The scent just – stops. Right here."_

She paced up to where the trail ended, then turned right and took a wide circle through the trees – sniffing all the way. _"Nothing. Nothing. Nothing!"_

Forretress looked up anxiously. _"Was he carried off?"_

"_No, if he was I'd smell metal, or a Flying-type, or _something..._ and there's no sign of a struggle."_ Ninetales completed her circuit, coming back to them. _"If any of you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them..."_

Stantler frowned, tilting his head on one side.

"_Grah!"_ Steelix swung his tail in an arc through the part of the forest they'd walked through, smashing big gouges out of the trunks and sending a couple of smaller ones toppling with a dry _crash._ _"What's happened? How could Brock just vanish?"_

"_Wait a minute,"_ Stantler said, still frowning. He looked up. _"Crobat!"_

Crobat left off quartering the nearby forest and skimmed down to hover. _"What is it?"_

"_You saw the path we took?"_ Stantler asked, and got a nod. _"Right. Now – fly along it, and keep going. Just a hundred metres or so."_

"_Uh... sure,"_ the Flying-type agreed. He skimmed off through the trees, back the way they'd come, then performed a low wingover and came gliding through the trees along a faint path.

Just as he passed the others, he pulled up, and kept going at about twenty feet high.

"_There!"_ Stantler said, triumphantly. _"Did you see that?"_

Geodude shrugged. _"See what?"_

"_Crobat pulled up. And Ninetales walked around... I think there's something here."_ The adolescent Stantler advanced slowly, frowning. His legs trembled, wanting to step aside, but he kept his concentration and pushed forwards in a ruler-straight line. _"Something... right... about... here!"_

There was a _tink_ as his horn struck... air.

* * *

><p>Brock leaned back in his chair. The smell of incense in the air was relaxing, making his headache feel better.<p>

It smelled familiar, though he knew... knew? He _thought_ he hadn't used it much before.

Brock wondered about that, but then sighed and shook his head. It wasn't important, he was just woolgathering.

The servant who'd greeted him at the door – Lokoko, that was her name – opened the door with a faint creak. "I brought tea, master."

"Oh, thank you," Brock said, smiling at her. "It's nice to not have to cook for once."

Then he blinked. _She_ had called him master? But-

_I see it is your favourite, master,_ Ninetales said, raising her head to follow the servant as she brought in the cup of hot tea. _Peppermint, with a little sugar._

"My... favourite?" Brock repeated, getting that weird sense of distortion again. Something was very wrong, here, and he couldn't work out what it was. He just had to focus-

_Surely you remember, master._ Ninetales' eyes flashed, and she inclined her head towards the tea as it was placed on the small table. _It is your favourite._

"But-" Brock frowned, trying to think. "My favourite is... it's...

Nothing seemed to come to mind.

"I... I guess I'll have the tea," he said, picking it up and taking a sip.

_It is good to see you enjoying your favourite again, master,_ Ninetales stated.

* * *

><p>"<em>What..."<em> Geodude floated forwards, blinking. _"What the heck are you doing?"_

Stantler demonstrated by clicking his horns against the air again. _"There's something here, something that's trying not to be noticed."_

He frowned. _"But... I think I can break it. I just need to show very clearly that there's something there."_

Coming to a decision, he reared up and took a step forwards. His forehooves came down on the invisible something, hitting with a light _clack_.

"_That's giving me a headache,"_ Ninetales said, wincing. _"There's something there – but – ow. That's a good illusion, even with you doing that I'm not convinced there's anything there..."_

Stantler thought for a moment, balancing on air at an impossible angle.

"_Okay,"_ he said, pushing off and coming back down. He took four steps back.

"_Ninetales?"_ he asked, blinking. _"How many steps did I take back?"_

Ninetales found herself drawing a blank.

"_Four,"_ Crobat supplied. _"Your bell rang four times."_

"_Thanks,"_ Stantler said, trusting the Flying-type. He crouched, then sprang forwards. _"Jump Kick!"_

His right foreleg came back, then shot forwards at thin air. There was a frozen moment when he wasn't sure if he'd gotten the count right, then a loud _crack_ of impact.

Stantler bounced off, landed on his side, and scrambled up. _"There!"_ he said, pointing with one hoof.

A small chunk of lacquered wood lay on the forest floor.

As the others stared at it, Stantler stepped forwards again. He tilted his head, manipulating his left antler into the hole the wood had come from, and concentrated.

A whole section of the forest started to waver, as the slight space-distortion around Stantler's antlers intensified from his unfinished Me First. Then, with a kind of crisp mental _snap-_

There was a house there.

"_Wow,"_ Ninetales said, blinking. _"I didn't realize it was this big-"_

"_That was pretty awesome, kid,"_ Geodude said, floating over and punching him lightly in the shoulder. _"Great work."_

"_Thanks,"_ Stantler panted. _"That was – hard."_

Steelix reared back. _"Our trainer's in there!"_ he said, whipping his steely tail back. _"Let's get him out!"_

With a loud _crash_, an Iron Tail smashed into the side wall, cracking it open and making the whole side wall heave and shift. A few chunks of the facing fell off in a shower of splinters, and the nearby section of roof buckled slightly.

* * *

><p>Brock saw Ninetales' head snap up, and she frowned.<p>

"Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.

She shook her head. _It is nothing important, master._

As she said that, her eyes began to glow faintly again. _Nothing important at all._

* * *

><p>"<em>Careful!"<em> Geodude said, as Steelix withdrew his tail from the small crater. _"You'll bring the whole thing down – Brock's in there!"_

He gestured. _"Stone Edge!"_

A small section of the wall trembled, then fell. The nearby roof sagged alarmingly.

"_Steelix – hold it up, okay?"_ the Rock-type added. _"Right. Crobat, we need to find out where Brock is – map the place. Everyone else, come with me."_

Steelix shifted, putting his tail tip under the sagging roof section, and the other Pokémon proceeded through into the house.

* * *

><p>Crobat's wings sliced the air as he flew down the corridors. They were large, but not extravagant, and he was having to be careful with his flight angle to avoid hitting the walls on the turns.<p>

Coming around in a sharp banking turn, he blinked. Another dead end?

Shaking his head, he dropped down to hover, and shook his head. There had to be doors _somewhere._ It wasn't as if whoever took Brock – that old Ninetales, wasn't it? - could pass through walls.

_Pass through walls..._

Maybe not, but she could certainly hide an entire mansion – couldn't she hide doors too?

Cursing, Crobat flew back into the air and started to scan the corridors with his sonar. Almost immediately, he found an opening – an open door to boot, not a closed one.

Flying through by briefly turning on his side, he continued mapping the building – using his auditory senses, rather than his visual ones, this time.

* * *

><p>"<em>Good,"<em> Geodude said a few minutes later, nodding to Crobat. _"We know a lot about how this place is laid out now. Thanks, Crobat."_

"_My pleasure,"_ Crobat replied, hovering near the ceiling. _"What now?"_

Geodude snapped his rocky fingers. _"Where's the centre?"_

Crobat indicated. _"Go along that way for a couple of dozen-"_

"_No,"_ Geodude interrupted. _"That's not what I mean. Which way's the centre, directly?"_

Ninetales blinked. _"Pardon?"_

"_What do you mean, then?"_ Stantler asked.

Crobat's eyes widened, and he pointed his left forewing. _"That way."_ That said, he flew back a little.

Geodude grinned. _"Forretress? Blow us a path."_

Forretress wobbled slightly in concurrence, rolled forwards, and Selfdestructed. The explosion blasted a chunk out of the light wood of the internal wall, and Geodude jumped forwards to punch the hole wider.

"_Follow me!"_ he beckoned.

* * *

><p>As the explosions continued, Crobat hovered over Geodude's head giving occasional instructions on direction. The two quadrupeds hung back a little, Stantler keeping his eyes open for any further signs of illusions.<p>

"_What happened here – last time, I mean?"_ Stantler asked.

"_I don't know,"_ Ninetales replied with a sigh. _"Last time, I went back to Suzy around when we last met her. And-"_ she shook her head. _"Suzy's lovely, don't get me wrong. But I missed adventure."_

A faint, almost inaudible growl. _"Except when it's like this."_

Another explosion rocked the mansion, and was followed almost immediately by a blast of flame from ahead.

* * *

><p>Brock half-stood in shock as the wall collapsed in, and a Forretress rolled in.<p>

Before she (and how did he know it was _she?_) could do anything much, Ninetales roared a blast of flame forwards and sent the Bug/Steel type out of the room smouldering and soot-blackened.

"Ninetales, what's-" Brock began, startled.

_Stay there, Master!_ Ninetales instructed, fire curling around her tails. _I will keep you safe. _

Another blast of flame crackled forwards, towards a Crobat hovering in the hole, which swooped out of the way of the Flamethrower attack and was forced to pull back. _"Brock!"_

Brock's hand went to his temples as another headache rolled in. "What..."

Then a blur of fur and tails and snarling teeth came leaping clear over the Forretress, slamming both forepaws into Ninetales' side and knocking her over.

"_Mine!"_ a _second_ Ninetales snarled, teeth bared. _"Not yours!"_

A tail slap sent her sprawling, and she rolled to her feet to face down the older Ninetales. There was a frozen instant of stillness, then both pounced forwards again.

* * *

><p>Ninetales ducked as her older counterpart came in, rolling to try to get under her belly. The canny vixen's response was to leap, instead – taking her clear over the paws swiping at her, and letting her tuck into a roll as she landed halfway across the room.<p>

The corner table trembled, then came flying at Brock's Ninetales. She smashed it to pieces with a blast of intense flame, but the distraction cost her – her elder's fangs clashed closed near her throat, and she yelped and used her tails to give her some distance.

_Leave us alone!_ The older Ninetales called, fangs clashing with fire enshrouding them. _I lost him for so long, let me have this!_

"_No!"_ the younger replied, baring her own fangs. _"He's not yours, and never has been! Your trainer was someone else!"_

The reply to that was an enraged snarl, and flames burst around the elder Ninetales – an eerie, purplish blue fire.

Ninetales recognized it – a Ghost attack, not a Fire one, and a potent Ghost attack at that – much more powerful than Ninetales normally learned. She inhaled, sweeping her tails out of the way of the first shot, and fired a Dark Pulse.

The elder hissed as her foxfire was extinguished by the pulse of darkness, and Brock's Pokémon had just time enough to feel triumph before the Night-Shade born flame she'd missed struck her on the small of the back.

Yelping, she used Fire Spin, forming a cloak of flame around herself. It wouldn't damage either combatant, but it gave her the chance to try to break away.

It almost worked. Fangs clashed closed on one of her tails, and she was pulled to the floor mid-jump. The canny elder Ninetales released her before she could try to turn the grip into an advantage, and threw the armchair at her with another burst of psychic energy.

This time, rather than simply blow it to bits, Ninetales jumped towards it. She struck the item of furniture paws-first, on her own terms, and pushed off with a powerful _shove._

The elder Pokémon was forced to blow the chair apart herself with a Flamethrower, and Ninetales used the moment of distraction ruthlessly. She swept her tails around, all nine in one thick bundle, and batted the aged Ninetales' forelegs out from underneath her.

Ninetales followed that up with a lunge and a blast of psychic force, more hammer-blow than her opponent preferred-

And hit air.

Realizing her opponent had started using illusions again, Ninetales glanced around frantically to make sure Brock was out of the room. Seeing he was, she turned back and nearly had her ear bitten off as the enraged old Fire-type appeared out of emptiness.

_Right._

Brock was clear. Ninetales had a solution for this.

She let fire curl around her for a fraction of a second, remembering Growlie coaching her on this, then slammed out an intense Heat Wave.

The whole room burst into flame, soft furnishings crumbling in the heat. There were several small flashes as illusions collapsed, revealing the true state of the old Ninetales' house – somewhat dilapidated, despite all her efforts.

_Why!?_ Howled the old fox, pain in her eyes. _Why remind me of how long it has been? I was happy!_

Ninetales winced. There wasn't going to be an easy way to resolve this...

She sighed, and then lunged forwards once more.

* * *

><p>"<em>Brock!"<em> a Geodude called, as the two Ninetales pounced at one another and one went sprawling. _"We've got to get you out of here!"_

"A Geodude?" Brock asked, feeling sure there was something he should remember here. It was on the tip of his tongue...

The Geodude sighed. _"Okay, you're coming with me."_

Grabbing his hand, the Rock-type hauled him bodily out through the door. He plucked a Pokéball off Brock's belt as they moved, returning the Forretress, and an anxious-looking Stantler and Crobat met them outside.

"_How is he?"_ Crobat asked.

"_Not well,"_ Geodude said grimly. _"Can't recognize me..."_

"_Please feel better!"_ Stantler said, and Brock heard a faint, familiar jingle. His eyes flicked up to the bell, sure he should remember it.

"_Okay, we need to leave – fast!"_ Geodude said. _"Steelix can't hold the place up forever, and by the sounds of it those two back there are trying to burn the place down!"_

Brock was dragged through another hole, and then caught sight of the Steelix supporting the roof-

"Steelix?"

His Starter. How had he forgotten his-

And then it all came back in a rush, as the web of illusions and suggestions collapsed.

Brock's first action was to sweep up Geodude in one hand and Crobat in the other, and hug them – irrespective of how much they weighed.

"Thanks for coming to find me," he whispered.

"_You think we'd have done anything else?"_ Geodude quipped, grinning. _"Good to have you back, boss."_

"_It's felt like ages,"_ Crobat agreed. Steelix rumbled his concordance, and Stantler gave a firm nod.

"Right." Brock took a breath, and gave a firm nod. "We have to go back in."

"_What?"_ Crobat asked, astonished. The reaction of the others was more or less the same – total incredulity.

"_You alright, boss?"_ Geodude asked.

"Yeah, but-" Brock shook his head. "That Ninetales... she's trapped here. Her Pokéball is here somewhere, we just have to break it and she's free."

Geodude sighed. _"You're the boss. Crobat, any ideas?"_

"_I think so -follow me!"_

* * *

><p>Steelix shifted, adjusting his weight to delay the collapse of the house.<p>

It couldn't be held off forever, but so long as Brock and the others were in there he'd do his best to delay it.

Even though it now seemed to be on fire. Where was a Water-type when you needed them?

* * *

><p>Crobat stopped in front of a painting, hovering there with steady wingbeats. <em>"I think this is it."<em>

"_Why?"_ Geodude asked, examining the painting. _"Huh, you really are the spitting image of this guy..."_

Brock ran his fingers over the names. "Takeshi and Kyoko. I guess Takeshi must be who she thinks I am... so the Ninetales must be Kyoko."

"_And look at the date,"_ Geodude added. _"An'ei 6. Over two hundred years ago."_

Brock winced. "She's been here for over two centuries..."

"_I think this is it,"_ Crobat repeated. _"There's a desk here – it's hidden by an illusion, and there's something on it."_

Stantler nodded, leaning down. There was a flicker, and the desk appeared.

Brock snatched up the Pokéball, and ran back through the house towards the room the two Fire-types were fighting.

* * *

><p>Kyoko panted, one paw coming up to rub a split lip.<p>

Her opponent wasn't much better off. They'd been going at it hammer-and-tongs for several minutes, and both were tiring fast.

_Why?_ She called, again. _Why do you get him and not me? I waited for two hundred years!_

"_It's not the same person!"_ the other Ninetales replied, breathing deeply. _"Brock's not your master!"_

_But he's so close – he-_ Kyoko's mental voice wavered, as she fought to control her emotions. _It's not fair!_

"No, it's not."

Both Fire-types' heads snapped around.

Brock stood in the ruins of the doorway, holding Kyoko's ancient Pokéball – much less sophisticated than the ones at his belt.

"But you deserve to be free, Kyoko," Brock added, shifting his grip on the 'ball. "And I'm going to-"

_NO!_ Kyoko howled, tails standing on end. _Don't take this from me! You don't know what it's like, to lose someone and then have them back!_

Brock was silent for a moment at that.

"I do," he said, quietly, and Kyoko got a momentary flash of sensation from his thoughts. Shoulder-length purple hair, knowing brown eyes, the smell of a powerful perfume applied purely to cover up lingering smells from the lab...

The woman he loved? But – how could he have...

"I do," Brock repeated. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that this house has turned into a prison, Kyoko."

Then, suddenly, he threw the 'ball at the floor. Made of old, brittle materials for all its fine craftsmanship, it exploded into a thousand pieces.

* * *

><p>There was a series of blue flashes, as all the illusions collapsed. The true state of the house was finally revealed – a shell, maintained for so long by an obsessive Pokémon after the servants had all left or died, now smouldering as the fires burned what was left.<p>

After a moment, Brock noticed Kyoko was crying.

"_What am I to do now?"_ she asked, her voice sounding rusty and pained as if it had not been used in decades. _"Takeshi is dead, and his legacy crumbles... I have lost everything."_

"I don't know," Brock said, sighing. "But – it wouldn't have been right to take me, anyway."

Ninetales nodded, baring her teeth tiredly. _"Brock is Brock, not Takeshi. He has other loved ones, other Pokémon... other things to do."_

"But... he wouldn't have wanted you to-"

"_You realize,"_ Kyoko interrupted, facing Ninetales directly. _"You will feel this pain too. One day, he will leave you, just as Takeshi left me."_

"_Yes!"_ Ninetales agreed, pain in her voice. _"But I know that, and I accept that."_

She licked Brock's palm. _"One day. Not today, but one day, I will lose him. And I will mourn, and remember him, and I will carry on. With others, and – I hope, one day – children. Mine, his, both, I don't know. But... I will adapt."_

That said, Ninetales turned her gaze on her counterpart. _"Would your master – would Takeshi – have wanted you to live nine lifetimes in lonely grief? Or did he think better of you than that?"_

Kyoko seemed to slump, tails drooping. _"I... don't know. He never told me..."_

After a moment, Brock spoke up again. "I can tell you what to do. One order, if you think Takeshi would have given it."

She looked up.

"Live," Brock explained. "Go and walk the fields of Almia. Travel to Mt. Pyre in Hoenn, and teach young Vulpix about your old master. Visit Pallet town, and talk to Professor Oak. Find another you think Takeshi would approve of! But... more than anything else, live."

Kyoko looked down, hiding her eyes. _"I... think that Takeshi would have told me that. Thank you."_

She turned, and loped off into the dark forest all around.

There was a long silence.

"_Can I get out from under this roof now?"_ Steelix asked. _"Not to interrupt the moment, but it is starting to itch..."_

* * *

><p>"Oh, you're gorgeous!" Daisy said, beaming.<p>

Suicune shrugged gracefully, her long blue streamers rippling as the shrug passed down her body. _"Oh, you're too kind..."_

She stepped out onto the water of the pool, producing a number of tiny ripples which spread out until they touched the far side.

All three of Misty's sisters gasped.

"That's _beautiful!_" Violet said, beaming. "I mean, I knew Suicune could walk on water, but that's just lovely!"

"_Thank you,"_ Suicune said, smiling. She looked down, frowning suddenly. _"Was this supposed to smell?"_

Blank looks all around.

Suicune coughed. _"Psyduck?"_

Psyduck emerged from his Pokéball with a flash, landed in the water with a splash, and immediately spread his flippers and started floating very carefully.

"_Why did Misty have to leave my Pokéball right by the water's edge?_ Psyduck asked, plaintively.

Suicune stepped over and lifted him out of the water. _"There you go."_

"_Thanks,"_ he quacked.

Suicune tossed her head. _"My pleasure. Now – I have a question for my hosts. If you would translate?"_

Psyduck nodded.

The Legendary Pokémon cleared her throat. _"I seem to have removed some rather smelly dissolved chlorine from this pool. Was that supposed to be there?"_

* * *

><p>Misty paused the latest tape for a moment.<p>

No doubt about it, that was a genuinely good move on Lily's part. The kind of thing she'd do herself, though not as fast as Misty felt she could make the switch herself.

Using Chinchou against the Grass-type at first, then switching to Dewgong when it used a powerful Grass-type attack... good, by itself. But the impressive bit was when she went back from Dewgong to Chinchou when an unexpected Electric-type attack came in.

Chinchou had healed nicely, and that had really made the other trainer work for his badge.

It was unusual – not quite unique, in the couple of dozen tapes she'd skimmed so far – but it was pretty close.

She sighed, sitting back in the chair.

It would be nice to say her sisters were incompetent layabouts. But... they weren't, not quite.

They did really prefer the dancing stuff to fighting, but... they were improving, no doubt about it.

In the considered opinion of Misty Waterflower, who'd seen Ash fight something approaching two dozen high level gym challenges counting both timelines, her sisters were... good.

Not great. They couldn't manage to fight quite on the level of someone who was after their seventh or eighth badges, but they could manage anything less.

Which honestly wasn't too bad. And if worse came to worst, they could just have Vaporeon dissolve into the water system and impose a time limit on the battle.

She shook her head, and got back to reviewing the tapes. This time, she went after the ones specifically for people on their _final_ gym badge – to see what they were like.

* * *

><p>"How's it going, Ash?" Tracey asked. "Man, that's a lot of paperwork..."<p>

"I know," Ash agreed. He looked up as Tracey put a glass of lemonade on the side table, a few feet from the desk he was using. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Ash went back to the latest form. "Some of this makes no sense!"

"Really?" Tracey asked. "What kind of stuff is it?"

"Well... I mean, this is fine," Ash said. As he spoke, he filled out Pikachu's basic information on a form labelled _Tutor Starter._ "Let's see... caught as a Pikachu... quirks, capable of form change... egg moves? No idea."

He put the form on the finished pile, and moved on to the next. "But this one asks where my grandmother's hometown was! I don't even _know_ that!"

Dexter bleeped. Viridian.

"Oh, thanks."

It is a law dating to pre-Meiji times, as well. I do not know why it is still on the list.

Ash filled it out anyway, and took a gulp of drink. "I'd much rather be outside with my Pokémon..."

* * *

><p>"<em>Right!"<em> Squirtle said, grinning. _"Ivysaur! You ready?"_

"_Reluctantly,"_ Ivysaur said with a nod, holding up Ash's staff in one vine. The small bag holding the pair of Legendary feathers swung slightly from the base of the crystal, and he adjusted the angle.

"_Good!"_ Squirtle judged, rummaging in his shell and bringing out the bluish object he'd been working on.

"_You're seriously going to use that?"_ Ivysaur asked, not for the first time.

It was not very impressive.

It was, basically, an Everstone crammed into a hole in the side of an expended Waterstone.

"_Yeah!"_ Squirtle nodded. _"It's the S-stone! It has Squirtle energy! Now, start that key stone up!"_

Ivysaur rolled his eyes, and started concentrating.

* * *

><p>Tracey's head sent up and he looked out the window. "What was that bang?"<p>

Ash barely noticed. "What's the airspeed velocity of an unladen Swellow? They don't even say what _kind_ of Swellow... I mean, my one..."

* * *

><p>Ivysaur shook his head. <em>"That did not work."<em>

"_I know what went wrong!"_ Squirtle announced, as the water splattered down all around them and down the hill. _"Just give me five minutes, and-"_

"_I'm taking this back to Ash,"_ Ivysaur interrupted. _"I don't want to be responsible for breaking it. Or you."_

"_Spoilsport."_

"_You ended up inside a giant Vaporeon made of water, which exploded,"_ Ivysaur reminded him. _"This is not how you use _any_ of the things you're using. Including _me._"_

Squirtle muttered something about science.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Ah, this episode. One of the more memorable ones.

I tweaked it, just a bit. Hope it works – I know some fanon is that the Ninetales is called Lokoko, but I assumed that was the servant instead.


	90. Johto 32

This is the first of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>"...still sorry about that, Brock," Ash said, shaking his head. "I can't believe we forgot about her-"<p>

"Really, Ash," Brock repeated. "It's fine. Just remember to keep an eye on future events so this doesn't happen again."

He glanced around. "Speaking of which, what happened around now?"

Accessing, Dexter informed them. He summarized briefly. The next issue is the Lake of Rage – if things are going to schedule, then we'll get there in a few days.

Ash glanced between his friends.

"Okay, who wants to stop that as soon as possible?" Ash asked.

"Count me in," Misty agreed. "Maybe if we get there in time we can stop that poor Magikarp from being forced to evolve."

Brock was quick to agree too. "Sure!"

"Good." Ash then frowned. "Okay, what was there... there was a Rocket base, right?"

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "And there was something else, too – something about an evolution field?"

Pikachu nodded ruefully. _"That was painful. It basically meant that, if you weren't a fully-evolved Pokémon, you could barely concentrate. It kept trying to force me to evolve."_

"Right..." Ash thought for a moment. "Can either of you two manage an all-fully-evolved team?"

Brock tapped a Pokéball. "Geodude's not, but all the rest of mine are."

"Great," Ash said, already thinking. "Misty?"

"I can do... Gyarados, Corsola, Starmie, Kabutops, Politoed, Kingdra, Seaking, Togekiss. Any six of those."

"And-" Ash broke off. "Okay, I've got a lot of choice, but... we do need to get there."

He opened two of his Pokéballs. "I know you just got back from Cerulean, Suicune, but can you manage another run with one of us?"

Suicune nodded. _"I've gone much further before."_

"Entei? Do you mind?"

"_If I have to,"_ Entei grumbled, good-naturedly. _"And I suppose I must."_

"Thanks," Ash said, with a grateful nod. "We've got Pidgeot, too... I don't think the Rocket base should be _too_ much trouble."

"_Maybe not," _Suicune agreed. _"But we should still prepare for the worst."_

"Don't worry, I am," Ash nodded. "Okay, Electric-type, Flying-type, Fire- and Water-types... and a Bug/Fighting Type... what am I missing?"

"_You're bringing Heracross?"_ Pikachu asked, then corrected himself. _"Oh, of course."_

He frowned. _"I'd say bring Lucario – I might not be able to fight properly, and you need someone with Electric attacks."_

"Good idea," Ash agreed. "And I'll bring Meganium as well, just in case." He took out his 'dex. "Dexter?"

Already making the preparations.

"_While that's going on, who's going to ride on whom?"_ Entei asked.

* * *

><p>"This is not very much fun," Brock mumbled, clinging to Entei's shaggy mane.<p>

"_Count yourself lucky, I'm not going very fast!"_ Entei told him, powerful muscles bunching underneath Brock's seat. _"Of course, unlike my sister I can't control the wind, so I suppose you must be a little windswept..."_

Brock pushed himself up enough to glance at Misty, who seemed perfectly content on Suicune alongside, and then up at Ash and Pidgeot skimming along overhead.

"_River coming up!"_ Entei informed him, accelerating. _"Hold on!"_

* * *

><p>The ferry crew were startled and somewhat aggrieved.<p>

* * *

><p>About ten minutes later, the two Beasts slowed to a walk, then stopped on a low rise overlooking the Lake of Rage.<p>

Brock promptly got off and sat down hard.

"_It wasn't that bad,"_ Entei informed him.

Having had prior experience, Misty was much better prepared for her high-speed trip. She got off, only a little unsteadily, and scanned the lake surface.

"It seems alright," she said. "Nothing moving, certainly not a Gyarados... Ash?"

Pidgeot dropped down to hover just overhead. "Yeah?" Ash called, from her back.

"Can you make sure there's no Red Gyarados down there?" she shouted over the wingrush. "If there isn't, we might have arrived in time!"

"Got it!" Ash called, and Pidgeot duly beat her wings faster. She accelerated a little away from the rise, then dipped forwards towards the lake.

* * *

><p>"Wonder how this place got called the Lake of Rage?" Ash asked, as Pidgeot circled at a hundred feet or so and he scanned the lake through both regular sight and Aura.<p>

"_I think it's supposed to be famous for Gyarados,"_ Pikachu supplied, holding on carefully. _"Just not red ones."_

"Really?" Ash asked. "Huh. I don't always remember everything about last time, so... hey, that's strange..."

"_What is it?"_ Pidgeot asked, slowing a little. _"Do you need me to hover?"_

"No, normal speed is fine," Ash replied. "A bit lower might help, though."

Pidgeot's reply was to drop lower still, until she was barely three feet over the surface and her left wingtip was almost touching. Tiny waves whipped by in a blur, and Ash peered into the lake depths.

"I don't know," Ash said eventually. "There's definitely _something_ in there, but I don't know what. Something at the bottom... okay, Pidgeot, you can pull up now."

Pidgeot gratefully pulled up, rising away from the lake to a more comfortable altitude.

"_Any sign of the Gyarados?"_ Pikachu asked.

"No," Ash said, frowning. "A couple of normal ones, but they didn't seem – wait a minute..."

He pointed. "Pidgeot! Down there!"

"_Oh, you want to go back down now?"_ Pidgeot chirped.

Despite her complaint, though, she dropped lower again. This time, she switched to hovering, producing big concentric ripples on the lake surface.

"There!" Ash said, pointing.

Both his Pokémon looked.

"_That's a golden Magikarp,"_ Pikachu said, puzzled. _"Why is there a-"_

He winced. _"Ow ow ow!"_

Ash looked around, Magikarp forgotten. "Pikachu? Are you okay?"

"_No!"_ Pikachu replied, clutching his head. _"I – Pidgeot! Get us out of-!"_

The Magikarp Ash had noticed started to flail around in pain as well. It flapped up out of the water once, then plunged back in.

There was a sudden eruption of water, soaking Pidgeot in spray. Chirping in surprise, she hammered the air to get to a safe altitude.

Below them, a huge red serpent rose from the water. Pained eyes locked on them, and the Red Gyarados inhaled massively-

A white blur shot across between Pidgeot and the Gyarados, intercepting a gout of shimmering green flame.

"_Ash!"_ Togekiss called, as the Dragonbreath ended – having damaged her not at all. _"Misty says she can handle this! You and Brock stop the machine!"_

* * *

><p>Misty ran down the hillside towards the lake shoreline, rummaging at her belt as she did so. "I hope you guys can handle this between you..."<p>

"_Misty?"_ Suicune asked, loping alongside. _"Do you need help?"_

The Water-type trainer gave that several seconds of thought as she waded through the long grass.

"...I might," she admitted. "If Ash doesn't need you, I'd appreciate the backup."

"_He sent me,"_ Suicune explained. _"He, Brock and my brother are on the lookout for the transmitter."_

"Right," Misty said, as they crashed through the foliage and reached the lakeshore. "Thanks."

As she spoke, she threw her first Pokéballs, and Kabutops and Kingdra splashed into the water.

Togekiss was relieved to see them arrive, as the newly-evolved Gyarados had been blasting Flamethrowers at her after seeing the Dragonbreath attack had failed. She went up-and-around in a wingover, dodging the Fire-type attacks for now, and kept it up until Kabutops arrived.

For his part, the Fossil made it count. Bursting out of the water propelled by powerful jets of water, he brought his scythes across in a pair of Slash attacks which stung the Shiny Pokémon and made it break off attacking Togekiss.

Of course, that now meant that Kabutops was the main target. The Gyarados roared, and blasted a Dragon Rage attack down at him in a stream of bright purple-yellow flame.

Most of the attack's fury hit Kabutops on the heavily armoured cephalon, and he closed his eyes to avoid taking too much damage to them. Some of the blast went on his exposed scythes, flaring off in showers of sparks, and what got past him entirely hit the water and produced a hiss of steam and bubbles.

Kabutops splashed back into the water, and swam away at speed. His opponent followed, keeping up a continual torrent of Dragon Rage.

Togekiss used the distraction well. She spun in the air, turning to face the Red Gyarados, and closed in in a shallow dive. As she did, sparkling blue energy built up on the front of her wings.

She skimmed over the head of the Atrocious Pokémon, and pulled down in an inverted loop. Interrupting the stream of the attack and flying up it, she released the attack she'd been charging. _"Dazzling Gleam!"_

The Shiny took a shotgun-spread of sparkling Fairy-type energy directly to the face.

* * *

><p>Misty gaped, as she saw her opponent shake his head and then start charging a Hyper Beam. "That just made it angrier! How can <em>that<em> have just made it _angrier?_"

The intense blaze of energy fired. It swept through the sky, scattering the few Pidgey who hadn't made it to cover yet, and then clipped Togekiss on the wing.

Misty's Pokéball came up in a flash, and she returned the lamed Jubilee Pokémon before she hit the water.

As a kind of bizarre compensation, though, Kingdra finished his Dragon Dance at that point. He shot a blaze of his own Dragonbreath at the Red Gyarados, getting its attention, and then Headbutted it in the neck.

* * *

><p>Entei braked in front of the pair of steel double doors, throwing up a cloud of dust and a few clods of turf, and Brock got off.<p>

"I am only doing that if it's necessary," he said, breathing deeply.

The Fire-type gave him a brief, mildly offended look. _"Not sure how to take that..."_

Pidgeot arrived in a storm of wind, and Ash hopped off. "You okay, Pikachu?" he asked, taking care to support the Electric-type as he landed.

"_My cheeks hurt like nothing I've ever experienced before,"_ Pikachu said indistinctly. _"Just stop the machine. Please."_

"You got it, Pikachu," Ash said firmly. He returned Pidgeot, and turned to Brock. "Dexter managed to confirm it – this is where the radio signal's coming from."

"So, what's the plan?" Brock asked.

"_I have one,"_ Entei said. _"Stand back."_

Ash raised an arm, thought about it, and lowered it. "Sure, just give me a second."

He closed his eyes, looking through the metal of the door. No-one on the other side, at least not nearby.

"Go for it," he said, standing back.

Entei's mane crackled with smoke. His tail lashed, producing a smell a little like wood-smoke, and a rumbling grew deep in his throat.

Then he used Fire Blast. The flaming attack hit the wall, detonated, and blew the doors open along a weak seam.

Droplets of cooling steel ran down the doors as the smoke cleared.

"That was pretty cool," Brock admitted. "Right, let's go, Ash!"

"Right!" Ash agreed, following his friend into the Rocket base.

Entei followed, and almost immediately he saw a problem.

This room, the one with the doors they'd just blown up, was a loading area. The way down to the rest of the base was through a long corridor.

One barely high enough for Entei to fit into, top to bottom, and full of statues of Persian which crowded the walls in left to right. It was immediately apparent that Entei would fill the _entire_ corridor, and even then he would probably knock the statues over – if, that is, they were easy to knock over. Otherwise he might just end up wedged.

"_...I could probably squeeze through there,"_ he said unconvincingly.

"Sorry, Entei," Ash shrugged. "You'll be with us if we need you."

So saying, he returned the Fire-type.

* * *

><p>Deep underground, in the main control room, a Rocket executive blinked.<p>

"Who just did that?"

"I'm not sure," the camera operator reported. "The camera in that room was destroyed by something – not sure what – and we barely caught any speech. They're coming past – oh."

Everyone in the room recognized the boy walking past the cameras concealed in the Persian statues. The Pewter gym leader was just icing on the cake.

"Well, we're in trouble," Tyson sighed. "How did we have luck _this_ bad? Ash Ketchum is within a mile when we start our experiments?"

"Doesn't matter!" Butch said, clenching his fist. "We'll be fine, sir! We've got new and better teams now, and there's no _way_ he's got his A team around on this short notice!"

"I'm well aware you've got a better team," Tyson replied irritably. "But that's _Ash Ketchum._"

He turned to Professor Sebastian. "How soon can you evacuate?"

"The longer I have, the more equipment we can save," Sebastian informed him. "I'll put some of the grunts onto breaking down what's portable."

"Good," Tyson nodded. "See to it."

Turning back to Butch and Cassidy, he nodded. "All right, you two are going to get your chance to show me just how well you can fight. Don't disappoint me."

* * *

><p>Kingdra accelerated, curving out of the way of a green Dragon Pulse from the rampaging Gyarados, and vanished underwater for a moment.<p>

A visible trail of disturbed water tracked his path, and then he emerged behind his opponent before firing a Dragonbreath attack at his back.

Enraged further, if that was possible, the Red Gyarados turned and blasted Dragon Rage at him. Kingdra mostly avoided it, but the energy clipped his tail as he swam for distance, and Gyarados roared in triumph.

He tried to follow up, but Kabutops interrupted with a Night Slash to the back of the neck. His scythes hit hard, Dark-type energy sparking off as the sharp blades scraped along Gyarados' red scales, and he jumped clear just before Gyarados used Twister to try and hit him.

Plunging back into the water, Kabutops swam over to his teammate. _"This one is very strong,"_ he said.

"_I noticed!"_ Kingdra replied. _"Any ideas?"_

Kabutops thought for a moment. As the Twister died down, the Red Gyarados saw that he hadn't caught either enemy Water-type, and looked around for his targets.

"_Outrage him,"_ Kabutops decided. _"I'll try and distract him until you get the first hit in."_

With that, the Fossil swam forwards to give time for Kingdra to get his run-up. He raised one scythe to block the impact of a Hydro Pump, wincing as the water cannoned into him, and managed to escape before being driven too hard into the lake.

As Gyarados prepared a second Hydro Pump, Kabutops lunged. Scythes cloaked in green energy, he rammed a Leaf Blade into the midsection of the big serpent, and then Kingdra arrived with his Outrage in the form of a high-speed blow to the forehead.

The Red Gyarados went back over with an enormous splash.

"_Did that get it?"_ Kingdra asked, as the waves subsided.

"_I-"_

A red blur crashed out of the water underneath Kingdra, sending him flying into the air. The Red Gyarados emerged nearly to his tail fin, body redder than usual with an ominous red glow, and slammed his jaws down on Kingdra as his opponent dropped back to the lake.

Struggling despite the pain of the fangs gripping him, Kingdra blasted jets of water and dragonfire at Gyarados' face. The Shiny's reply to this was to emit a rumbling roar, then ram his foresection into the shallow mud of the lakeside – carrying Kingdra with it.

The blow, coming on top of a nasty Outrage, finished Kingdra off.

As the Red Gyarados roared his triumph, Kabutops hopped onto his back. Rotating his wrists, he put both scythe tips in with another flash of green energy.

Gyarados immediately began to thrash and try and force him off. Clawed feet holding on grimly, Kabutops crouched, then ran up the back of the other Water-type – using the motion to slice twin parallel cuts into Gyarados.

He got about halfway up to the neck before the thrashing about got too much, and he was thrown at the water as hard as Kingdra had been rammed into the ground.

Reorienting, he disappeared with a surprisingly small _plop_.

At this point, Starmie announced its presence by firing a Thunderbolt.

_That_ got a reaction besides more anger. Gyarados lit up like a Christmas tree, stray electricity crackling from his fins, and wobbled for a moment.

* * *

><p>"Did that get it?" Misty asked, watching closely. "That has to have done some damage!"<p>

"_I don't know, Misty,"_ Suicune admitted. _"That must have been one strong Magikarp, but I've never seen-"_

Gyarados snapped out of it.

There was an almighty _boom_ as he hit Starmie with Payback, which knocked it out of control and crashing through a tree near its trainer. Misty could see from here that Starmie's core was giving the weak warning pulse which meant it was no longer combat effective.

Misty readied to send out her next Pokémon, but what the Red Gyarados did next forestalled her. It plunged back into the water, vanishing from sight.

"_Why did it do that?"_ Suicune asked.

"I don't – wait!" Misty overrode herself. "Kabutops!"

There was a ripple as a large glob of muddy water splashed to the surface, fell apart and collapsed back to the lake. Then another.

Then a rock tumbled through the air just above the lake surface.

"I know what's happening!" Misty said, snapping her fingers. "Kabutops couldn't use his Rock-type attacks because there weren't any rocks, out in the middle of the lake. So he's gone digging for them - those must be Rock Throw or Stone Edge or something!"

This time, the lake surface exploded upwards.

Kabutops emerged first, slashing downwards. This was because _he_ was now the one in the red Gyarados' mouth.

He was thrown into the air, and then a familiar-looking ball of striated water shot up at him from Gyarados.

"Look out, that's Hydro-" Misty began.

Kabutops did hear her, and swiped at the ball as it began to destabilize. He was partly successful in making it detonate wrongly, but even the relatively small amount of force from the Hydro Cannon which hit him finished the tired Eurypterid off.

He landed heavily in the mud next to Misty and Suicune, splashing them both.

"_Who are you going to send out now?"_ Suicune asked. _"Do you need me to contribute?"_

"I..." Misty glanced down at her remaining Pokéballs. "I can't send Seaking out against that – I brought her in case there was a Thunderbolt around, but..."

She shook her head. "I've only got my Gyarados left. I hope you can win this one."

Before she could throw it, the Pokéball burst open on its own.

* * *

><p>The door opened as Ash and Brock approached it.<p>

"Hello, Mr. Ketchum," Tyson said courteously. "I see you're quick off the mark."

"Turn the machine off!" Ash told him. "This is pointless!"

"Well, not really," Tyson disagreed. "See it from our point of view. It's a machine which means that we can make Pokémon evolve on demand."

"Only if they want to anyway," Ash countered. "It's really not very hard to train a Pokémon up to evolving, anyway..."

"Ash, most people take years to do it," Brock pointed out.

Ash blinked. "Really? I – wow, I knew my experience was unusual, but-"

Tyson shrugged, quite happy to talk if it gave time for the Professor to evacuate. "As your gym leader friend says, most people have to spend much longer than you do in order to train their Pokémon to the point of evolution. But really, this machine's useful in more than one way." He indicated the Electric-type Ash was supporting with one hand. "If it does this to all non-fully-evolved Pokémon, imagine how much easier it could make it to steal-"

"It actually sounds like it'd make it _harder,_" Ash interrupted. "It gives a warning, and it also means that any Pokémon stopped by the effect would just have to evolve to be immune to it. If you tried to steal from a newbie trainer with a Mareep, you'd have an Ampharos to handle instead..."

Tyson's jaw dropped. He glanced at Butch. "Why didn't we-"

Butch shrugged. "Not sure, boss. Makes sense, though."

"I can't believe we were so stupid," Tyson said with a wince. "Oh well. At least it'll be useful in speeding up training. And it seems to do something unusual, because that Gyarados was red. That deserves further research."

"Have you even _heard_ of Shiny Pokémon?" Brock asked. "Are you sure you're-"

"But that wasn't a shiny Magikarp," Tyson retaliated.

"Yes it was," Ash told him. "I saw it evolve – I was right overhead when it did."

"Really?" Tyson looked a bit lost. "I could have sworn we checked to be sure there were no Shiny Pokémon in the lake..."

"You're not very good at this, are you?" Brock asked.

Tyson's jaw clenched, but he didn't rise to the jab. "I'm tired of this," he said, forcing calm. "Sundance, Cassidy, handle them."

"That one was on purpose!" Butch snapped.

"Butch," Cassidy hissed. She gestured to his waist, and he took the new Pokéball there. Cassidy readied her own, and Ash and Brock did so as well.

"Charizard!" Cassidy announced, sending the Fire-type out onto the floor of the underground chamber.

Her teammate sent out his new Aggron at the same time, and it took a stance next to Charizard.

"That Charizard is going to be a problem," Ash admitted with a wince. "Shouldn't have left Suicune with Misty..."

Tyson blinked. "Did he just say-"

"Right," Ash decided. "Brock, can you handle the Aggron?"

"Hey, idiots!" Butch called, before Brock could reply. "We're criminals! Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Charizard complied, spitting a blast of orange-yellow flames at the friends.

"You idiot!" Tyson snapped. "The boss doesn't-"

"Wait!" Cassidy interrupted. "Look!"

As the flames died down, Charizard took a startled step back.

Ash lowered his arm, and the Protect vanished.

"Okay, annoyed now," he said. "Entei, get them!"

Tyson took the prudent choice of diving behind some relatively solid looking lab equipment.

* * *

><p>Gyarados emerged from his Pokéball. Forewarned by what he'd heard of the battle, he didn't roar in challenge – instead, he approached as quickly and quietly as possible, before hitting his Shiny counterpart with a Dragon Pulse at close range.<p>

Roaring, the red Gyarados turned to face him and slammed its tail into him. The blow knocked him sideways a little in the water, but he endured the impact relatively easily – it felt like the other Pokémon was tired.

That didn't mean it should be underestimated, though. Gyarados was preparing a Dragon Rage when the other Water-type lunged at his throat, jaws snapping, and he was forced to fire it unfinished.

The gout of energy splashed over his enemy's scales, but it didn't seem to really have given the other Pokémon much pause. The big red tail came around again, slamming into his body about halfway out of the water.

Roaring in retaliation now, Misty's Gyarados backed water for a moment and coiled up in an S-shape. Inhaling, he fired a Hyper Beam at the other Gyarados.

The enraged Shiny had had the same idea. Hyper Beam hit Hyper Beam in the middle of the lake, producing a white globe of energy which expanded to enormous size and exploded – knocking both Water-types backwards, and producing a momentary crater in the water which quickly filled back in.

Misty's Pokémon had come off the worse in that exchange, the explosion coming significantly closer to him, and it took him a moment longer to recover.

* * *

><p>Misty watched, heart in her mouth. Gyarados didn't look very tired – yet – but it was clear that his opponent was stronger, and it would take something special to avoid him losing.<p>

Next to her, Suicune paced with feline grace – one eye always on the battle, making sure that if she needed to intervene she would be able to leap into motion from a moving start.

Then she stopped pacing, and blinked. _"Misty – look!"_

Misty glanced over at Suicune, to see where she was looking, and then turned to follow her gaze.

There was an orange-yellow shape descending rapidly towards them. As she watched, it grew from dot to sticklike figure, and then got close enough she could identify it.

"That's a Dragonite," she said, squinting. "Wait. That's Lance!"

"_Ah, I see,"_ Suicune nodded, as the Dragon came down and skimmed low over the lakeside. It stopped with a flap of green-skinned wings, floating over the muddy beach.

Lance of Blackthorn, Champion of the Indigo Plateau Elite Four, swung off the back of his partner and stepped to the shore. "Hello, Misty."

"Have we been introduced?" Misty asked, thrown. "I mean – I guess you'd know my name, but-"

"No, you're right," Lance agreed readily. "Sorry. I'd introduce myself properly, but-"

He indicated the ongoing fight, as both Gyarados slammed into one another repeatedly – trying to gain an angle with which to grip with their fangs.

"Are you going to step in?" Misty asked. "That'd be great! Of course your Dragonite knows Electrical attacks – but you'll have to give me a moment, Gyarados is-"

"No," Lance interrupted, shaking his head with a tiny smile. "I'm not going to step in. This is your fight."

Misty's expression went from grateful to startled. "Pardon!?"

The smirk grew a bit.

"Misty of Cerulean," Lance said, with a chuckle. "Do you know who nominated you for your candidacy?"

"No, actually," Misty said slowly, completely baffled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Lance rummaged around in a pocket of his outfit as he spoke. "I did," he told her. "Based on what the Dragon Clan told me, the few times they saw you at work – and since then you've been clearly throwing yourself into this."

Finding what he was looking for, he tossed it to her. She caught it automatically, and he nodded to her. "Now, show me if you can work that thing."

Misty looked down at it. It was a small bracelet with a hinged clasp, and an adjustment mechanism that meant it could be made to fit a variety of arm sizes snugly. Mostly thin silvery metal, there was an inset band of something crystalline and faintly blue running around the outside.

"What is it?" Misty asked, lost for the purpose.

"It's a Key Stone," Lance told her.

* * *

><p>Deep in the Ilex Forest, a flash of light illuminated a shrine.<p>

_Hello,_ Celebi said to Celebi. _What's today's work?_

Her slightly-future self began ticking off points on her fingers. _First one's minor. We've just got to make sure that Sam Oak's thesis mentions the Fairy-type, because otherwise that might affect his overall grade. It should have been handled already, but we've got to check it._

_Got it._ The Celebi who hadn't done the day's work yet nodded. _And the next?_

_That's the main job for today,_ Celebi explained to Celebi. _Remember that Normal-type gym leader? Before the Fairy-type existed, she had a Clefairy as her lead Pokémon. Good luck fixing that._

_Can't you give me any hints?_ Celebi asked. _You're from my future..._

_Yeah, and it was really frustrating!_ Celebi replied with a giggle. _But it was really fun when I finally worked out how to handle it. Okay, I'll give you one hint – Munchlax knows Metronome._

_I'm sure that'll make sense later,_ Celebi grumbled. _Okay, I'm off._

There was a white flash, and Celebi vanished.

_I'm glad I put all that practice into quick transits since I met Sammy,_ Celebi decided. _Right, where to go now..._

She considered, and decided to go and watch the original performance of the Ode to Joy. She'd never actually gone before, but... well, why not?

Fixing timelines had become a full time job recently – well, recently in metatime – but it did have perks.

* * *

><p>"...and you join me here in Cinnabar," Roxy said, looking calmly into the camera. "It looks like there's going to be a full-blown typhoon here, and it's a big one – category three on the Saffir scale. The islanders are already locking up and battening down the hatches, as winds grow above eighty kilometres an hour gusting to one hundred and fifteen."<p>

"That sounds nasty, Roxy," the studio presenter replied. "Are you going to be safe?"

"The Pokémon centre here is well reinforced, or so I'm told," Roxy said. "My Wooper seems to be having the time of his life, though, so I suppose every cloud has a silver lining."

Oli, the camera operator, knew a cue when he heard one. He tracked off Roxy for a moment to show her diminutive starter frolicking in the heavy surf off the wharf.

"He does look like he's having fun," agreed the studio presenter. "But I think you should get undercover, Roxy – we don't want an exclusive _that_ much, after all!"

"I'll see what I can do," Roxy smiled – then turned to the window. "What was that?"

* * *

><p>About forty miles out to sea of where Roxy was, Ho-Oh floated in warm, calm air.<p>

He trimmed his wings, taking advantage of the updraught from the eye, and frowned.

Normally a typhoon like this would be nothing to really worry about, for the cities in its path – not with the ability to use Pokémon to help with keeping people safe.

But this wasn't a normal situation. There was a cruise liner below, being driven towards the shoals around Cinnabar, and absent intervention they would not be able to get clear in time.

Ho-Oh's choice was therefore obvious.

He spread his feathers to their fullest extent, making his tail as broad as he could, and charged for several seconds.

Then he used Sunny Day.

* * *

><p>Roxy stared, as the storm... vanished.<p>

One minute there'd been a full-bore typhoon barrelling in towards Cinnabar, and then over the next four or five minutes it gradually unravelled until it was nothing more than a series of isolated thunderheads far out to sea.

She caught sight of a cruise ship wallowing in the swell, and tapped Oli on the shoulder to draw his attention to it. Swinging the camera into place, he provided footage while Roxy began to talk again.

As she said her piece, she saw a rainbow forming in the sky overhead. And, just at the end of it, a glittering shape of red and green and gold.

It looked nice. Hopeful.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Yep, another two part one. This time, the Lake Of Rage Thing.

Fortunately for the Rockets, they have planned ahead for what to do if they're facing Ash. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they are facing Ash.

Also, some of the Legendaries at work.


	91. Johto 33

This is the second of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>Entei lunged forwards the moment he stabilized, slamming bodily into Cassidy's Charizard and knocking it to the floor with a <em>crash<em>.

Not waiting for orders, the Charizard struggled to push Entei off. After a moment, it hit on the idea of rolling over and using that leverage to throw Entei. Heaving with four limbs, it managed to get out from under the Beast.

Following that minor success up with a two-handed Slash, the Charizard began to regain the initiative – concentrating on attacks which didn't involve his Fire type, due to the presence of his allied Aggron. Instead, he volleyed home a Power-up Punch into Entei's flank, made to follow up with a Rock Smash, and instead got slapped in the face by a clawed Stomp.

Jumping back with a flap of half-open wings to help him gain distance, the Charizard considered again how to do this. He came to a different decision this time, pushed off the wall, and came back down with green-glowing claws ready to slash.

Entei's reply was to dart forwards, under the Dragon Claw, and body-check Charizard again. Air _whooshed_ out, and the Fire-type hit the wall with an audible _clang_ just under the small marks he'd made with his claws.

"_Now, listen here!"_ Entei said forcefully. _"You don't attack humans!"_

Snapping and snarling, Charizard craned his long neck around to get past Entei's own jaws and bite the relatively vulnerable neck. For his pains, he got hit by a powerful Flamethrower in the side of the neck – which may not have done much damage, but which physically pushed his neck to the side from the force of the blow.

Mustering his strength again, Charizard hauled Entei off him – though not without taking a few more nasty paw bats – and half-jumped-half-flew through the air again, gaining distance and barely avoiding a Bulldoze which made the light fittings overhead tremble.

"_Get back here!"_ Entei roared after him, paws crashing on computer screens and keyboards as he followed the Flying-type across the underground space.

Charizard, on the whole, was not enjoying this fight.

He glanced over to see if he could switch with his teammate, and saw that Aggron was fighting a Ninetales – one seemingly content to pace around and throw occasional Embers, for now, but one calmly evading all Aggron's own attacks.

That would not be a useful swap. He did not like the sound of fighting a Pokémon with Flash Fire, even assuming that the Legendary Pokémon would _let_ him switch.

* * *

><p>"Aggron, use Head Smash!" Butch ordered.<p>

Roaring, Aggron lowered his head and lunged forwards. Blue light enveloped first the head, then the whole Pokémon, and he slammed into the wall behind where Ninetales had been hard enough to produce a sizeable dent.

"_No, that's not how you do it,"_ Ninetales sighed, flames licking up her tails. _"Observe."_

Flames curled around her feet, and she pounced forwards as they spread to her whole body. There was an explosive _bang_ as the attack connected, and she punctuated that by adding a point-blank Fire Blast.

The concussion from the explosion knocked a few bits of equipment over, and Aggron's steel armour sections glowed red for a few seconds before cooling back to black.

Landing daintily, Ninetales nodded. _"Like that. An attack is nothing if it does not hit."_

Enraged, Aggron staggered back to his feet and roared. _"Take this!"_

Tearing a chunk out of the dented wall, he threw it at Ninetales.

She ran forwards, sliding just under the hurtling chunk of steel, and fired a blast of Smokescreen to give herself cover as he pulled another steel chunk to throw at her.

"Earthquake!" Butch snapped.

Throwing the improvised weapon aside, Aggron slammed his feet into the ground and caused a minor earthquake. The floor shook, staggering both Entei and Ninetales, and the two Rocket-owned Pokémon took the opportunity to regroup back-to-back.

"Use Wing attack to clear the smoke!" Cassidy told Charizard, and the Flying-type complied – his powerful wingbeats dispersing the smoke through the whole room, letting Aggron see once more.

He did not, however, see what he was expecting. Instead of a Ninetales, a Geodude hovered there on the battlefield.

"What?" Cassidy asked, shocked. "But – the machine!"

Geodude shrugged. _"The kid broke it."_ With that cryptic comment – completely incomprehensible to Cassidy, of course – he gestured.

The two chunks of steel Aggron had torn off the dented wall earlier had left a hole, through which the bedrock could be seen. A large chunk of that bedrock detached at Geodude's command, and slammed straight into Charizard's back with a thud.

The Fire-type went over like a sack of potatoes.

Aggron whirled, trying to keep an eye on both enemy Pokémon at once, and backed towards the wall.

Entei smirked, and opened his mouth. A blue orb formed, grew, and began to swirl rapidly.

"_Aura Sphere!"_ he said proudly, firing it at Aggron. The Iron Armor Pokémon managed to avoid being hit by flinging himself to the floor with a _crash_, shaking the room and also making one of the lights fail in a shower of sparks.

"_I'll do it,"_ Pikachu suggested, leaping down from Ash's shoulder.

"_No thanks!"_ Entei replied, pouncing forwards. He slammed both paws down to deliver a Bulldoze before Aggron could get up, making the room tremble, and finished the job with an Overheat.

* * *

><p>Tyson fought down the urge to glance at his watch.<p>

"Not bad," he admitted, as Butch and Cassidy stared at what had been major upgrades to their Pokémon teams. "But I'm afraid you're not finished yet, Mr. Ketchum. I have to ask, how did you-"

He stopped, and watched as a Stantler calmly walked past him. It trotted across the room to stand beside the Pewter gym leader, who tied a belled ribbon onto its antlers.

"...what?" Tyson asked. "What was that?"

"I sent Stantler to go break the evolution-inducing machine," Brock explained.

Stantler nodded. "Stantler," he said.

"Right..." Tyson muttered. He noticed he was losing control of the situation, and coughed. "Ahem. As I was saying. You're not finished yet."

Calmly, Tyson retrieved a Pokéball from his own belt.

"This team of scientists here has been working on evolution. Evolutionary stones, evolution theory, induced evolution... and mega-evolution." Tyson saw the surprise in their expressions, and permitted himself a smile. "You of all people should be familiar with it. It's a kind of evolution which grants a temporary boost in-"

"We know," Ash interrupted, taking the wind out of Tyson's sails again.

"Right," the executive said. "Okay, well... anyway. Tyranitar!"

The Pokéball released a big, burly Tyranitar, which took in the wreckage of the room and snorted.

"Mega evolution puts Pokémon on par with Legendaries," Tyson reminded them. "And, unlike you, we worked out exactly how to do it! Tyranitar, show them!"

As he said that, Tyson removed one of his black gloves. Glinting on the revealed middle finger was a small bluish gemstone, set on a functional steel ring.

Tyranitar let off another roar, lashing tail revealing a larger gemstone on a cloth band just above the tail base – the Mega-stone fleck a deep red fringed by black. Then the Mega Stone began to glow in harmony with Tyson's ring, producing a flash of orange light.

When it died down, Tyranitar had changed significantly. The gaps in his armour had expanded and multiplied, with red markings in some of them, and much bigger spikes sprouting all over his body.

Mega Tyranitar roared.

"So, Mr. Ketchum, I doubt you could beat a Mega-evolved Pokémon," Tyson said. "Certainly that Entei there would be at a disadvantage – and even Legendaries can be beaten – and as for that Charizard, if you've got it, it's still a Fire type."

Ash waved a hand. "Back here, Entei. I know just what to do."

Tyson frowned. "You seem less impressed than I thought you'd be..."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Heracross!"

The Rocket executive blinked. A _Heracross?_ It was a strong enough Pokémon, a Fighting-type, but it would have the disadvantage of-

"...no," he said, as Heracross emerged. "You're joking."

Ash grinned.

Heracross reached up to his headband, adjusting the fit of the Heracronite, and then set his stance and faced Mega Tyranitar.

Then there was a second orange flash.

When it faded, Tyson had his first look at a Mega Heracross.

There were three changes which immediately caught the eye. First, the horn – one of the major features of a Heracross – had changed. Instead of a tool to dig under the trunks of trees or the bellies of opponents and prise them up, it was now an unambiguous weapon – sharp, spiked and curved.

Second, there was the general bodyform. Mega Heracross was squatter, stockier, and overall shorter but more... condensed... than the original.

It took Tyson a moment to realize that – no, actually this Pokémon was slightly _taller_ than before. It was just that the horn distorted the sense of proportion that much.

Third – and most worryingly, really – there were the fists.

They were enormous.

"Okay, Heracross," Ash said after a moment. "You know what to do."

"Tyranitar!" Tyson said, realizing that he was about to lose the initiative. "Attack! Stone Edge!"

* * *

><p>"A Key Stone?" Misty repeated. "How <em>can<em> I use it? I mean, I don't have a Mega Stone-"

"No, _you_ don't," Lance agreed. He glanced out at the battle in the water, which currently seemed to involve the two Gyarados playing chicken with Giga Impact, and decided to explain more concisely. "That one can't do it, but Maurice has a new one from Kalos which can pick up Mega Stones. There's a Gyaradosite in the lake."

Misty absorbed that, and her expression firmed. "Right."

Slipping the bracelet on, she took a deep breath. "Gyarados! There's a hard stone somewhere at the bottom of the lake. Can you find it?"

Gyarados was a little preoccupied – as she spoke, there was a blaze of Dragon Rage blowing water into steam just behind him – but he glanced towards the shore, gave a brief nod, and then upended and plunged deep.

Snarling, the Red Gyarados followed him with a roar and a splash.

"Remember," Lance said in a low voice. "What's important is the time you've had together. That's what powers the process."

Misty nodded, already concentrating.

Years ago now – or a little in the future – when she'd returned to Cerulean City as gym leader, and there'd been a newly evolved Gyarados rampaging around.

Trying to calm the Pokémon she was so scared of, by any means she could think of. Finally earning his trust by defending him – not with Pokémon, but with her own body.

That was when she'd seen that... Gyarados were scary, intimidating, _water type Pokémon._ They were no different than any other.

And with that realization, she'd gained a great Pokémon and a good friend. One of her strongest.

Eyes closed, Misty didn't see the flash of orange which circled the bracelet – or the flash in the water. Lance did, and smirked – his instinct about this particular trainer had been spot-on.

Then the surface of the lake heaved up.

The Red Gyarados emerged first, turning in a tight circle and blasting Dragon Rage back down into the churning water.

It didn't help much. A powerful blast of water came thundering back out of the disturbed lake, producing a cloud of hissing steam as it interacted violently with the Dragon Rage, and then a blue shape followed the Hydro Pump and slammed bodily into the Shiny Pokémon.

"Wow," Misty said softly, as Mega Gyarados drove his opponent back – and back, and back, despite the thrashing tail of the enraged Pokémon pushing back as hard as it could manage.

"Huh," Lance said, next to her. "So that's what a Mega Gyarados looks like."

The Red Gyarados finally managed to thrash out of the way of Misty's Pokémon. Roaring, it charged up and fired a Hyper Beam.

Mega Gyarados took the attack much better than he could have done before his power boost, though – thick scales shedding much of the force of the attack, though it clearly still hurt. He let out an ear-punishing roar, and plunged forwards with fangs bared to deliver a Crunch attack to one of the Red Gyarados' fins.

"Gyarados!" Misty called. "Try and bring him closer!"

The Red Gyarados didn't like the sound of that plan. He twisted, aiming for the side of his opponent, and unleashed a blast of dragonfire.

The tail blow which knocked him over with a concussive _slap_ was not entirely unexpected.

* * *

><p>Mega Tyranitar roared, swinging his tail, and a miniature tornado of sand began to form around his body. The remaining light fixtures crumbled, and then some much more durable emergency lights came on – bathing the battlefield in an eerie green glow.<p>

"Get him!" Tyson called out. "Use Fire attacks!"

There were some small red flashes as the Pokémon not in the battle were withdrawn, and everyone human (or Electric-type Pokémon, in the case of Pikachu) ducked for cover.

Then Mega Tyranitar's fists and fangs burst into flame, adding a flickering orange light to the scene where the light got through the gathering sandstorm. Hunching over slightly, he lunged forwards with legs digging into the floor below and tail thrashing behind.

Mega Heracross waited as his opponent advanced, setting his stance. He pulled back his right fist, clenching his claws.

As soon as Mega Tyranitar was near enough, the big dinosaur's fist cocked back. With a roar, he volleyed in the Fire Punch.

The flame-enshrouded fist met a pistonlike Focus Punch coming the other way. The impact produced an audible BANG, blowing wisps of flame in all directions, and both Pokémon staggered back from the impact.

Ash's Mega recovered first. He ducked low, horn foremost, and lunged with it – jabbing at the red patch on Mega Tyranitar's belly where the armour didn't cover.

The Megahorn hit hard making Mega Tyranitar roar in pain, and Mega Heracross worked his legs to keep the horn in contact and doing damage for as long as possible in spite of the sandstorm.

After a few seconds, Mega Tyranitar forced the issue. Kicking out with his left leg, he dug the spiked protrusion on the armoured kneepad into Mega Heracross' side, knocking him back and away.

Bouncing once with a _crack_ on the green-lit floor, Mega Heracross braked his slide and sprang back upright. He squared off for a moment, looking for an opening, and then Mega Tyranitar made his next attack – opening his mouth, and unleashing a stream of billowing orange fire.

Mega Heracross blocked the Flamethrower with crossed arms, protecting his eyes and antennae, and the flame rippled around his horn and fists for a few seconds.

When the flames subsided, Mega Heracross had a few scorch marks on the exposed parts of his body, but he seemed mostly fine.

"Flamethrower again!" Tyson instructed.

Mega Tyranitar got halfway through the process of preparing the second Flamethrower attack when a half-melted piece of computer hit him in the chin. Eyes wide, he half-swallowed the burst of flame, and orange fire burst out between the top and bottom of his mouth.

Shaking his head as he recovered, he roared, and the sand swirling about his body intensified.

"Rock Tomb!" Tyson changed his mind. "Stop him from moving!"

Mega Tyranitar's foot slammed into the floor, and it trembled. The emergency lighting flickered for a moment, and a half-dozen boulders pushed their way up through the floor to surround Mega Heracross.

There was a moment's silence, and then one of the boulders moved.

Mega Tyranitar blinked as his opponent lifted a boulder bigger than it was, and then flinched away as the boulder came flying across the room at him. Swiping with his shoulder armour, Mega Tyranitar blew the rock to pieces, and then tried to see where the Bug-type had gone.

Something pulled on his back.

"He's between your back spines!" Tyson called suddenly, as Mega Tyranitar swung around looking for the cause of the pull. "I just saw – the sandstorm is-"

Mega Tyranitar soon had all the evidence he could need that Mega Heracross was there. A series of fast, repetitive Arm Thrusts began slamming home into the small of his back.

Roaring in pain, Mega Tyranitar slammed his tail on the ground and then swung it up with an almighty _crack_ into the area of his back the pain was coming from. The impact hurt, a lot, but the punches stopped.

"He's just behind you!" Tyson snapped. "Stomp him!"

Steadying himself with his tail, Mega Tyranitar took a step back and slammed his foot down where Mega Heracross had landed.

The foot did not go down all the way. This wasn't because it had hit Mega Heracross, though – it was because Mega Heracross had _caught_ it.

All three Rockets gaped as Mega Heracross clung firmly onto Mega Tyranitar's foot. The bigger Pokémon tried to shake his opponent off, but to no avail, and then Mega Heracross got his feet under him and _pushed._

Slowly but surely, Mega Tyranitar was lifted off the ground entirely and into the air. Roaring, the Rock-type tried to get free of Mega Heracross' grip, and got his wish – sort of.

Adjusting his stance, Mega Heracross crouched, and then straightened with an explosive push – throwing Mega Tyranitar across the room to crash into the far wall.

Mega Tyranitar shook his head, a little unstable, and looked up just in time to see the incoming Focus Punch.

* * *

><p>Snapping and snarling, the two Gyarados – one shiny, one mega – clashed repeatedly, the sound frightening away whatever Pidgey hadn't already left the area.<p>

Misty's Mega-evolved Pokémon had the upper hand, overall, and was able to gradually force the battle towards the shoreline where his trainer stood. Neck contorting back, he avoided a fanged Bite from the Shiny and counterattacked with a torrent of water.

Soaked and pushed back by the Hydro Pump but manifestly not yet out of the fight, the enraged Gyarados replied with a torrent of green fire which mostly splashed off his target's scales. Some found purchase, burning with a crackling intensity where it could, and Mega Gyarados hissed in pain before slamming his head forwards again to knock the Shiny aside.

Misty watched closely, trying to get a handle on what the two Pokémon were doing and when. If she could spot a-

There!

"Protect!" she called, and Mega Gyarados frowned. Complying, he let up the attack and produced a greenish shield between himself and the Shiny.

About half a second after the shield stabilized, the Red Gyarados fired a Hydro Cannon.

Misty's timing was just right. The striated ball of water hit Mega Gyarados' Protect, compressed momentarily, and exploded outwards in a colossal torrent of water which, unable to get past the shield, went almost entirely back at the red Pokémon.

Startled to be hit so hard, the Shiny staggered backwards – wobbling a little, as the drain from firing the Hydro Cannon acted to momentarily tire him.

Mega Gyarados was not inclined to let him recover. Surging forwards in a powerful Body Slam, he propelled his opponent into the shallows as requested and then crashing to the muddy beach.

"Good!" Misty said, exhaling explosively. "Good work, Gyarados."

"Are you going to catch it?" Lance asked, nodding towards the red Pokémon. "The Shiny, I mean."

"Uh..." Misty frowned. "Not sure, actually – I mean..."

She tailed off.

Last time, she remembered, it had been Lance himself who had caught the big Shiny – and it had been an important member of his team. She'd even heard from Brock that it had helped save him and May once, down in Hoenn.

But last time, Lance had been the one to stop its rampage, as well. Would it even be wise to have him catch it – or to let it go? The Pokémon clearly needed a lot of help controlling his anger...

...and Misty didn't want to be the one to do it. She _had_ a Gyarados, and though he wasn't as strong – nor Shiny – she'd rather use him any day.

Seeing her indecision, Lance frowned. "I know. You catch him, and then I'll trade you him for a Key Stone."

Misty glanced down at the still-faintly-pulsing band around her wrist. "You mean – I'd keep this?"

"Well, you're clearly good at using it," Lance smiled. "Besides, we've got a couple spare."

"Right." Misty nodded, and took the last of her Lure Balls from her bag.

One of them now held her Corsola, an old friend, and one her relatively new Chinchou.

It seemed appropriate for this to be the third. She expanded it out, and threw it.

Too tired to resist much, the Red Gyarados was caught relatively easily.

As she picked up the Lure Ball, there was an orange flash as Gyarados transitioned back down from Mega.

Suicune walked out onto the mud-clouded water, clearing it as she went, and delicately plucked a rough gemstone from the sloping beach. _"Found the Mega Stone, Misty."_

"Thanks," Misty smiled, then glanced over at Lance. "Is it okay for me to-"

"Finders keepers," the Champion smiled, as she passed him the Lure Ball. "And thank you, Misty. I'm sure he'll be a handful, but Dragonite and I will enjoy the challenge."

"_Speak for yourself..."_ Dragonite grumbled.

Lance waved him off. "I look forward to seeing you at the Silver Conference, Misty. We're hoping to move up the final decision on who qualifies for the open slots there."

"I'm sure I'll be there," Misty told him.

* * *

><p>"Good work, Heracross!" Ash called, after waiting a few seconds to be sure the Mega Tyranitar wasn't getting back up again.<p>

Mega Heracross turned to him, saluted, and flashed orange as he transitioned back down. _"Not a problem!"_

Mega Tyranitar emitted a deep, exhausted moan, and another flash of orange light illuminated the room as he too reverted from his Mega-Evolved state.

Tyson recalled him automatically. "Well," he said, shaking his head. "I thought I had all the bases covered, I really did. Even taught Tyranitar all those Fire moves to handle your Lucario, and now-"

A head poked around the door. "We're finished, sir!" Behind him there was the sound of a helicopter taking off.

"Right!" Tyson turned and jogged for the door. "Hopalong, Cassidy, come with me!"

"Where do you people _get_ these_-"_ Butch began, before Cassidy grabbed him by the wrist and hauled him along with her.

Ash ran forwards, picking his way over the ruined floor of the underground room, and Pikachu came bounding alongside him. They reached the other door some seconds behind the Rockets, and came around it just in time to see Tyson releasing a pair of sleek-looking Fearow.

Two Rockets jumped onto each Flying-type, which got into the air with indecent haste, and Butch also released a Drowzee which blocked Pikachu's quick Thunderbolt attack with a Light Screen.

Then they were out of the closing doors leading to the open air, and Butch just about managed to return the Psychic-type before they were out of sight entirely.

"Ash?" Brock called from the other room. "Is everything alright?"

"They got away," Ash called back. "They flew off, and the doors closed – I don't think I can follow on Pidgeot."

Brock winced. "Ouch. At least we broke their machine."

* * *

><p>"So," Ash said, when they were all back together about half an hour later. "How did that go?"<p>

"Not bad, actually," Brock said with a shrug. "I mean, we didn't catch any of the Rockets, but we did manage to stop their plan – early, even."

"Yeah, you're right," Ash nodded. "What about you, Misty?"

"I've got a Mega Stone," she said, glancing down at it again. "I think... yeah, that was a good outcome."

She looked up. "Wait – something Lance mentioned... remember Maurice? The guy with the Altaria?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "He got caught by J, right?"

"That's him," she confirmed. "Lance mentioned he's got a Key Stone too."

"Guess the Dragon Clan has a lot of them," Brock said.

Ash nodded, then blinked. "Wait – we need to let Gary know about some of this stuff..."

* * *

><p>Gary picked up the phone. "What is it, Ash, it's six in the morning here..."<p>

Pause.

"Of course I know it's you, Dee tells me."

Another pause.

"Wait, wait – you said _Team Rocket_ had this?" Gary groaned. "Right. I'll head over to the Tower of Mastery and let Gurrkin know we may as well just publish now... what did they have?"

Gary took notes as Ash talked. Umbreon paced over, yawning, and cocked her head on one side in confusion.

After a few more seconds, Gary was done. "Right, thanks. So that's a Tyranitarite, a Gyaradosite, and you think there might be an Altarite...Altariaite... or whatever the name is as well. Thanks. Okay, guess I'll see you next time there's some kind of emergency."

He closed the call, and started pulling on a coat. "Okay, Umbreon. We're headed back to Gurrkin's place. Alakazam?"

Alakazam promptly sent himself out. _Whenever you're ready._

* * *

><p>A pale blue canine with a furred, dark blue mane loped across the surface of a high alpine lake.<p>

Taking her bearings from the mountains, the shiny Suicune accelerated. She didn't have any particular deadline to deliver her message, but the sooner she got there the sooner she could return home – and to Pallet.

After having checked in on just about every legendary in Sinnoh, she for one was looking forwards to some time with Molly.

Coming to her next combination of landmarks, Suicune turned slightly to the left and began to lope up the steep side of a mountain abutting the lake. Her paws gained purchase on the small ledges dotting the rock, using them to push off and reach the next ledge, and before long she arrived at the summit.

Pacing forwards, she came around to the front of the temple surmounting this lonely mountain, and stepped over the threshold.

"_Regigigas, I bring greetings,"_ she said formally. _"From my lord Ho-Oh, from my siblings, and also from the sundry other Legendaries of our land."_

Regigigas did not reply.

"_I have important news,"_ she went on. _"Regigigas?"_

Starting to get a little miffed, she stepped forwards. _"Regigigas!"_

She waved a pale blue paw in front of his face. No response.

Howling did nothing, either, though some snow did fall off the roof.

_Gods. When my counterpart told me that Regigigas had a reaction time measurable with a calendar, she was not far off the mark..._

Suicune rolled her eyes. She went outside for a moment, retrieving a large rock, and balanced it on Regigigas' head.

Then she curled up for a nap. Hopefully, if he _did_ wake up, the sound of the falling rock would alert her.

She tried not to think about having to do this again in Snowpoint. Perhaps she should obtain some kind of gong...

* * *

><p>High above the Oblivia island chain, somewhere to the north-east of the Coral Sea, a green shape bored along through the sky.<p>

_Interesting. So, this is the ozone layer._

Rayquaza's serpentine form flew with the exquisite care of long practice, heading for the precise location he had all-but-instinctively calculated would give him the best angle.

_It's not very ozonific. It doesn't smell much like ozone._

Turning back on himself, Rayquaza gave Mewtwo a look. _"I had been led to believe you were one of the sensible ones."_

_Sorry,_ Mewtwo said promptly. _You're right, that was intemperate of me. It's just that this is my first time work shadowing, and..._

"_I do understand,"_ Rayquaza told him, relenting. _"But – well, I'm trying to concentrate."_

Mewtwo merely nodded.

Turning back on course, Rayquaza covered the last few miles to his ideal firing position.

He coiled up, hovering in defiance of gravity as though he were an Arbok being charmed on land and not a Legendary Dragon well into the stratosphere.

Looking out into the cosmos, he took only a few seconds to spot his target. A ball of ice and rock, already developing a faint tail from nearness to the sun, and falling steadily towards the green-and-blue world below.

Left to its own devices, it would hit in around half an hour. The impact would produce a sizeable tsunami, affecting much of the ocean basin with waves big enough to destroy cities.

Rayquaza did not intend to leave this potential bolide alone.

Frowning, he began the almost-automatic process of compensating for atmospheric disturbance – then felt a faint whisker of psionic energy.

"_Mewtwo, don't jog me,"_ he requested.

_Sorry, just making sure it wasn't a Deoxys on there,_ Mewtwo replied. _Carry on._

"_I will."_

Returning to his work, Rayquaza felt the atmosphere above him. Already calm, he extended his Air Lock out into it, and it became glassy-still – as clear as space.

The great dragon inhaled. Energy crackled in his maw, building and cresting, and then an intense Hyper Beam speared out at the incoming rock.

It exploded into a thousand pieces.

Turning with exquisite smoothness, Rayquaza targeted the largest piece that remained and sent a Dragon Pulse to intercept it. Then the next largest. The next.

Within two minutes, every rock over a hundred or so tonnes had been targeted to be blown to fragments. It would take a while longer for the long-range Dragon Pulses to connect with their targets, but Rayquaza's job was done.

_Very impressive,_ Mewtwo told him sincerely. _If you don't mind my asking, how do you discern when a dangerous rock is coming in?_

"_I have a network of Absol and Xatu,"_ Rayquaza replied. _"Between them they pick up any disasters on a large enough scale, and I get a warning some weeks in advance. I just tend to wait until they're close enough I'm certain of hitting, though the larger the rock the earlier I have to start."_

_My thanks,_ Mewtwo nodded. _How long have you been doing your job?_

"_About sixty-five million years." _Rayquaza looked off into the distance. _"Formerly my main role was regulating Groudon and Kyogre, but after the Creator of All was pancaked into the asthenosphere by a meteorite ten miles across he decided to take steps."_

Mewtwo winced. _Ouch. He was under that?_

"_He had all his Plates, so it wasn't dangerous to him, but I am reliably informed it hurt."_

_Ah._ Mewtwo looked down. _Speaking of Groudon and Kyogre, it seems that they are fighting. Again._

"_You what?"_ Rayquaza glanced down, seeing the flashes of red and blue in the middle of the Coral Sea already being obscured by a roiling hurricane, and sighed. _"Oh, no, not again. At least I'm high up... hey, morons! Dragon Ascent from a hundred thousand feet!"_

Rolling over, the green Dragon-type plunged towards the ground.

_I suppose I should follow him..._ Mewtwo mused.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

I told you they were unlucky to face Ash.

So – that was the first Mega versus Mega fight for the fic. Unfortunately for Tyson, his list of Ash's powerful Pokémon had a few glaring holes in it.

Also more Legendaries at work.


	92. Johto 34

This is the first of three chapters today.

* * *

><p>It was evening by the time Ash and his friends arrived in Mahogany Town.<p>

"Let's see..." Ash said, frowning. "Where's the gym?"

He glanced around. "Dexter?"

It's the building just next door to the Pokémon centre.

Ash looked up. "Oh, yeah! Thanks!"

"Did you do that on purpose?" Brock asked, blinking.

"Well, not especially, no..." Ash replied. "I just thought it was going to save time to ask first, rather than getting lost."

"That's... surprisingly sensible," Misty informed him. "Okay, let's go. Think there'll be time to get a challenge in tonight?"

"Hope so," Ash said, looking up at the sun slipping towards the horizon. "Come on, guys!"

* * *

><p>Ash knocked on the gym door. "Hello?"<p>

There was a long pause. Then a middle-aged woman opened the door. "Good evenin'!"

"Uh... hi?" Ash said. "Are you the gym assistant?"

"That's me," she nodded. "Sheila's the name. Guess you're one of the ones who did their research, half the people who don't do it come here and think I'm the leader..."

"I'm sure you'd be good at it," Brock told her.

"Oh, thanks," Sheila smiled. "Pryce might not, though... he's a great trainer, but a bit... prickly, sometimes."

"Is there time for me to challenge him?" Ash asked. "I know it's kinda late?"

"Sorry, he left about ten minutes ago," she apologized. "I was just locking up."

"Aw..." Ash sighed. "Where'd he go? Or do I have to wait until tomorrow?"

"Hmm." Sheila pursed her lips. "He does tend to spend a lot of time meditating... tell you what, come with me and we can let him know there's a challenger."

"Sounds good to me!" Ash agreed. "Lead the way!"

* * *

><p>"You know," Sheila mused, as she hiked up a mountain trail in the gathering gloom, "You're a lot fitter than I was expecting."<p>

"I keep in shape," Ash agreed, breath steaming in the air. With the sun sinking below the horizon, it was quickly getting colder – and darker – but Quilava was helping, so there wasn't much of an issue with seeing where they were going.

Her flames lit the way quite nicely.

"Just, uh..." Ash looked around. "How far is it?"

"Oh, not much further." They reached a broader spot, one lined with benches for people to stop and rest, and Sheila pointed out one particular path. "This way, he tends to meditate here in the evenings."

Squinting, Quilava blazed her flames up a bit higher so they could see further. The path wound through some boulders for a few dozen feet, then disappeared around a corner.

"Want a lift?" Ash offered her.

"_No thanks, I'm good," _she replied, leaping to one of the boulders. _"Got to stay in shape somehow."_

Ash nodded. "Got it."

Not noticing the curious look Sheila was giving him, he followed the path through the boulder field – towards where he could hear a faint splashing sound.

As it turned out, for Pryce, to meditate meant to sit in a freezing waterfall.

The Mahogany Gym Leader didn't look up at first as Ash approached. When the young trainer was only a few feet away, his eyes opened.

"Hm," he said, spotting Quilava first. "Better than some..."

Looking up further, he saw Ash – though not very well, in the flickering orange light provided by the Fire-type's flames.

"This is a challenger, Pryce," Sheila said briskly. "Thought I'd bring him up – so you knew to be at the gym on _time_ tomorrow."

"Heh." Pryce shook his head. "Not likely to be _worth_ my time..."

"You'd be surprised," Ash replied. "But... aren't you a gym leader?"

"What's it to you?" Pryce asked.

"Well... I thought Gym Leaders were supposed to take on all challengers?" Ash pressed. "Why should it matter? If they've got a Pokémon-"

"Pokémon are only for battle," Pryce replied. "A Pokémon that can't battle well is worthless."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Ash replied hotly. "Pokémon are friends and partners!"

"_You know it!"_ Pikachu agreed.

Pryce gave him a look, then shook his head with a sigh. "Live in the mountains for a few decades and you might change your mind on that, boy. Nothing's your friend except yourself."

"Oh, _thanks,_" Sheila said with heavy sarcasm.

Pryce continued as if she hadn't spoken. "You live up here, you get a feel for how the weather works – and then it turns on you. I've been in fine weather which has turned to a white-out blizzard in the time it takes to have lunch. Pokémon are the same."

"_Do you want to get punched?"_ Pikachu asked, blinking. _"Seriously..."_

Quilava shrugged. _"I'm amazed his Pokémon haven't done that already, to be honest."_

"You're wrong!" Ash said firmly. "And I'm going to prove it to you – by tomorrow morning!"

Pikachu's head snapped around. _"What did you just say, Ash?"_

Pryce laughed. "That'd be the day. But... you know what? I'll make it a supplementary challenge, now you say that. If you can't prove to me that my philosophy is wrong, then I just won't battle you."

"Fine!" Ash agreed.

Pikachu sighed. _"Ash... this is a bad idea."_

* * *

><p>"<em>What are we going to do now, Ash?"<em> Pikachu asked, as they walked back down the mountain path. _"You and your big mouth..."_

"No, I've got a reason for this," Ash denied. He checked Sheila was out of earshot, and then went on. "I remembered as he was talking – his Piloswine, remember?"

Pikachu frowned. _"I think... hmmm, it rings a faint bell..."_

"It went off in a snowstorm to get him medicine, and never returned," Ash explained in a low voice. "Pryce thinks it abandoned him. I just need to get back to the Pokémon Centre and switch a few Pokémon around..."

* * *

><p>As they entered the Pokémon Centre, Sheila sighed.<p>

"Sorry about that, kid," she said, shrugging. "But that's just Pryce for you. He's a good trainer, but he can be a real prickly customer at times."

"I know," the Joy said, leaning on the counter. "Hi, Sheila. This a challenger?"

"I want to be," Ash confirmed.

"Good luck trying," Sheila said, shaking her head. "If you want to change his mind, you've missed the boat on that one. He's not been the same since his Piloswine left."

"I heard that," the Joy agreed, frowning. "But I never really heard the _why_ behind it. What happened?"

"I don't know." Sheila spread her hands in apology. "Why does a perfectly normal Pokémon – a starter, even – just up and leave? Especially when their trainer's hurt? I don't know... but that's what made Pryce so jaded."

"Right!" Ash said firmly. "I'll go find that Piloswine!"

Sheila blinked. "What? How?"

"Wait a minute..." the Joy began, leaning further over her counter. "Aren't you Ash Ketchum?"

"...you're kidding!" Sheila gave Ash another look. "You're not kidding."

Ash blushed at the sudden change in their attitude. "Really, it's nothing big..."

"Sure, and I'm the Grand Champion of Unova," Sheila replied. "Okay, now I kind of want to see what happens. That old grouch has needed a shakeup for a while..."

* * *

><p>"Okay, Noctowl," Ash said, some minutes later. "Your job is just to make sure Pidgeot and I don't fly into a mountain in the dark."<p>

"_Well, I'll do my bally best... hmmm."_ Noctowl looked Pidgeot over closely. _"Tell me, old chum, can you see this?"_

He waved a wing.

Pidgeot blinked, as a pair of faintly glowing lines materialized in front of her. _"Yes, actually."_

"_Right."_ Noctowl took flight, and the lights drifted to his wingtips – one red, one green. A third, white, light appeared on his tail. _"They'll leave a long trail, so just follow it and everything should be tickety-boo."_

"_Ash?"_ Lucario asked, as he clambered aboard Pidgeot. _"You're really going to do this?"_

"I am," Ash confirmed. "I want to be sure that Pryce is... well, I guess I want to make sure he's okay. Last time, he changed his mind, but this time... I don't know." He shrugged. "I suppose I think the most likely thing to work is something dramatic."

"_I see. Well... stay safe, Ash,"_ Lucario advised softly.

"I intend to," Ash replied. "Right, guys, let's go!"

Noctowl took flight, the lights leaving a long trail behind him as he flew. Pidgeot waited a few seconds, then took to the air in a storm of wind and followed.

* * *

><p>"Can we go a bit lower?" Ash called, looking out into the night with his Aura senses rather than relying on his insufficient night vision.<p>

"_For a bit,"_ Noctowl allowed from ahead. _"But there's a dashed big wall of rock in half a mile or so, and we'll have to sheer off."_

"Got it," Ash confirmed. "Give us a roll before you do, so Pidgeot has the warning."

"_Understood."_

They dropped lower, the mountains obscuring the stars on both sides as they flew near-silently through the night. The occasional Ledian flashed below, but otherwise the night was dark and still. Even the moon was down.

"_How much area do we need to search, Ash?"_ Pidgeot asked, wide white wings-of-air in broad, low-speed configuration barely visible as she carefully angled them for maximum efficiency. _"We could be here a while – I dare not fly fast and low when it's this dark."_

"It's okay," Ash assured her. "Noctowl? How far are we from Mahogany?"

"_About eight miles, old chap,"_ Noctowl replied. Ahead, he performed a slow roll, then pulled up into a climb.

Recognizing the signal, Pidgeot followed suit. The two Flying-types rose up the near-sheer cliff face with a comfortable amount of sky room, then dipped down into the next valley.

"Whoa," Ash said, distracted for a moment by the starlight glittering on the lake of ice below. Then he frowned. "Wait... Noctowl, can we head ahead and a bit to the left?"

"_Abso-balley-lutely. Follow me!"_

Ahead, the illusory constellation marking Noctowl's position drifted down and left. Pidgeot banked gently, feathers rustling, and she followed with great care.

"Yeah," Ash said, some seconds later. "Yeah, that's a Pokémon alright. And quite a big one. Noctowl? There should be some kind of place to land... about ten thirty to Pidgeot _now_."

There was a pause.

"_Right, I've got one,"_ Noctowl reported. _"Pidgeot, I'll guide you down. Follow the yellow lights."_

A glidepath appeared ahead of the larger Flying-type, curving around in a spiral and then dropping down.

* * *

><p>The landing was tricky. Pidgeot couldn't see her destination even as she dropped lower and lower, following the light-path Noctowl gave her, until suddenly she caught sight of a rock looming out of the darkness and backwinged desperately.<p>

Fortunately, the rock was several feet to the side of her flight path, but even so it was a nasty scare.

"Sorry about that, Pidgeot," Ash said, wincing. "I'll try to make sure the takeoff is smoother."

"_I'd appreciate it,"_ Pidgeot replied, shaking her wings out as Ash got off her back. _"How, though?"_

"Don't worry, I do have a plan," Ash told her. "Want a rest for now, though?"

"_That'd be nice."_

Ash recalled her, and looked up to Noctowl's signal lights still orbiting overhead. "Stay up there for now, okay? Keep an eye out."

"_Not a problem. Not a problem at all,"_ Noctowl agreed.

Ash smiled, then sent out Quilava. "Right. Ready, Quilava?"

She nodded, and blazed her quills up. The flickering firelight they shed revealed a frosted landscape, moss clinging to the otherwise-barren stones.

Ash blew on his hands. "Brr, chilly up here..."

Concentrating, he started up the Airslip Aura technique, holding air close to his body to warm it up. It helped, a little. "Right, let's go..."

He set off, boots crunching slightly, and Quilava followed close behind.

* * *

><p>Some distance away, Pikachu shook his head.<p>

"_Ash is an idiot,"_ he said.

Lucario shrugged. _"Would you rather be out up that mountain, in the cold?"_

"_No!"_ Pikachu replied. _"I'd rather be in here, like I am – but I'd rather he was here as well. I'd rather we went in the morning, instead of Ash go flying through the night without even moonlight for Pidgeot to see by!"_

After a moment, his blue comrade stretched out a palm. _"I understand your frustration,"_ he said, calmly. _"But Ash wants to do this, and I couldn't come up with a good reason why not. So I did not say anything."_

Pikachu nodded, touching the palm for a moment. _"Sorry,"_ he sighed.

"_No need to apologize. As I say, I feel much the same."_

* * *

><p>"Nearly there," Ash said, nodding. "Look – I can just about see a cave."<p>

Quilava inhaled briefly, and spat a small Ember. The light it gave off lit a cave mouth about five or six metres away, with a faint trail visible heading off to the left and down the mountain.

"_Looks like,"_ she agreed. _"What do you want to do?"_

"Well, that Pokémon I could see is very close – in fact..." Ash closed his eyes briefly to check, "yeah, I can see it's a Piloswine now. So... head in, and start the process of thawing him out."

"_Right,"_ Quilava nodded. She continued forwards, lighting the cave as her Ember died, and Ash followed her.

The path led down a few metres of uneven ground before kinking a little to the right, and in the small hollow that resulted Quilava's light began to reflect off something clear and glittering.

A moment after Ash confirmed that this was the frozen Piloswine he was expecting, he sent out Meganium.

"_We're here?"_ she asked, shivering slightly. _"Brr, it's cold in here..."_

"Yeah, surprisingly cold," Ash agreed. "It must have been like this for decades, if Piloswine's still frozen. Right – Sunny Day!"

Meganium nodded firmly. Her flower opened a little, and five glowing orbs shot out of it to hang in the air.

"Good," Ash complimented her. "Now – keep that up, and use Aromatherapy as well. Quilava, what's your weakest Fire-type attack?"

"_That'd be Ember,"_ she replied. _"Wait, no – I suppose it's Fire Spin, that move's damaging over time."_

"Good. Can you set up a fire around Piloswine? A good distance away."

"_I'll do my best."_ Huffing, she blew flame from her quills and traced a wide circle around the frozen Ice-type. The flames licked up for a moment, then fell back to a steady, simmering heat.

"_Chaps?"_ Noctowl said, flying back from the far end of the cave. _"I found why this place is so bally cold – that end only opens onto a flippin' glacier!"_

"...that would do it, yeah," Ash agreed. "Right. Time for step two."

"_What's step two?"_ Noctowl asked.

* * *

><p>"...so, the idea is, you provide light here and so Pidgeot can use that to land," Ash said.<p>

Makes sense, Dexter agreed. How long will you be?

"Depends how long it takes me to persuade Pryce," Ash replied, rolling his eyes. "Right. Pidgeot?"

The big Flying-type formed. _"Are we going flying at night again?"_

"I'm afraid so," Ash shrugged. "Don't worry – no more low level stuff for now."

Chirping a moderately happy acknowledgement, Pidgeot bent down to let Ash board. _"Where to, then?"_

"Pryce's cottage," he told her. "It's on the outskirts of Mahogany, I think – land next to the Pokémon Centre, and I'll check there."

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door.<p>

Pryce looked up from his mug of cocoa, frowning. "What do you want?" he called. "It's far too late! Come back tomorrow!"

"It's important!" a voice replied.

The gym leader frowned. That voice sounded... familiar.

Just in case, he scooped up the Pokéball belonging to his Jynx before going to the door.

Unlocking it, he glared out. "It's eleven thirty, what do you-"

"Hi," Ash waved. "Sorry, but – this is kind of important. You need to see this."

"See what?" Pryce asked, frowning. "Can't it wait?"

"Not really," Ash hedged. "Sorry."

Pryce glared at him. "I'm sure you are. What is this thing that's so urgent?"

"I found your Piloswine."

The elderly gym leader blinked. "What."

"He was frozen in ice – I found him, he's thawing out now," Ash explained. "I think you should be there when he recovers."

"But..." Pryce shook his head. "Why – I mean... he left me! Why did he do that?"

"I heard a bit about that," Ash nodded. "You were burned, right?"

Pryce nodded reluctantly.

"And – there were some Lum berry branches around him," Ash went on. "I think he got frozen on the way back with medicine for you."

Pryce's mouth opened for a moment, then he shut it and gave Ash a suspicious look. "Why should I trust you about this? You could just be making it up to get your gym challenge!"

"Then let me show you," Ash replied. "It's quite a long way up the mountain, but I've already been there. On a night this clear, Pidgeot can fly there safely – with both of us."

The Mahogany gym leader frowned for a little longer, then sighed. "I suppose it's not too... right, give me a minute."

He went back into his house, and picked up a couple more Pokéballs.

"Just in case," he told Ash, not explaining further.

"Right." Ash nodded, and sent Pidgeot out. "Ready for this?"

"_As I'll ever be, I suppose..."_

* * *

><p>Backwinging hard, Pidgeot came down to land by the light of Dexter's Flash.<p>

"_That was so much easier this time,"_ she said gratefully.

You are welcome, Dexter replied. Another Venomoth flew at him, and he ducked out of the way. Can I turn off the light now?

"Go ahead," Ash said, slipping off Pidgeot's back and helping Pryce down. "Thanks for your help."

As Dexter collapsed into vectors and returned to his projector, the gym leader looked around. "This is a long way up in the mountains..."

Ash shrugged, picking Dexter up. "It's where I found him. This way."

* * *

><p>The cavern was much warmer the second time Ash entered it. The half-dozen floating orbs of the Sunny Day were either still there or had been replenished, and Quilava's circular Fire Spin crackled away with a gentle red heat.<p>

"_Good to see you back, Ash,"_ Meganium said with a smile. _"He's starting to stir, I think."_

"Looks like we got here just in time, then," Ash replied.

Pryce had stopped in the door, eyes fixed on the slowly defrosting Piloswine. His eyes flicked from the puddle of water to the pile of Lum branches, some of them still half-held in ice, and then to the Pokémon himself.

There was a metallic clatter as his grip on a Pokéball loosened, and it fell from nerveless fingers to hit the ground.

A Glalie promptly emerged, yawning. _"What is it, sir?"_

It stopped. _"Wait, is that your Piloswine? Last time I saw him I was a Snorunt!"_

Pryce took a shaky step forwards. "Piloswine?"

The words seemed to reach the big Ground/Ice type. He shook himself, ice cracking away with a series of splats and splashes, and looked up.

"_Pryce?"_ he asked, sounding confused. _"You look... old. Is that really you?"_

"I'm sorry," Ash said, addressing Piloswine. "You've been up here for decades."

Piloswine glanced over at Ash, then looked back to Pryce. _"You're better, that's all that matters."_

Pryce blinked. "I... what did he say?"

"He said that all that mattered was that you were okay," Ash supplied.

"I heard rumours you could understand Pokémon, but..." the gym leader shot a look at his Glalie, who nodded a confirmation.

On seeing that, Pryce reached up to his eyes. "I... oh, damn and blast!"

He stepped over the flames, and knelt down. "Sorry, Piloswine. I should never have thought you'd leave me..."

Piloswine took a careful step forwards, brushing the plants out of the way, and nosed him. _"It's okay."_

"_Sir..."_ Glalie said, then wobbled back and forth. _"It's good to see you're happy again."_

He glanced down at Pryce' belt. _"Hey, Jynx! Check this out!"_

A sleepy-looking Jynx materialized. _"What is it? I was – wait a minute, is that Piloswine?"_

"_I know, right?"_ Glalie agreed.

"_How do you feel?"_ Meganium asked, moving around outside the flames to face Piloswine.

"_Alright. A bit cold, a bit numb..."_ Piloswine said, moving his legs to test them. _"Not bad, I suppose."_

"_Right."_ Meganium glanced at Ash. _"I'd prefer to have him thaw out more overnight, until he starts to feel uncomfortably warm. Then we can head down the mountain in the morning."_

"That makes sense," Ash agreed. "Meganium says it'd be best if we overnighted here and went down in the morning."

Pryce thought about that, then nodded. "Fine," he said. "I've slept rough before."

He chuckled. "And... I guess you win. You did manage to change my mind."

* * *

><p>The door to the Pokémon centre creaked open.<p>

As it did, an electric mouse sat on one of the chairs stirred.

Pikachu yawned, blinked, and spotted who'd just come in.

"_You're back!"_ Pikachu beamed, running over to Ash and leaping to his shoulder. _"And you didn't hit a mountain!"_

"Sorry, Pikachu..." Ash said, taking his friend down off his shoulder and giving him a scratch. "I know."

"_I'd just rather you don't get into those kinds of dangerous situations..."_ Pikachu sighed, leaning into the scratch. _"At least wait until morning next time, okay? I..."_

He shook his head. _"I know you'll fight through just about anything you see coming. I'm worried about things when you _don't_."_

While they were talking, Pryce had gone up to the counter and rung the bell. "Hello?"

There was a pause, then the sound of a Chansey speaking.

The Joy came hurrying out to the counter, wearing a dressing gown. "Sorry about that, I'm – oh, hello, Mr. Pryce. Don't usually see you in this early." She yawned, then caught sight of the Piloswine. "Oh, is that a new Pokémon?"

Pryce handed over an old, worn but well-cared-for Pokéball. "No, an old one. Can you give him a general check up?"

"Sure." Joy yawned again, as Chansey came up to the computer and started typing away... then blinked. "Wait."

She looked over at Ash, now sitting down next to Lucario in the hospitality area. "Did he-"

"Yes," Pryce confirmed with a sigh, then smiled. "He did."

* * *

><p>In the pre-dawn gloom, an encampment slept.<p>

The two humans were in their sleeping bags, underneath a blanket on pegs – no need for a full tent this far south, the Sevii islands were so warm in fact that a tent was a worse idea – and their Pokémon were scattered around taking the opportunity for a night in fresh air.

After all, they were scouting out the meadow for a potential Rocket satellite base... and the Boss had given them two weeks to do it. That was reason enough for a holiday.

Slowly, the light across the camp brightened. This light, however, was unusual – it flickered and danced, like firelight, and it came from the west.

Hunched over, stepping carefully, trying to sneak and not doing very well at it, a Moltres came walking slowly into the campsite.

She stepped carefully over the Arbok sprawled out on the ground like a fallen log, ducked under the Meowth dangling from a tree, and – after some thought – just went around the burly Gyarados.

Periodically, she looked up to make sure she was still on course for her goal.

The trainer she'd learned was called _James_ was... fascinating, to her. She'd picked up that he was part of some kind of organization which habitually stole Pokémon – but, at the same time, she'd seen him protect her and even some other Pokémon, and never seen him steal a thing.

It was all very confusing.

Distracted, her foot came down on something which rolled away beneath her. She staggered, giving an undignified _squawk_ of surprise as she stepped on a second Luxury Ball, tripped and landed in a heap.

There was a bright flash of light.

* * *

><p>Meowth yawned, and cracked an eyelid. "Eh?"<p>

Scanning the campsite, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Gyarados rolled over slightly in his sleep, but there was no other sign of movement.

"Huh. Must be some Flyin' type or somethin'," he shrugged, and went back to sleep.

Wedged underneath Gyarados' bulk as he settled down, a Pokéball flashed once.

* * *

><p>That afternoon, the two – accompanied by Brock and Misty, as well as Sheila – climbed up into the foothills outside Mahogany proper.<p>

"This should do," Pryce decided, looking at the prospective battlefield. "And no potential avalanche sites around it, either."

"Is that a-"

"Yes," Pryce told him bluntly. "I looked you up, I heard what you did to Jasmine's walls."

Ash's cheeks heated. "I don't mean to, it just happens!"

"And I'd rather not melt my gym," Pryce countered. "Right. First off – the rules. Five Pokémon a side, and the _winning_ Pokémon must switch out until at least one other Pokémon has been defeated, until this is no longer feasible."

"Why's that?" Misty asked. "That's an unusual rule."

"Something something hypothermia," Pryce replied shortly. "Now shush. Are these acceptable, challenger?"

"Sure!" Ash agreed. "I've got my anti-Ice team ready!"

Pikachu grumbled something indistinct.

Pryce began by expanding out his first Pokéball. "Okay, Dewgong!"

Pikachu perked up. _"Can I-"_

"Sorry," Ash replied. "I'm trying to make sure everyone gets a go. You've had three already in Johto."

"_Awww..."_

While Pikachu sulked, Ash sent his own Pokémon out. "Snorlax!"

Snorlax yawned. This was fairly usual for him.

"Oh, I see where this is going," Pryce nodded. "Your Snorlax is so fat that Ice attacks won't hurt it much."

"...actually, I just don't think he'd be much use against Dragon types," Ash admitted. "But yeah, that helps too..."

Sheila waved her arm. "Begin!"

"Dewgong!" Pryce instructed. "Begin with an Aurora Beam!"

The Ice-type attack hit Snorlax, creating a small patch of frost. Snorlax glanced down at it, miffed, and then fixed Dewgong with a stare.

"...why are his eyes glowing?" Pryce asked.

Dewgong yelped, and dove for cover as Snorlax fired his Hyper Beam.

The blaze of intense orange energy hit the ground just where Dewgong had been, and traced a line of scattered frost and crumbly soil across the ground after him.

Fortunately for the Ice-type, the attack was petering out as it reached him, and only retained enough force as it clipped his tail to spin him around a little.

"Get him while he's recharging!" Pryce called. "Water Sport!"

Dewgong skidded to a halt on the frosty ground, and nodded. Inhaling, he fired a shower of water at the sluggish Snorlax, soaking him from top to bottom.

Snorlax swiped irritably at the water jet. _"I don't need another bath, it rained yesterday..."_

Misty winced. "Ew."

"_Actually, I saw him doing it a few days ago,"_ Pikachu informed her. _"He uses shower gel and everything."_

"Huh. Okay, I... guess?"

The spray of water finally stopped, and Snorlax shot an irritated look at Dewgong again. This time, rather than just opening up with a Hyper Beam, he began to lumber forwards – clapping his fist into his palm menacingly.

"Now, Dewgong!" Pryce ordered. "Freeze him in place!"

Snorlax flopped forwards with a wet _thud_ as the Ice Beam arrived, and started to snore.

"_...wait,"_ Pikachu said, as the Ice attack froze a thin coating of ice across Snorlax' body before expanding out to the water which had covered the nearby floor as well. _"This seems somehow-"_

"Sleep Talk!" Ash called, from behind a convenient rock.

Snorlax let out an ear-punishing snore, and his right fist caught fire. Pushing off with his feet, he slid across the icy ground towards the startled Dewgong.

The Sea Lion Pokémon got out of the way with a quick Ice Beam to produce some surface to slide on, and propelled himself along it to evade Snorlax' Fire Punch. Turning in a skid at the end of his track, he charged another Ice Beam to fire at Snorlax.

It was at this point he discovered Snorlax had been following him.

Very fast.

* * *

><p>"Ouch..." Ash winced, as the Giga Impact hit. "I guess he learned that one too..."<p>

"_Is it me or is he becoming your ice specialist?"_ Pikachu asked.

Ash shrugged.

Dewgong went flying across the arena as they spoke, hitting a rock with a _thwack _and cracking the surface slightly. He got up, wobbled for a moment, and slumped back to the floor.

Pryce looked at the results for a moment.

"Well, so much for that," he said, shaking his head. "It's vaguely embarassing to be beaten by a Pokémon who doesn't even wake up to do it..."

"Sorry," Ash replied, recalling Snorlax. "Who's next?"

Pryce considered it. "Tell you what. Glalie, your turn!"

Glalie materialized. _"On it, sir."_

"Glalie, huh?" Ash said, frowning.

"_Ash, if I may?"_ Lucario asked.

"Sure," Ash agreed. "You've only had the one Johto gym fight so far."

"_My thanks."_

Pikachu muttered something which Ash decided not to notice.

"I hate it when people abuse type advantage," Pryce grumbled good-naturedly. "It's practically the defining attribute of my gym..."

As he spoke, Glalie floated out to take his position, and Lucario matched him.

The Fighting-type bowed to his opponent, palms together. _"I hope we will have a great battle,"_ he said.

Pleasantries over, he took his stance – one foot forwards, the other back and perpendicular to the direction of his opponent. Both forepaws were clenched into loose fists, one above the other, held to protect his torso and head.

Blue aura crackled around them for a moment as he made ready.

Glalie was not idle either. His horns glowed, blue light drifting around them for a moment, and the glow then spread to his whole body.

Sheila watched them, until both seemed to be ready. "Right. Begin!"

* * *

><p>"Aha!" Chuck said with a grin, reading the sign. "You are truly a dedicated Pokémon, to put such effort into training yourself! Tell me, how many badges do you have?"<p>

Raikou showed the set of four badges pinned to his scarf.

"Excellent!" Chuck proclaimed, cracking his knuckles. "Now, let us begin! Primeape!"

Raikou looked Primeape up and down. _"Right! A Fighting type, makes sense I suppose... this being the Fighting gym, and all...okay, here goes!"_

He pounced forwards, electricity crackling around his fur.

Primeape jumped out of the way, avoiding the Wild Charge except for a single stray bolt which snapped onto his gloves – making a _bang_ but doing no real damage – and hit the floor with legs compressed, before bouncing forwards as if he'd been shot from a spring.

Whirling, Raikou grinned. _"Time to show you something new from the box of tricks!"_

His eyes flashed.

Primeape drew back his fist to deliver a devastating Superpower – then stopped in mid-air, outlined by a yellowish glow.

"_Ha!"_ Raikou boomed. _"Didn't expect that, did you! Extrasensory!"_

Whipping his head around, he slammed Primeape into the wall with a _thud._

The simian Pokémon wasn't out of the fight yet. He pulled himself out of the small crater, brushed the cracked plaster off his fur, and came in again – this time, with dark-typed energy swirling on his gloves in an Assurance.

Raikou let him approach, then whipped his tail around. _"Thunder!"_

Primeape bounced off the ceiling that time, and hit the ground with a final _thwack._

"Most impressive!" Chuck applauded. "But I am not done yet, challenger! Here is the other member of my four-badge team! Poliwrath, show your skill!"

Poliwrath gave Chuck a look.

"What?" Chuck asked.

"_That is a legendary Electric-type, sensei. I am a Water-type. I have a problem with this."_

"_Can we fight now?"_ Raikou asked, tail lashing.

Poliwrath sighed, took his stance, and got hit by a Thunder.

Chuck took in the slightly bored expression on Raikou's face, and returned his smoking (and annoyed) Poliwrath. "Right! I can see I was right to prepare a little something extra for you!"

"_Oh?"_ Raikou's eyebrows went up. _"I like the sound of this! What do you have for me?"_

In reply, Chuck took a third Pokéball. "Chesnaught, go!"

Chesnaught bashed her fists together. _"I am ready!"_

Raikou frowned, examining her. _"Hm, I've never met a Chesnaught before. You seem to be some kind of Grass-type, but-"_

Arm glowing, Chesnaught slammed her fist into the gym floor. Roots erupted from it, reaching for Raikou's form, and he jumped into the air at speed.

Ducking one reaching, spiked vine, he blew a second into charred carbon with a close-range Thunder attack and bit through a third. Spitting out the bitter-tasting plant material, he landed outside the perimeter of the attack.

"_Aha!"_ he said, tail crackling. _"Electroball!"_

The attack hit her shell and bounced off.

"_...hm, that's not normal, I must admit,"_ he said, blinking. _"You're not secretly a Ground-type, are you?"_

"Chesnaught!" Chuck called. "Show your Superpower!"

Raikou leaped back into motion, the spiked fist whistling over his head as he got clear, and then launched forwards in a blurring Extremespeed.

Chesnaught blocked with a Spiky Shield.

"_Ow!"_ Raikou announced, bouncing off and landing on stinging paws. _"You're just full of surprises, aren't you..."_

He grinned. _This_ was more like it.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

This just wouldn't stop growing. Do let me know what you think...

Despite what Ash says, he does have a positive reason for sending out Snorlax here. The big bear is strong, tough, and – on ice – fast too.

Also, Raikou happened to pick a terrible move, since Bulletproof negates that specific Electric attack.


	93. Johto 35

This is the second of three chapters today.

* * *

><p>The moment Sheila gave the okay, Lucario exploded into action.<p>

Pushing off with his back foot and using his forward one for a powerful kick-off against the ground, he lunged upwards towards Glalie with one fist drawn back. It burst into fire as he climbed, and he volleyed a Fire Punch at the hovering Ice-type.

Glalie's horns pulsed, and an instant sphere of ice formed around him at about two feet distance. The surface of the sphere included Lucario's wrist, and the sudden addition of the whole sphere's weight threw his aim and speed badly off.

Pryce's Ice-type didn't bother trying to keep the icy sphere solid, either. He simply broke through the top as it fell under gravity, getting clear just before it shattered into a million pieces as Lucario smashed it with a Force Palm delivered by his off-hand.

Lucario stuck the landing with finicky precision, and looked up as he stood up – making sure he could see anything else Glalie might try.

He soon got his answer, as the Ice-type sent up a beam of light into the sky. It got colder rapidly, and then began to hail.

"_I can see you're not going to make this easy, precisely..."_ Lucario muttered, gaming out possible alternatives in his head.

"_It _is_ my job,"_ Glalie horns crackled with bluish energy, and then ice began to form out of thin air around Lucario and sweep towards him at speed.

Lucario lashed out at the oncoming ice with a snap-kick, adding a pulse of Aura which shattered that portion of the encircling ring, and jumped clear in that direction as it closed. Paws glowing a shimmering silver, he launched a Flash Cannon shot out at Glalie as he arced through the air – which splashed off another instant sphere of thick, clear ice – and landed on the icy ground, using a pair of Metal Claws from his free paw to brake.

No sooner had he stopped than he had to push off again, launching himself away from another surging wave of ice with a powerful handspring.

"_I can see where this is going,"_ Lucario muttered. He landed upright, forming Aura-spikes from the soles of his feet to ensure his grip on the quickly-icing surface of the battlefield, and formed a pair of Aura Spheres – one in each paw.

Glalie spent a moment building his next attack. The blue light of his cryokinesis flickered around his horns, then lashed out – broadening, and widening, until it was a gigantic ball of ice and slush at least ten feet across, and heading for Lucario at speed.

Slamming his paws together, Lucario burst both his charging Aura Spheres, producing a cloud of smaller seeker spheres. As they shot off in all directions, gaining distance before turning to dive back in towards Glalie, he switched his attention to the incoming ice ball.

In the last half-second or so before it arrived, he crossed his forearms together over his chest – then brought them back across-and-down, recrossing one another in a scissored Cross Chop.

There was a blue flash of Aura, bright enough to make the spectators flinch, and the ball of ice exploded into four quarter-spheres which went bouncing off in all directions.

Squinting through the shower of snow and ice as it rained down around him, Lucario saw Glalie's latest icy-shield collapsing – having successfully absorbed all the impacts from the seeker spheres first.

Lucario took a deep breath, regaining his focus, then leapt skywards away from a wave of ice as Glalie returned to the offensive.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the shield!" Misty smiled, as hail rattled off a Barrier screen.<p>

My pleasure.

Ash was focusing on the battle. "Right... so, that ice-shield of his... okay, got it. Lucario!"

"_Little busy right now!"_ Lucario called back, and Ash glanced from Glalie back to his own Pokémon.

Lucario was... fighting a large draconic _thing_ made out of ice. As Ash watched, Lucario slammed two snap-kicks into the thing's neck in quick succession, breaking it off, then fired a Flash Cannon at the remainder and used his other paw to Force Palm an incoming ball of ice into oblivion.

"_Right,"_ Lucario said, a little more calmly, and shot a pair of Aura Spheres at Glalie to keep him occupied. _"What was it?"_

"Get closer!" Ash instructed. "Try close-in combat again!"

"_Uh... sure,"_ Lucario said. He lashed out with a spinning kick at the latest attack from Glalie – a four-foot ice sphere – and smashed it into pieces. _"I'll get right on that."_

"Good," Ash nodded.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Brock asked. "I mean-"

"Well, Glalie's clearly got the advantage right now," Ash pointed out. "Glalie are strong in hailstorms – they heal – and he's clearly good at ranged combat..."

* * *

><p>Lucario jumped forwards, into the teeth of the wave of ice surging at him. He pulled both forepaws back right to his shoulders, then pushed them forwards with swirling balls of Aura in them.<p>

The twin Aura Spheres, driven to rotate faster than usual, smashed a hole in the wave, and Lucario's tail just about squeaked through before the ice healed up again.

_Aha._ That pretty much confirmed it – Ash was right, Glalie didn't want him too close.

That was exploitable, potentially.

Unfortunately, the Ice-type wasn't going to let himself be caught easily. He was levitating well into the air, out of reach – not as out of reach as he might think, but high enough to be mostly safe.

Lucario's challenge now was to work out how to change that.

Glalie fired down an Ice Beam directly, using the blue cryo-energy in a straight-on attack rather than trying to use it to form something solid to attack with.

Not missing a trick, Lucario flipped his left arm up to counter it. His metal wrist-spike glowed an eerie blue as the energy hit it, skating off and hitting the ground in a semicircular arc.

By dint of careful prediction, Lucario kept the spike in the right place as Glalie tried to sneak a blow past, and after ten seconds or so the Ice Beam ran out.

Lowering his left arm, Lucario snapped his right out to the side. His fists crackled, and then caught fire in the precursor to a Fire Punch.

Rather than simply lunge skywards again, though, Lucario brought his flaming fists together and let the heat build on them. He heard the rumbling crash as an ice wave came in, and he kicked out with one foot just as it reached him.

That sent him a few feet skywards, and he used the other leg in a volleyed blow straight away – gaining about ten feet more height.

At the apex of his jump, he brought both paws to his mouth and exhaled. The fires caught, and a rippling jet of flame lashed out towards Glalie.

Startled, Glalie switched to his icy shield. Solidifying out of the moisture in the air in an instant, it took the Flamethrower with relative ease.

That hadn't been the point, though.

As Lucario fell, he snuffed out the blaze on his right paw and formed an Aura Sphere instead. Crushing it, he formed a shower of blue tracer spheres – which came shooting out in all directions just as Glalie's shield expired, making him form it again to avoid being hit.

But that hadn't been the point either.

Knees bent, Lucario absorbed the impact with the ground. His left paw blazed up ever brighter, but his right paw shone a clear, cool blue for a moment – then flashed _icy_.

Capitalizing on the three-to-four seconds he had while his loosely sequenced tracer spheres hit home on Glalie's defence, he sprang into motion. His flaming left paw traced an orange ribbon through the hailstorm, matched by his cool blue one.

* * *

><p>"What's he trying to do there?" Pryce asked, frowning, as Lucario kept running. "Is it some kind of Fire Spin? Or-"<p>

* * *

><p>Reaching the centre of his track, Lucario paused for a moment – and punched upwards.<p>

The Flying Dragon Uppercut triggered, sending him soaring into the air in a flurry of snow and a roaring storm of wind.

It lasted two seconds before the wind started to lose its ability to push him bodily into the sky. And at the end of those two seconds, Glalie was _down._

The startled Ice-type had only a moment to react. He did well with it, however, conjuring a Blizzard out of nowhere and forming a great, thick wall of ice between him and the incoming Lucario.

Lucario didn't much care.

His paws flashed an intense Aura blue. Slamming his left foot into the ice, then his right, he spiderwebbed it with cracks, and then a lance of palm-delivered Aura blew it to smithereens.

The final barrier was Glalie's spherical icy shield. It was also, however, a mistake – Lucario formed a pair of metal claws, using them to grip onto it, and then smashed an Iron Tail through it before Glalie could get clear.

Glalie was sent straight towards the ground by the heavy hammerblow, dazed, and Lucario landed on top of him a moment after he hit the ground.

"_Close Combat,"_ Lucario explained, then delivered another palm strike.

* * *

><p>Pryce returned his thoroughly stunned Glalie. "I've never seen that move your Lucario did there before," he said. "What was it? Some kind of Flying move?"<p>

"Kinda," Ash shrugged. "Lucario invented it. It involves a spiral of hot and cold air. I think he used it once or twice at the League last year-"

"Oh, is _that_ what that was?" Pryce asked, nodding. "Right, I remember now. It looked more like a standard Sky Uppercut then. I didn't realize it worked like that..."

"Not many do," Ash agreed. "It's a neat move."

"Indeed." Pryce frowned, as Ash returned Lucario. "Next up – the Pokémon I use to handle opponents who are ready for Ice. You may have some trouble with this one! Jynx!"

"Heracross!"

* * *

><p>"Here you are, Jessie," James said, passing her a plate of breakfast. "Just how you like it."<p>

"Thanks, James," Jessie nodded, and started in on her meal. "Ah, it's great being in the field..."

"Yeah!" Meowth grinned. "We hardly ever ate dis well when we was after Ash!"

James shrugged, flipping the next okonomiyaki . "Well, that's mainly because we were too busy selling food to pay for the latest giant robot..."

There was a hiss as he slid the thick pancake onto a plate. "Abra, this one's-"

He blinked at the now-empty plate. "That's impressive and slightly worrying."

"You're tellin' me," Meowth muttered.

Gyarados yawned.

"It's half past ten, ya big lunk," Meowth added, beaning the mammoth Water-type with a toothpick. "About time you got up!"

As he rumbled and shook himself out of the small depression he'd slept in, two Luxury Balls went bouncing across the grass.

"Eh?" Meowth blinked, then hopped down from the table. He spotted a plain Pokéball, a gold-painted Pokéball, and a Great Ball in the grass as well. "Hey, who knocked over da bag full a' Pokéballs?"

"_I think that must have been me,"_ Cubone volunteered, looking up from her own okonomiyaki . _"I was the one closest to it, sorry."_

"Eh, no harm done..." Meowth picked up the balls one by one. "Okay, lessee... da two Luxury balls are for Weezing an' Arbok... those are spare... spare... dat's Gyarados' shiny one what we got him sold in... o' course Growlie has da Ultraball 'cause James' parents are posh... Victreebell... Wob..."

One by one, the balls clattered back into the bag. Then Meowth blinked. "Huh..."

"What?" James asked, looking up from the hissing skillet as he added yet another pancake to Gyarados' stack.

"Well, I tink Gyarados is lyin' on one. Hey, budge up!"

Gyarados yawned again, and slithered out of the hole. A red-and-white Pokéball was half buried in the mud.

"Huh, dat's weird," Meowth added, looking around. "Did we pick up-"

The Pokéball opened.

"_Finally!"_ its occupant said, stretching her wings with a _snap-crackle_ of flame. _"That thing wasn't opening no matter what I did!"_

Jessie dropped her plate.

James dropped his skillet. This landed on his foot, which produced a fair amount of mostly-muffled swearing.

"...hey, ain't I seen you somewhere before?" Meowth asked, frowning.

"Is that a _Moltres?"_ Jessie asked. "What was-"

The Moltres turned to look at her, and was visibly confused by the tableau that confronted her. _"Um... what's going on?"_

"Good question," Meowth quipped. "Let us know when ya find out."

"Why did one of our Pokéballs have a Moltres in?" Jessie pressed. "I know we didn't have one last night!"

The Moltres blushed. This wasn't easy for a Fire-type whose plumage was half fire and mostly orange, but she managed it.

"_I..." _She folded her wings, looking down in embarrassment. _"I was... I tripped over the Pokéballs."_

James looked up from rubbing his injured foot. "What did they say?"

"She said she tripped over da pile o' Pokéballs what Cubone knocked over," Meowth explained.

"But..." Jessie blinked. "Those were in the middle of our camp. Why was she in the middle of our camp?"

Moltres somehow looked even more embarrassed.

"Oh, dat one's easy," Meowth continued, glad to have a question he knew the answer to without interpretation. "She's got a crush on James, is what-"

"_Hey!"_ Moltres snapped. _"That's private!"_ After a moment, she shook her head. _"And I don't!"_

"She... what?" James repeated, taken aback.

"Well, I guess you did swoop in and save her from the Pokémon Pinchers," Jessie said. "I mean, I guess this is that one from Mt. Ember."

"Does that mean she's the one who torched Jessiebelle's private army, too?" James weighed in.

"_...yes, I am. And I did."_ Moltres nodded, glancing over at Meowth – having already seen he was the translator on the team.

"Well... thanks, then, I guess," James said.

Jessie nodded her agreement. "Though I'm still not sure why you were following us around..."

"_I owe you!"_ Moltres replied. _"I want to make sure you're... well, safe, I guess..."_

Jumping off her chair, Cubone walked over to the depression Gyarados had left in the grass. She picked up the red-and-white Pokéball, and held it up. _"There's one important question here. What do we do now?"_

James frowned, thinking for a moment, then nodded. "I know. Pass it here."

She threw it, and he caught it out of the air with the hand not holding the frying pan.

That done, he put it on the ground and stood well back. "Destroy it if you want to," he said, addressing Moltres directly. "I mean, you could just fly off if you wanted to, and we wouldn't stop you, but..." He shrugged. "It just... seems right, I guess."

Moltres looked from the 'ball to him a few times, then turned to look at the rest of the group.

This was easier said than done – Wobbuffet was behind her, Gyarados was behind her in a different direction, and Abra was – somehow – still asleep.

Then she took a deep breath, bent down to the 'ball, and knocked it back towards James with her beak.

"_I'll stay," _she said. _"For now, at least."_

James stared at the Pokéball for a moment, then picked it up. "Thank you," he said, nodding to her – ignoring the throbbing in his foot.

"Now," Meowth interjected, an expression of concern on his face. "Dis is where it gets all complicated. We got enough breakfast for a Moltres too?"

* * *

><p>Jynx stood on the battlefield, seemingly having no trouble with the ice or the hail.<p>

She looked across at her opponent, and frowned. _"A bug? Oh, that's annoying..."_

"_I'll try not to be offended by that,"_ Heracross replied. He winced as a hailstone hit his horn. _"Right, let's get started!"_

Clenching his fists, he jumped forwards and opened with a Hammer Arm.

Jynx held her hand up. _"Nope, sorry."_ A wall of psychic force formed between the two, and Heracross' attack slammed into the Reflect.

"_Ow,"_ he said, shaking his fist out. _"That was not – whoa!"_

Jynx made a circling motion with her other hand, pointing with two fingers and curling the rest up. A pulse of Psychic came off the gesture, clipping Heracross as he jumped into the air and opened his wings, and he went back a few feet before stabilizing and landing again.

"_Right,"_ he said, and glanced back at Ash. _"Any advice?"_

"Just try to get in close for now, Heracross!" Ash called. "And stick to Bug-type or any Dark-type attacks!"

"_That I can do,"_ Heracross replied, leaning over and charging forwards again.

Jynx made a clenching gesture with her right hand, turned it so the back was facing her, and opened it again. A small blue orb appeared, expanding out rapidly, and then Heracross was hit by a Water Pulse.

The slap-in-the-face knocked him back a bit, staggering, and he took a moment to recover and continue his forwards charge.

Jynx hadn't been idle during that time, either. With a series of gestures, she formed another Reflect wall between herself and Heracross, then made a heart shape with both hands and blew through it.

The Heart Stamp hit Heracross in the chest, but this time he was ready. Leaning forwards as it came in, he bulled through, and slammed his horn into the psychic shield.

It creaked, then shattered as Heracross slammed a Brick Break into it. Lunging at Jynx as she gestured again, he scored a hit on her metallic chest-plate with a _screeeech_ noise.

Jynx gave ground a step, and flattened both her hands palm up a little in front of her hips. Heracross stabbed forwards with his Megahorn, and nearly hit her again.

Then she used Blizzard. Straight up from the ground.

The storm of ice enveloped Heracross, sending him flying into the air at least fifty feet before he got clear. A Heart Stamp followed, hitting him as he began to reorient himself, and he hit a snowdrift with a _crunch._

"Good work, Jynx!" Pryce called, as Heracross staggered out of the snowdrift. "Just keep him at a distance!"

Jynx nodded, hands moving in a complicated gesture and gathering a ball of light between them.

She held it for a moment, then fired out the Secret Power.

Heracross saw it coming, and tried to dodge clear. The staggering impact of the Heart Stamp he'd taken slowed him, though, and the Ice-effect pulse of natural energy swirled around him before flashing to solid ice.

"Ha!" Pryce grinned. "Your Heracross is in trouble now!"

He blinked. "Wait. What are you doing?"

Ash swung the staff off his back. "Did you see the band thing on Heracross' arm?"

"I did," Pryce admitted. "Silk scarf? Expert belt? Focus band?"

"Heracronite."

The staff flashed a bright, clear blue, accompanied by gold-and-silver light from the two feathers below the capstone.

An answering flash of orange light came from the slab of ice containing Heracross, which then steamed and began to melt.

Within seconds, it exploded outwards, and Mega Heracross stood there.

"I've never heard of such a thing," Price said, looking closer. "I... your Pokémon was fully evolved, and then... is that an evolution?"

"It's a Mega Evolution," Ash explained. "It involves a Mega Stone the Pokémon holds, a Key Stone the trainer uses, and a strong bond of love between the Pokémon and their trainer."

"All right, you don't have to rub it in..." Pryce muttered. "I get the point. Why is the ice around your Pokémon melting?"

"Mega Heracross has... kind of a high body temperature," Ash shrugged. "Okay, Mega Heracross, back to the fight!"

Mega Heracross crouched over, and ran forwards. Dark energy streamed from his horn, and he rammed right through the Reflect wall in his way before shoulder-charging Jynx to the ground.

She rolled out of the way of the Megahorn he tried to use, formed a Heart Stamp with hurried movements, and got a little more distance as he shook the effect off.

"Jynx – put him to sleep!" Pryce said. "He can't be frozen, but he can still be put to sleep!"

Jynx nodded. A gesture sent a wave of ice at Mega Heracross as he came charging forwards again, slowing him, and she then formed another heart shape over her mouth before blowing a kiss through it.

Mega Heracross blundered straight into the pink energy pulse, staggered, and measured his length in the snow (which quickly hissed and began to melt away around him).

"_Phew,"_ Jynx said, building up a Psyshock attack. _"That was close."_

"Sleep talk!" Ash called.

Mega Heracross surged to his feet again, horn crackling with Dark-type energy, and slashed the incoming surge of Psychic energy in half as it hit. Part of the attack curved off, carving a long furrow in the ground, and the rest blew a snowbank to bits.

"...of course he knows Sleep Talk," Pryce shook his head. "Right. Jynx, Draining Kiss!"

Jynx kissed her palms, one and then the other. Levelling them, she blew something off each palm in turn at Mega Heracross.

"Sleep Talk again!" Ash told him.

Mega Heracross fired an Aura Sphere off into the distance, some way to the right of Jynx, and then got hit by both Draining Kisses in a row.

"Ergh..." Ash winced, as Jynx visibly recovered. "Try Sleep Talk again!"

This time, Mega Heracross used Pin Missile.

The _way_ he used it, though, was quite surprising to all involved. He levelled his burly right arm, which started spinning, and then a stream of needles rattled out at high speed in a tight pattern.

Of course, they still missed. But it was quite surprising.

"Heracross?" Ash asked, shocked.

Mega Heracross yawned. _"What is it?"_ he asked, blinking. _"Oh, right. Sleep-causing-"_

"Your arms are machine guns!" Ash interrupted.

Mega Heracross examined them. _"Really?"_

"Yeah!" Ash confirmed. "Point them at Jynx, and then use Pin Missile!"

"_I don't like this trend,"_ Jynx said nervously.

Mega Heracross duly did so. Both arms spun up, and launched barrages of needles at Jynx.

She formed a Reflect wall with two quick gestures, backing it up with a second layer behind it, and the needles pinged off the wall in a series of _spang_s and ricochets.

"_Hey, this is easy!"_ Mega Heracross said, keeping the barrage going. _"I could do this all day!"_

"_Really, really don't like this trend."_ Jynx frowned, then made an upwards gesture to try and hit Mega Heracross with another of the vertical blizzards.

Unfortunately, not much ice was left where Mega Heracross was standing, as his vents warmed the air and ground around him. What little of the attack that did hit him hardly did anything, and he sustained the barrage of pin missiles.

"Hmmm..." Ash frowned. "What about Rock Blast?"

Mega Heracross considered it. His left arm stopped firing, clicked once, and then launched a large rock instead.

"_This is really cool!"_ Mega Heracross decided.

"_I don't agree," _Jynx muttered. She fired another Heart Stamp with her free hand, and Mega Heracross blocked it with a rock before lumbering forwards – using his twin Pin Missile guns to give himself covering fire.

Jynx was forced to sustain the Reflect shield until Mega Heracross had almost reached it. Taking a chance, she dropped it as he drew back one arm for a Brick Break, and put everything into a grand, sweeping gesture to hit him with Psychic.

The intense psionic blow knocked Mega Heracross back on his heels, and he staggered back a few steps. For a moment, he teetered on the edge of falling over – then recovered, and hit Jynx with a Megahorn which knocked her across the battlefield.

She landed in an awkward pile, muttered something about "Niebulungs", and collapsed.

"Well, I've learned something new today," Pryce said ruefully, recalling Jynx. "Don't suppose you know if there's any Ice-type Mega Evolutions?"

Heracross transitioned back down in a flash of orange light, adjusted his Mega Stone, and then Ash recalled him too. "Not sure," the trainer said. "I think Gary might have mentioned one... Gary Oak," he elaborated, on seeing Pryce confused. "He's researching it."

"Right." Pryce frowned. "Maybe I should contact Samuel, see if he can put me in touch... anyway. Next you'll face my Piloswine!"

* * *

><p>Ash thought for a minute, looking at the thickening layers of snow and ice on the ground. Piloswine was... hm.<p>

How'd he beaten Piloswine last time?

Ash blinked. Oh, yeah. Pikachu had electrocuted a Ground-type _again._ They should probably get that looked at... regardless, that wasn't really an option.

He _could_ send Lucario out, but... Lucario was weak to Ground attacks. And that did leave the question of what the rest of Pryce's team was.

Looking at the ground again, he came to a decision. The ice was thick enough for Snorlax.

"Go!" Ash called, releasing him.

"Ah, the Snorlax again," Pryce nodded. "You know, I've worked out what you're trying with him."

"What's that?" Ash asked, as Snorlax waved amiably at Piloswine.

"You were trying to lure me into a false sense of security, but he's really _best_ on ice," Pryce said. "Piloswine! Earthquake!"

"_Yes, Pryce!"_ Piloswine announced, slamming his forelegs into the ground and producing a rumbling impact that shook the whole battlefield. Snorlax staggered, arms flailing, and the human spectators nearly lost their footing.

The most important thing, though, was what it did to the sheen of ice that had built up over the course of the battle so far. It shifted, creaked, and took on a crazy quilt of tilts up and down and all over the place – leaving no areas for Snorlax to slide around easily on.

"_Well, that's just not fair,"_ Snorlax said, and yawned.

"Snorlax, just close in directly!" Ash called. "He's not going to be able to move fast either!"

Snorlax nodded, covered his mouth for another yawn, and lumbered forwards.

"You know what to do, Piloswine!" Pryce said.

"_Yes, master!"_ Piloswine nodded, his shaggy fur shaking about as he did. He fired off an Earth Power, which traced a line of ice-dust and hit Snorlax.

The big bear tilted his head, then just kept advancing.

Piloswine got in one more attack before Snorlax arrived – a surging, freezing Blizzard, which drew in the hailstones already starting to litter the ground again and buffeted Snorlax.

Then the Normal-type arrived. He raised a clawed arm, which burst into flame, and hit Piloswine in the side.

This did not seem to have much effect.

Snorlax frowned. _"Shouldn't that have done something?"_ he asked, glancing back at Ash.

Ash shrugged. "Try again?"

Nod.

Snorlax turned back to Piloswine, who seemed to be more-or-less willing to be attacked, for now.

He tried a Mega Kick, a Mega Punch, then decided to try another Fire Punch.

At that point, Piloswine used Avalanche.

Snorlax was carried backwards by a surge of high-speed, powdery snow, and ended up head first in a snowbank.

Shaking his head, he pulled himself out again, and turned towards Piloswine. _"Okay, now I'm angry."_

He took a deep breath, and used Hyper Beam.

Piloswine skidded backwards as the attack hit, legs churning to maintain traction. His whole body began to glow an eerie red, and the ground shook – then a compact ball of rock rose out of the ground, hung there for a moment in the path of the Hyper Beam, then shot forwards as the beam ended.

Panting as he recovered, Snorlax was clocked on the forehead by the Ancientpower.

Ash recognized the attack, and groaned. "Oh, here we go again..."

Piloswine evolved into Mamoswine.

"This just happens all the time around you, doesn't it?" Misty asked.

Ash nodded.

Snorlax pulled himself out of the snow again. _"That's it!"_

Mamoswine hit him with a Fissure.

"Huh," Pryce said, blinking. "That's new..."

"Okay," Ash said, returning the unconscious Snorlax. "Now you have to use someone else!"

"I know, I know," Pryce agreed. "I made the rules. Right... Aurorus!"

"Aha!" Ash grinned. "Good thing I-"

His Fast Ball burst open.

"_Dibs,"_ Entei stated.

"...pardon?" Ash asked, lowering Lucario's Pokéball.

"_Dibs,"_ Entei repeated. _"I want a fight here, and I like Quilava so I don't want it to be a face-off between us."_

"Sure, I guess," Ash said, shrugging. "Sorry, Lucario."

Lucario emerged as well. _"It's okay. The Glalie was enough of a fight for me to be satisfied."_

"Is that _Entei?"_ Pryce asked. "I... I tried to be ready for Suicune or – or the Keldeo, because I saw them on the news! But – Entei as _well?"_

"_What?"_ Entei asked, miffed. _"Is there something wrong?"_

"Nothing at all!" Ash grinned. "Okay, off you go!"

Pryce seemed to recover a bit. "Right. Aurorus!"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

A few things about the structure for the Pokémon's moves, here. Glalie was done as kind of an "Ice bender" - while Jynx was being more of a "spellcaster" type. It's interesting to come up with these different setups.

I actually think this is the longest single gym challenge I've done yet, though there's some considerable competition.

As for the Moltres – yes, this is a thing now.


	94. Johto 36

This is the third of three chapters today.

* * *

><p>Todd Snap walked through the outskirts of town, sniffing the air. "Ah, this is lovely."<p>

Sneasel shrugged, ears alert for any sound which might indicate a Pokémon about to come out into the open.

"Sorry we missed the ferry," he went on. "We'll catch the next one, okay?"

She nodded, sniffed, then her eyes widened. Moving on quick feet, she ran in front of Todd and pointed.

"What is it?" Todd asked, frowning. He glanced in that direction, and didn't see anything through the line of trees. "A Pokémon?"

Sneasel indicated he was mostly right, and that there were several. She couldn't give him more specifics, but something about one of them confused her.

"Right, thanks," he said, offering his elbow to her. She took it, running up his arm to his shoulder, and then rummaged around in his bag.

Todd took the parts she handed him with easy familiarity. "Thanks... good... might want a sun filter – ah, good, you've already got it."

He clicked the lens onto the camera, the filter onto the lens, and the flash assembly to the top. Just in case – though he left it firmly off.

That done, he passed her the remote viewfinder as she zipped the bag back up again. "You know the drill, take any good shots I miss."

She nodded firmly, sitting herself on his shoulder.

That ready, Todd approached the treeline slowly and carefully.

He reached a point where he could see through into the meadow proper, and blinked. "Hey, Sneasel?" he whispered.

He felt a small nod.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Sneasel made a show of looking down the second viewfinder, and shook her head in confusion.

"Because I'm seeing what we came this far south for, on the wrong island, eating a stack of okonomiyaki ..."

* * *

><p>"<em>That was lovely,"<em> Moltres pronounced, fluffing her feathers out. _"You're good at this!"_

"Yeah, but now we gotta buy groceries twice as often..." Meowth chuckled. "Ah well, it'll be nice to have some way o' flyin' around without havin' to take da plane everywhere."

"_Oh, I saw the plane,"_ Moltres agreed. _"It was... odd?"_

"_Odd doesn't begin to cover it,"_ Victreebell muttered. _"Who rigs an old cargo plane with a dozen VTOL engines?"_

"_I'm sorry, these are our Trainers,"_ Weezing said. _"Have you met them?"_

"Well, dat might be bizarre enough, but remember da submarines?" Meowth reminisced.

"_I only ever heard of the Basculin submarine, but it sounds strange enough without seeing it..."_ Gyarados admitted.

Moltres looked from 'mon to 'mon. _"Oh, dear firelords, what have I gotten myself into?"_

"_Is the talk of submarines giving you a sinking feeling?"_ Wobbuffet asked, to general groans.

"Eh, ya get used to it," Meowth shrugged. He turned. "Hey, who's dat?"

There was a pause, as everyone followed his gaze. Then, with a crashing of bushes and long grass, a lanky teenage boy stepped through into the meadow itself.

"Wait a minute..." Jessie said, looking closer. "Is that Todd Snap?"

Everyone gave her a blank look.

"You remember, right?" she asked. "The Pokémon photographer guy who took those pictures of an Articuno!"

"You know we don't read your Contest magazines, right?" James asked.

"This wasn't a contest mag!"

"Uh, hi?" Todd asked, nervously. "I... why do you have a Moltres?"

"_I will be honest,"_ Moltres said, _"It sort of just happened."_

Meowth chuckled.

James snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute..."

He stood, and nodded to Todd. "I have an idea of how we can help one another."

"What would that involve?" Todd asked.

James glanced over at Moltres. "What's your opinion on having your picture taken?"

* * *

><p>Entei prowled out into the blizzard, ignoring the snow piling up on his back. <em>"Right,"<em> he said, peering through the snow at the large form of Aurorus as it materialized opposite him. _"Ice and Rock type, right?"_

"_That's correct,"_ Aurorus agreed, spreading her sail. _"While my typing has some disadvantages, the Fire type is not among them."_

Entei shrugged. _"Well, now to set the stage... Sunny Day!"_

He roared, and a wave of energy pulsed out from him. The snowstorm eddied, the quality of the light improved, and then the clouds parted and a hot afternoon sun beat down.

"_Now then,"_ Entei rumbled. He coiled up like a spring, then pounced forwards with fire wreathing his mane. _"Flare Blitz!"_

Aurorus turned as he came in, tail winding up, then attacked with a whiplash-fast Aqua Tail. That hit Entei at the same time his Flare Blitz hit her side, and there was an unmusical crash-bang.

Entei rolled in the air, and landed on all four paws on the snow. His left forepaw slipped a bit, and he extended his claws to try and reduce the effect – then looked up, as a hailstone bounced off his muzzle.

The sky was clouding rapidly over again, turning a dirty grey, and it was already starting to snow and hail again.

"_Oh, come on!"_ Entei muttered. _"Sunny Day!"_

The incipient clouds dissolved, rushing away again. This time, though, Entei paced in a broad circle while keeping an eye on them – and growled, irritated, as they halted and came right back in.

"_Ice Hyper Beam!"_

Entei blinked. _"Ice wha-"_

What hit him was one of the most powerful Ice-type attacks possible. The Pokémon firing it was no Kyurem or Articuno, but the effect of Refrigerate on the Hyper Beam nevertheless resulted in a blast of supercooled energy several inches across.

By the time it ended, Entei was about twenty feet from his starting position and inside a thick, splash-shaped coating of ice.

Aurorus panted, not foolish enough to believe that would finish a Legendary Pokémon, and began to charge her next attack.

As she did, the ice began to glow.

Entei exploded out in a burst of rose-red flames. _"What was _that!?"

"_Icy you like my abilities,"_ Aurorus smiled, her sail raising again as she gathered more power.

Entei blinked. _"Was that a pun?"_

Stone Edge snapped out towards him, and he ducked just in time.

"_Right, take this!"_ he snapped, then had to dodge out of the way as Aurorus let out an ear-punishing, bitterly cold, Refrigerated Hyper Voice.

He then had enough time to charge and fire a Fire Blast, which shattered on an instant wall of ice some feet away from her – the blast hitting her even so, but not severely.

"_Okay, seriously,"_ Entei added, accelerating with Extremespeed and trying to get somewhere she couldn't just blast ice attacks at him, _"What's going on? Those moves don't do that!"_

"_It's called Refrigerate,"_ Aurorus informed him. _"It's one of my abilities."_

This time, she fired a Secret Power. This one was already icy from the terrain, picked up more ice from the Ability, and crescendoed in a huge encircling wave of ice that came crashing down on Entei from every direction except his left side.

"_Eruption!"_

The pulse of heat that resulted from Entei's attack blew the boosted Secret Power away, melted a considerable quantity of the ice and snow all around him, and made Aurorus blink and take a step back.

"_Is your other ability why all this snow keeps coming back?"_ Entei asked, a simmering heat behind his words.

"_Yes,"_ she nodded. _"Snow Warning."_

"_I'm starting to have mixed feelings about weather,"_ Entei muttered. He pounced forwards again, paws splashing on the mud and slush, and flames built around him. He accelerated as he reached firmer ground, and aimed for a point at the base of Aurorus' neck.

Aurorus swung her head, sail glowing with power, and fired an Icy Hyper Beam in a jagged line in his path. The impact of the ridiculously powerful Ice attack produced an instant wall in Entei's way, absorbing the momentum of his Flare Blitz, and when he came out the other side he wasn't moving fast enough to do significant damage. He actually came off the worst of the exchange, as Aurorus hit him with another Aqua Tail which sent him right back into the slushy mud.

As he rolled to his feet, coat splattered with mud, another of her overloaded Ice attacks hit the puddle, freezing him and it in an instant.

A familiar rosy glow shone from inside the layers of ice, and then Entei burst out again.

He looked a mess. His coat was caked with mud, some of it charred from the heat of his latest Sacred Fire to blast through the ice as quickly as possible, and his breath steamed in the chill air as another squall of snow rolled in.

"_I dislike you,"_ he said cordially.

"Entei!" Ash called. "Ice and Rock are both weak to Fighting!"

"_...I knew that,"_ Entei mumbled.

Aurorus inhaled, and shouted at him. _"Echoed Voice!"_

The pulse of sound picked up moisture from the air, freezing along with it, and what actually reached Entei was a dense wavefront of chill air and ice. He blew it to bits with a fairly casual Ember, and started to charge an Aura Sphere.

Undaunted, Aurorus shouted again. This one resonated deeper in her chest, picking up more power from her brightly flaring sail, and Entei pulsed out a Heat Wave to prevent it reaching him.

Charging done, he fired his Aura Sphere. It rocketed forwards, crossing the intervening space in a moment, and then hit Aurorus on the shoulder, staggering her but not knocking her out yet.

A third Echoed Voice cracked out, wider than the last one. It picked up ice from the ground, this time, and when Entei used Flamethrower on it he found himself instead confronting an oncoming wave of water.

Using Extremespeed with lightning speed, he barely avoided being hit full-force by what was quite a lot of very cold water.

The fourth Echoed Voice was slightly mis-aimed, hitting the ground in front of Entei – but erupted into a shimmering tower of ice actually a little larger than the one the Ice Hyper Beam had produced, the tips of which just barely missed Entei as it grew with startling speed.

No fool he, Entei used it for cover while he considered.

Of course – she was using Echoed Voice to build up to the most powerful Ice attack she could. By now it was even more powerful than her previous Hyper Beam, and when he concentrated Entei could hear the thrumming resonating through the air.

The sheer amount of power she was pulling through her sail was also very impressive. It lit the air for several metres around, and he could see it glittering on snowflakes even though she was out of his direct line of sight.

Then he remembered the _down_side of using Echoed Voice. The resonance was fragile – if you took your concentration off enough to use another move, it collapsed.

And that meant she'd be reluctant to do it.

Crouching, Entei kicked off in a blaze of flame. Eddies of snow curled off, driven by the wind of his passage, and he was clipped by the solid wall of ice produced by the latest pulse of frosty sound.

Accelerating, Entei dug in his paws on the turn. They skidded and slipped, his traction impaired by the thick snow that melted as he stepped across it, but it was enough to get him around the corner and driving in behind her.

She craned her neck around, firing an Icy Echoed Voice back over her own tail, and Entei jumped through it with Sacred Fire flaring.

The impact hurt – it was like jumping into a pane of glass several inches thick – but Entei was a Legendary, and an annoyed one at that. The pulse of ice fell apart in splinters around him, and he landed exactly where he wanted to.

On her back.

She immediately shook herself, trying to get him off – he was almost as heavy as she was – and inhaled to fire another Icy Echoed Voice.

But Entei was in close now, past the lashing tail which had been a problem for him before. He focused, and fired off an intense Lava Plume – knocking her neck back and throwing off her aim, which sent the icy blast skywards.

Then, still clinging on with three paws, he rammed the fourth one down in a Rock Smash.

Aurorus wobbled, then crashed to the ground – unable to support the extra weight – and Entei jumped free. Rolling, he came to his feet and charged a second Aura Sphere.

Still trying to fight on, the Ice-type turned to try and get a bead on him.

"Aurorus, that's enough!" Pryce called. "He's got you."

Returning her, Pryce chuckled. "Well, well... I don't think she actually managed to _hurt_ him much, did she? But she certainly gave him the run-around!"

"_You're telling me..."_ Entei muttered. _"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I absolutely _need _a bath as soon as possible..."_

* * *

><p>"You're down to just Mamoswine, right?" Ash checked, as Entei padded back over.<p>

"That's right," Pryce confirmed. "I don't have to switch out after a victory any more, too."

"So I've got to beat your Mamoswine, and I've got... everyone except Snorlax to do it with," Ash said. "And I can't send Entei out first..."

He nodded to Entei. "You may as well go and have a quick shower at the Pokémon centre, get the worst of it off."

Entei was gone before Ash had finished the sentence.

"Okay..." that done, Ash considered. Mamoswine was powerful, entirely at home in the cold, and had some strong Ground-based attacks. But he wasn't agile, which could be crucial.

Oh, who was he kidding?

"Quilava!" he called, sending her out.

"_You took your sweet time,"_ she grumbled, rotating her neck as she readied for the battle. _"It's not as if you've got Charizard or Houndour with you..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Clearly this trainer is insane,"<em> the alpha said, matter-of-factly. _"But he's the good kind of insane, so it's less of a problem."_

"_You seriously fought Entei _again? _And your trainer _caught_ him?"_ one of Houndour's brothers asked. _"That's awesome!"_

"_Yeah, I did,"_ Houndour confirmed. _"By the way, dad, thanks again for teaching us Beat Up – it hits like you would not _believe_ when I'm on a team with Pokémon like a Lucario, a Keldeo, Suicune and Entei."_

The rest of the pack nodded along.

"_So,"_ his mother asked, after a moment. _"How do you feel?"_

"_It's..."_ Houndour paused, looking for the words. _"Awesome,"_ he decided. _"Obviously we can't all be with Ash all the time, but when he does do work one-on-one with one of us it's pretty neat. And I really feel like an important part of the team – I'm the only one with Flash Fire, at least that Ash has, and on top of that I'm the only Dark-type."_

"_And I can see you're fine with being away from us,"_ his uncle added. _"Good to see, that. I tried to lone-dog it once."_

"_You lasted three hours,"_ the alpha chuckled. _"Right, thanks for the update. I'm glad you like what you're doing, that alone makes me feel perfectly fine about our move."_

"_Thanks,"_ Houndour said, wagging his tail. Then he frowned. _"Oh, yeah, something cool I learned recently. Uh – we've all got Flash Fire, right?"_

One of his sisters, and his uncle, prudently stepped back.

"_Right. Anyway – Overheat!"_

* * *

><p>The two Charizard sat atop a mountain peak.<p>

"_Does this count as a date?"_ Ash's Charizard asked, curiously, as he finished the last of their packed lunch.

"_Good question,"_ Charla replied. She frowned. _"Did... did we... do this last time?"_

"_No, this is definitely new,"_ Charizard assured her. _"I think it's the Beautifly effect, or something – use enough Fire attacks on enough Beautiflies..."_

"_That can't be how it works," _Charla frowned. _"Anyway."_ She spread her wings. _"Remember the rules?"_

"_Yes!"_ Charizard told her. _"Three flaps, furl wings, first one to spread them loses, whoever hits the ground loses and has to carry the rubbish home!"_

* * *

><p>Liza looked up at the sound of the double <em>thud-crash<em> that echoed through the valley.

"Morons," she muttered.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Quilava," Ash said, glancing up. "You know what to do, right? He's strong, tough – and fast, but not agile. So you'll need to keep moving."<p>

"_Right,"_ she nodded.

"And – I'll keep an eye on him for you, and try to warn you when he's about to use Earthquake or something like it."

"_Thanks."_ Quilava gave him a quick look to see if there was any further advice, then walked forwards onto the snowed-in battlefield, balled up, and flashed into her Flame Wheel.

She immediately spun up and dashed forwards, heading for Mamoswine.

"Jump!" Ash called, and she pulsed her flame slightly. In most directions it just blasted off into the air, but the force that went down was reflected by the ground – producing a net takeoff effect, and putting her in the air when Mamoswine's Earthquake rocked the ground beneath.

Quilava bounced back to the floor, dug in for traction, and continued moving fast.

She could tell which direction Mamoswine _was_, via scent, but it was hard to know what he was _doing_ when she was balled up like this. She was having to rely on Ash for cues-

"Jump, then attack!"

She pulsed fire again, launching herself into the air, then oriented herself mid-air as the rumble of what sounded like an Earth Power went below. She identified where Mamoswine was – closely enough for an attack, anyway – then used Aerial Ace, another heat-pulse launching her forwards and straight at her target.

Mamoswine's thick, shaggy coat bounced her off, but she'd definitely scored a hit.

This was working.

"Mamoswine!" Pryce called. "Slow her down! Scary Face!"

Quilava didn't notice the icy glare aimed at her, because she was already fighting with her eyes closed – looking where she was going would only make her feel a bit queasy.

Skidding around in a tight turn, she launched herself into the air again and hit Mamoswine on what she thought was probably the flank.

This time, when she hit the ground, she did it at a bad time. Mamoswine had just used another Earthquake, and the aftershock bounced her into the floor harder than she'd been expecting.

Stunned, she skidded out of control and ended up in a snowbank.

"_Ow..."_ she muttered, shaking her head, then yelped and jumped clear just before an Ancient Power blew a hole in the snowbank.

Balling up again, she accelerated off.

"Keep going!" Ash called. "And... jump!"

Blasting herself into the air with another pulse of fire, she hung there for a moment. There was the grinding sound of an Earthquake-

"Attack now!"

Quilava fired herself at Mamoswine.

* * *

><p>Ash watched as Quilava bounced off Mamoswine's forehead with a blast of flame from the impact, spun straight up into the air, and then attacked again before landing on the battlefield and skidding out of the way of an Ancient Power.<p>

He kept a close eye on Mamoswine, watching for what move he'd try next.

There – Mamoswine was rearing back for an Earthquake.

"Jump and attack!" he called, and Quilava's moving orange form bounced into the air for a moment. She passed safely over the Earthquake, then rocketed into Mamoswine, staggering him.

This was working! Quilava was too fast for Mamoswine to catch, and her way of finding her targets made it nearly impossible for him to hide in the snowstorm!

Across the field, though, Pryce was thinking about that too... so, what would he-

"Mamoswine!" Pryce called. "The hail isn't working! Rain Dance!"

Uh oh.

"Quilava, look out!" Ash called, as the temperature rose noticeably and it began to sleet, then rain. "The slush is going to be harder to move on!"

* * *

><p>"<em>You're telling me..."<em> Quilava muttered to herself, feeling the surface change under her as rainwater infiltrated the ice and snow.

The rain itself wasn't pleasant, either. She had to expend more energy to keep up the same level of heat – and the same combat effectiveness – and she could already feel the warning signs of tiredness.

"Quilava!" she heard Ash call. "Don't attack for now – just dodge when I say! Jump!"

This time, Quilava's fire-jump produced a minor steam explosion, and threw her much higher. Caught off guard, she nearly fluffed her landing, and an Earth Power came within inches of catching her as she accelerated again.

She turned, throwing out a great arc of cold water lit by the flickering of her quills, and wondered what Ash was planning.

That he was planning _something_ was obvious, of course...

* * *

><p>Ash saw Mamoswine rear back for another Earthquake, and winced. That could produce some powerful waves, now that the battlefield was mostly watery.<p>

"Jump – and attack _away_ from Mamoswine!" he told Quilava.

Surprised, she followed instructions. The Earthquake itself passed beneath her as she rose into the air propelled by the steam blast, and then she rammed home a Flame Wheel into the wall of less-melted ice around the battlefield.

It creaked, cracked – and crumbled. Several thousand gallons of water spilled out as the icy dam broke, and the water level quickly dropped to something more normal.

Misty craned her neck to look. "Where's that going – oh, good, it's going to end up in the river."

Ash's eyes were flicking between the sky and the battlefield.

The rain was starting to slow and peter out – good.

"Head straight for Mamoswine!" Ash called. "If I say jump – just a small jump!"

* * *

><p>Quilava took a moment to check those instructions.<p>

Nope, she couldn't see how they made sense.

That thought actually heartened her. If she didn't know, nor would Mamoswine.

Spinning up, throwing up mud behind her, she shot forwards – aiming directly for Mamoswine, not deviating in either direction.

Ash called for her to jump, and she did – a tiny little hop, which carried her over the shockwave of the Earthquake aimed at her.

"Now – come out of Flame Wheel and stop!"

Quilava relaxed, uncurling, Her hind legs hit the ground, and she used them to skid and brake as she would if hit out of her Rollout or Flame Wheel mid-air.

Driving her forelegs into the ground as well, she skidded sideways towards Mamoswine – unable to stop in time, she ended up directly underneath Mamoswine.

He promptly began trying to Stomp her – but he didn't have time. Quilava had worked out Ash's plan.

She grinned. _"Eruption!"_

* * *

><p>The blast of heat radiated out in all directions.<p>

The battlefield, which had been alternately hailed on, frozen, shaken and soaked, now got dried out for several feet around Quilava.

But that was just the side-blast. Most of the fury of the Eruption went straight _up,_ and it was far too much for the already-tired Mamoswine to cope with.

Quilava had just enough time to realize the very particular downside to _her_ of this plan before three hundred kilos of mammoth landed on her.

* * *

><p>Ash ran forwards onto the field as soon as he'd seen what went wrong, and gathered up Quilava as Pryce returned his scorched Mamoswine.<p>

"Sorry, Quilava," he said, wincing. "Guess I didn't think it all the way through..."

"_Ow,"_ she said indistinctly. Then she shook her head, and shrugged. _"I guess I'm the one who actually did it, and I didn't notice either."_

There was a series of soft _splat_s as Pryce walked across the battlefield to him. "Pretty good work, overall," he said, frowning. "If you wanted feedback, though, I'd say... it seemed like you need to work with Entei a bit more. I got the sense he's just used to using Fire attacks on everything."

"That's not far off," Ash agreed. "We've been working on coverage moves, but it's the difference between being able to do something and thinking about how to use it."

"Right," Pryce nodded. "You should be quicker to give advice like that, though. And as for that Mega-Evolution..."

He shook his head. "It was impressive, but I got the sense you didn't know everything about it. And neither did he."

"Again, that's about right," Ash nodded. "It's only been an option for a few days. We've run into Mega-Evolutions before, and all the other ones we've seen just make a Pokémon stronger – they don't change things that drastically, so..."

He shrugged.

"Right." Pryce considered that. "Well, you clearly know these things are issues... if it had been a close battle overall I'd have said you should have used your Lucario against Aurorus like you intended, but it wasn't so that doesn't matter. Good luck, Ash – and let me know if you run into a Mega Stone for an Ice-type!"

"I'll keep an eye out," Ash smiled. He turned back towards the rest of the group, and blinked. "What the-"

"_Not one word. Not. One Word,"_ Entei insisted, tail lashing and a growl rumbling in his throat.

The intimidating effect was spoiled, however, by _why_ he was insisting on silence. Clearly his shower had turned into something more elaborate.

There were a few clues to that, of course. First, his fur had been combed once clean, and the comb-lines were still just about visible.

Second, there was the faint scent of shampoo as one got closer.

Both of those were less surprising, however, than that his tail had been styled. There were even pink bows.

"_That Nurse Joy is an evil-minded individual,"_ he muttered.

A Fast Ball emerged from Dexter's transfer system, bounced once, and flashed open.

"_What is it-"_ Suicune began, blinked, and put a paw to her mouth to avoid laughing.

I _thought _you'd want to see.

"_Traitorous contraption,"_ Entei simmered.

* * *

><p>"And done," Todd said, smiling. "You can come down now."<p>

Moltres made a final circuit low over the meadow, flared her wings, and touched down gently. Once down, she walked carefully over, accompanied by the rest of the group of humans and Pokémon.

Already anticipating what she wanted, Todd flicked through the pictures on his camera.

There were several he thought were particularly good – that is, special. The kind of thing he felt privileged to be there to photograph.

One had her just passing in front of the sun, with her flaming tail partially obscuring the disc itself. It produced a lot of camera artefacts in the lenses, but that helped – it conveyed the impression of incredible heat and brightness, in a way another picture might not have been able to.

Then there was the one with her using Fire Spin, the leading edges of her wings just breaking out of the wall of flame and making it look like she was emerging, fully formed, from an explosion.

But the one which was most impressive was more mundane. It was the photo he'd taken just as she set off – firey wings clapping together, producing a shower of sparks, but none of the flame was reaching the grassy meadow below. And yet, the windrush of her takeoff was clearly disturbing the grass, making it bend away in concentric circles from her launch point.

It gave the impression she was at once part of the world and not.

After a few minutes, there was a whispered discussion.

"I don't know either," Todd shrugged to Sneasel, on seeing her questioning look. "They seemed to like that one you did, though."

Sneasel nodded, pleased. That had been a slightly nerve-wracking one – Sneasel had taken the smaller camera, and ridden on Moltres' back for a few minutes.

Being four hundred feet in the air on the back of a firebird had been an interesting experience for a groundbound Ice-type, to say the least...

"Right!" Meowth said, clapping his paws. "We got a conclusion – dat was all pretty awesome."

"Oh, that's fine, really!" Todd assured them. "I'm trying to put together a portfolio of all three Legendary Birds, that's why I came to the Sevii Islands in the first place."

"Really?" Meowth smiled. "Huh. Glad we could help..."

"Apart from Shamouti, there's also one I remember hearing of up in northern Johto," Jessie supplied. "There's a lake there regularly visited by Zapdos, I think."

"Thanks for the advice."

"Oh," James added. "Before you go – I did have the idea of a picture that's _not_ for the magazine..."

* * *

><p>Giovanni looked through his morning paperwork.<p>

"Interesting. It seems that Tyson successfully implemented the Mega-Evolution system – and that the Ketchum boy has already got a Mega-capable Pokémon," he said as he read one report.

Persian yawned, and he stroked the Classy Cat with his other hand.

"And... oh, dear. Botch nearly butched the whole operation. His report says that he had his Charizard use Flamethrower on the boy in order to startle him and make him retreat."

A pair of feline ears perked up, and Persian growled softly.

"Of course that's not what he was trying to do. But at least _something_ came of it – we now have confirmation he's capable of using a shield with his Aura..."

Putting aside the matter of discipline for later, he picked up the next sheaf – and found a small memory card with it.

"Hm?"

Slotting it into his air-gapped, disposable computer, he opened it and verified that the only thing on it was a file with Rocket admin-only encryption.

Not a very big file, either...

He entered the correct code, and the file decrypted itself into an image file tagged with the title "new team photo".

Now very curious, he opened it.

For several seconds, neither Giovanni nor Persian reacted visibly.

"Persian?" Giovanni asked, calmly. "Have my top agents somehow finagled themselves a Legendary Pokémon?"

Persian nodded.

"Right." Giovanni nodded, then deleted the file. "I'll ask them about it in person."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

And the final two battles of that gym match, along with some stuff with the Moltres.

Aurorus is capable of some of the most powerful Ice type attacks in the game, with at least five ways of outpowering Freeze Shock and Ice Burn (Kyurem's signature moves). That's not the most powerful, though.

The most powerful is a Mega Glalie doing a Refrigerated Explosion, which has a base power of 325!

As for the other Fire-types, they're having time with their family. In different ways.

Then there's the Quilava battle. Basically modelled off a Sonic battle, mostly...

Finally, Todd continues his take-amazing-photos streak.


	95. Johto 37

"Man, but the last couple of days have been hectic," Ash said, as they walked eastwards out of Mahogany.

"Well, yeah," Brock agreed. "There was the Mega Evolution stuff and the thing with that Gyarados, then there was one of your gym battles..."

He glanced back. "Wonder how long it'll take the grass to finish growing back... good thing Sheila's Sunflora knew Grassy Terrain."

Ash shrugged. "This kind of thing just... happens..."

"How are you doing with that egg, by the way?" Misty asked. "Weren't you keeping it in your backpack?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "But for now... well, I guess I should get to know whoever it is in here."

He adjusted his grip slightly, and patted the case. "I'm still wondering what Pokémon this is, too..."

Scanning.

"No, don't," Ash said quickly. "I don't want to find out by... well, cheating, I guess. Guessing seems... better?"

If you insist. Dexter paused. I did identify the Pokémon though. Just letting you know.

Ash shrugged. "Like I say, no thanks. Anyway – where next?"

Mostly along the path, actually.

"Like that'll last..." Brock quipped.

Ash chuckled. He picked a Pokéball from his belt with his free hand, and sent out Keldeo. "Hey, Keldeo?"

"_Yes?"_Keldeo asked, catching back up to trot alongside them.

"I know you've got your Sacred Sword trick, now, but..." Ash shrugged. "I was wondering if there were any problems you were having with training it, I guess."

"_Right!"_ Keldeo nodded. _"I see. Yeah, I am having a bit of a problem... mainly with Ice attacks."_

Ash thought back. "Right, yeah, I can't think of an Ice attack you've used."

"_That's right!"_ Keldeo smiled. _"I don't know any, and I'm not sure how to learn. And since you said the next gym is Dragon-type... well, I want to help."_

"Okay." Ash frowned. "Suicune knows some, but... well, I guess I've been working on ice – not much luck yet making it into an attack, though."

He held out his free hand, and exhaled. A blue glow built on the palm of the hand – then, excruciatingly slowly, it turned pale and wan. Almost white, more than blue.

"That's some Ice-typed Aura," Ash explained, as Keldeo examined it. "It's kind of like... you put the heat somewhere else, but you leave the Aura."

"_Interesting,"_ Keldeo said, frowning. _"How long can you keep that up?"_

"A while," Ash told him. "But it falls apart if I try to do anything with it – it's too fragile."

"_Perhaps... hmmm..."_ Keldeo thought hard. _"Is it falling apart because you're disturbing it, or because it breaks your concentration?"_

"I think a little bit of both," Ash replied.

"_Right. Can you just hold that for a moment? Concentrating just on keeping it cold?"_

After a moment, Keldeo blew a very thin stream of water from his mouth at it. It hit the icy spark of Aura, and blew it to pieces.

"_Oops... right, I'll try something else."_

"Oh, I see," Ash nodded. "You're trying to blow something _through_ the ice, so that what comes out the other side is an Ice attack itself?"

"_Yes!"_ Keldeo nodded, pleased. _"Do you think it'll work?"_

"Can't hurt to try!"

* * *

><p>Misty looked down with some surprise, as Pikachu tugged on her trouser leg. "What is it?"<p>

"_Can I ride with you for a bit?"_ he asked. _"I think those two are going to be talking shop about how to make Ice-type Aura for hours."_

Misty sniggered, and picked him up. "Is the poor little Electric-type upset?"

"_No, I just feel the cold..."_

"You should think about it, you know," she said more seriously. "Just about all the Types which resist Electricity are weak to Ice."

Pikachu's ears perked. _"Now you mention it... good point..."_

* * *

><p>"Sorry, Meganium?" Ash asked. "Can you explain that again?"<p>

Meganium sighed. _"I know, it doesn't make all that much sense to me either. So, here goes."_

She indicated the field. _"A lot of Gloom live there. Some of them have evolved into Vileplume, some into Bellossom, and they're not sure why."_

"It'll be something to do with Leaf Stones and Sun Stones," Brock frowned. "Not sure where they could be, though..."

"_They said they evolved when it was windy."_ Meganium shook her flower. _"Anyway. Now they're having constant arguments over who gets to be in the sun."_

Ash blinked. "What?"

"_I don't know either!"_ Meganium reminded him. _"They seem to live near the tree, but they get really annoyed when they're in the shade – and I suggested moving _away_ from the tree. No luck. Their parents lived there, so they're going to live there."_

She sighed again. _"It's just... why do they take sides based on who evolves into what? What does shape matter?"_

Ash frowned, and put down the egg case. "Right! I'm going over there myself. I've got a few questions to ask..."

* * *

><p>"...so it's got nothing to do with the tree itself?" Ash checked. "Just the location?"<p>

"_That's right!"_ a Bellossom said. _"They're taking the south side, where all the sun is-"_

"_We're not!"_ one of the Vileplume replied. _"You're on the east, and that's the bit where there's dawn-"_

"Why not just chop down the tree?" Ash asked, exasperated. "If it's that important..."

Every Pokémon, including all the Gloom, looked at him.

"_That would mean using Cut,"_ one Gloom said. _"Who learns Cut? It's useless..."_

"Unless you need to chop down a tree," Ash replied. "Okay, I know who does..."

He rummaged for a bit. "Aha! Hey, Heracross?"

"_Yeah, I know Cut,"_ Heracross nodded. _"Any problems with me using it?"_

Ash glanced over the Grass-types. No objections were raised.

Taking a run up, Heracross jumped and rammed his horn into the tree.

There was an ominous creeeeeak, and then the tree fell over. Not actually _cut_, though – just knocked hard enough to rip it out of the ground, roots and all.

"_That wasn't Cut!"_ one of the Bellossom protested.

"_Of course it was,"_ Heracross replied. _"Tree's down, isn't it?"_

Muttering imprecations, Meganium got Lucario to help her picking the tree up. With some considerable effort – helped by Ash and Heracross – they moved it to a less obstructive position, and then Meganium used her plant-healing powers to make sure it would survive the transfer.

"_Done,"_ she said with a smile. _"Now, how to sort out those-"_

Crobat flew over. _"Found the evolutionary stones causing this!"_ he announced, dropping five of each to bounce to a stop next to the new tree. _"If anyone wants me to get more, I can do that too!"_

"_Right."_ Meganium cleared her throat. _"Anyone who wants to evolve should come over here now, so we can make sure you evolve into what you want to be. Please form two orderly queues, Bellossom on the left and Vileplume on the right – _my_ right,"_ she clarified, seeing an argument about to develop. _"Can you pick up a few more of those stones, please, Crobat? This could be a while."_

* * *

><p>Norman knocked on the door to his son's room.<p>

"Come in," Max greeted him.

Entering, the Gym Leader saw his son sitting at the desk, with a pad of paper in front of him and several lines of notes.

"What's this?" Norman asked, walking over. "Oh, I see..."

"Yeah," Max agreed. "I'm trying to work out who'd be a good starter for me, and..."

"Interesting list," Norman commented. "Ralts, Shroomish, Poochyena... any reason for those in particular?"

"They're the ones I met, and... well, got on with, really," Max told him. "But... I don't know, Dad. It's kind of hard to tell what's the right choice."

He sighed. "It just feels like... I mean, I met them all, sure, but... Ash isn't sure if he can do the whole memory thing with them."

"Right," Norman nodded. He moved a couple of books, and sat on Max's bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He smiled. "Or would you rather your old father gave you some completely unwanted advice?"

Max turned his chair, frowning. "How could you _ask _to... oh, right." He chuckled. "Sorry, Dad, missed that one at first."

Norman nodded. "Right. Now... we talked about this before, but I see you've still not reached a decision. My offer's still open, I could get you one, or... you know what your choices are already, I take it."

Nod. "Either I get one as a gift, basically – or I get one of the Littleroot starters... or I go with Ash, and he's supposed to catch one for me."

"That's about the size of it, yeah," Norman concurred. "Now, I _could_ see if Bill's got an Eevee who needs fostering out-"

"You know Bill?" Max asked. "I didn't – I mean, I assumed-"

"We've talked a few times." The steady Gym Leader smiled. "I mean, he's quite eccentric, but he knows his stuff."

"Thanks for the offer, Dad," Max said, frowning. "I'll – I guess I'll give it more thought."

"Sure," Norman told him. "Just – if you have any questions, ask me. Even stupid ones, you wouldn't believe the mistakes I made my first few months."

Max looked at him quizzically.

"I tried to catch a Ninjask with my Slakoth," Noman told his son. "Thinking back, that's just _painful_..."

He raised a hand, palm up. "So everyone makes stupid mistakes. We either learn these things by asking, or by making the mistake ourselves."

"Or by looking it up," Max added, indicating the piles of books. "I've been looking at a lot of the old League records..."

I keep telling him to look at televised gym challenges, too, Kris contributed, flashing into form from her projector on the desk.

"Yeah, and whenever we look we hardly find anything," Max replied. "And a lot of it's just first-time kids who forgot everything about type advantage and went after Wattson with a Wingull..."

Norman chuckled. "Well, you're certainly better prepared than most, I see. Just – like I say, ask any questions you need answered."

* * *

><p>"<em>Explain to me again the purpose of this?"<em> Lucario asked, stepping back quickly from a deluge of Sleep Powder.

"It's for a magic spell," Ash said for the fourth time.

"_I heard you, I just don't really follow."_ Lucario feinted in again, then brushed piles of Poisonpowder off his arms. _"Nope, that one wasn't Stun Spore either..."_

"It's simple," said the young witch, Lily. "These are the ingredients for a magical spell that will help a human understand their Pokémon better."

"_But I already understand Ash, and Ash already understands me,"_ Lucario said, puzzled. _"Aha!"_

Lily lunged forwards, and sucked up the cloud of Stun Spore with a vacuum cleaner. "Got it!"

"_Trust me, Lucario,"_ Pikachu told him, _"You're going to love this one. Really!"_

"_What does it entail?"_ Lucario asked, stepping thankfully back now they had the ingredient.

"_I don't want to spoil the surprise..."_

* * *

><p>"Lily?" Misty asked, as she put the decanted powder on the table and began rifling through her book of spells again. "I know how Aura – like Ash uses, and like I use a bit – is basically Fighting-type..."<p>

"That's right," Lily agreed. "And I see where you're going. This kind of thing is actually a bit _Ghost_-type – it's about sacrifice."

"That sounds ominous..." Brock said, wincing.

"Oh, don't worry," she assured him. "In this case, the sacrifice is a lot of time and effort. Most spells are like that – you should be worried about the spells which require simple ingredients, they're probably going to require a sacrifice of _you_ – or someone else."

"_I am glad to hear no knives will be coming out today,"_ Lucario said solemnly. _"What's next?"_

"Get back here!" Ash called.

An Aipom ran past, laughing and brandishing Ash's big blue hat.

"Well, it looks like your trainer has already found it," Lily told him. "We need tears from an Aipom. But not tears from violence."

"One for sorrow, two for joy!" Murkrow cawed.

"That's about the shape of it," Lily agreed, then winced as Ash fell off the tree he was climbing with a _thud._

Aipom fell about laughing.

"And it looks like he's going for joy..."

* * *

><p>Bashing his fists against the branch he was on, laughing fit to burst, Aipom watched Ash trying to climb the tree again.<p>

He slipped, losing his grip, and somehow landed squarely on his own thumb. He sat there for a fraction of a second, then jumped up howling with pain.

Aipom laughed so hard he cried.

"Aha!"

The Long Tail Pokémon startled, as Ash was suddenly just _there._ One arm on the branch overhead, the other holding out a jar and collecting a few of Aipom's tears of laughter.

"Thanks!" Ash added, plucking his hat from the branch, and let go.

Knees bent, he absorbed the impact of the fall with barely a wince, and carried the tears over.

* * *

><p>"Here you go!" he said, putting the jar down for Lily.<p>

"And you only had to sacrifice your dignity..." Misty muttered.

"Right..." Lily frowned, checking down the list in her book. "...and I think that's everything! Okay, who was it who wanted to try it?"

"Not me," Brock said.

"Nope!" Misty agreed promptly.

"Then it's me!" Ash grinned. "Okay, here goes!"

* * *

><p>The magic erupted up from Lily's cauldron, accompanied by a big puff of smoke. It swirled for a moment, seeking its target, then came rushing towards Ash.<p>

Unlike last time, Ash was fully ready for this. In fact, he was concentrating almost entirely on the energies of the magic spell – the feelings, the way it worked, everything about it.

It didn't actually enter his body, at first. It surrounded him a little above the level of his clothes, in a continuous layer of fizzing energy which _did_ feel a lot like Ghost-type energy did.

That process took a little under a second. Once it was there, it came towards him from all sides – all in a rush, and while the smoke cloud from the spell still lingered.

What happened next felt... bizarre.

Ash had once banged his funny-bone, and felt a flash of branching, tree-shaped pain – his entire arm downwards from that nerve feeling as though it had been injured at once, tracing the shape of his nerves. This was a lot like that.

The actual sensations themselves weren't very abnormal – it was a bit like the slight tingling from washing hands in hot water, mixed with the chill from mint toothpaste.

It's just that it was coming from every single part of his body at once. The sudden sensory overload made him flinch involuntarily, and then there was a moment of discontinuity-

And he was flat on the ground.

"_Ash?" _Lucario asked, slowly. _"Did you expect this?"_

"Well, I-" Ash began, and stopped. "_Man_, that feels strange..."

Something black was just at the bottom of his line of sight, too. It was distracting him.

Wait. Black? Shouldn't it be yellow?

He looked down, towards his feet, and blinked at the sight.

There was a black-blue muzzle, more visible now he was looking down in that direction. His body was roughly the same shape, but smaller – thinner and more compact, and he had blue haunches and arms with long black paws – twitching slightly as he experimentally flexed them.

His arms each had a wrist-nub on them, too – of a very familiar type.

Just to confirm his guess, he reached down to the feeling of pressure at the base of his spine, feeling a muscular tail, and then the pair of floppy ears at the sides of his head.

He was a Riolu.

Pikachu started to laugh as the smoke cleared. _"I can't believe it!"_

"Somehow," Ash muttered, "I was expecting to be a Pikachu."

"Oh, was_ he_ your starter?" Lily asked. "Yeah, the spell wasn't sure what to make you, I think – it was less stable than usual."

"Right." Ash sprang to his feet, promptly overbalanced, and fell over again.

"Lucario?" he asked, sounding a bit embarrassed. "How did you stand up on these?"

"_They're digitigrade feet,"_ Lucario commented, reaching down and taking Ash's forepaw. _"You have to stand on the balls of your feet... I'm surprised you're not finding this easier, though, your combat stance is a bit like that."_

"Thanks," Ash said, as Lucario hauled him upright. He spread his other arm to steady himself, and started to get the hang of it. "Yeah, thanks..."

"I think that went quite well!" Lily smiled. "Nothing broke, and only the person who asked to be transformed _got_ transformed!"

The others turned to her, somewhat startled.

"That might have happened?" Misty asked, speaking for both her and Brock.

"Well... _you_ were safe," Lily told them. "_Almost_ certainly... but this kind of power is self-directed. It has to be to work. And it... kind of has a sense of humour..."

Her Murkrow landed on the side of the now-inert cauldron. "Braixen! Braixen!"

Lily nodded. "You would not _believe_ how many times I've been accidentally turned into a Braixen. It's kind of an operational hazard."

"I would not have fancied ending up a Psyduck," Misty muttered.

She glanced down at her side as Psyduck emerged from his Pokéball and gave her a look. "No offence."

"_Some taken."_

"So... how long does this last?" Ash asked, now not using Lucario as support any more. "I think I'm getting the hang of this..." He wobbled a bit, then corrected. "Okay, a bit."

"It should last anything from a few hours to a day or so," Lily told him. "It's really variable, which can be kind of inconvenient."

"Right," Ash nodded. He took a deep breath. "Okay, let's see if this works."

Blue aura built over his palms, then spread to the rest of his body.

"That was quick!" the witch blinked. "It took me much longer to get used to using Pokémon attacks..."

"_This is normal for Ash,"_ Lucario said. _"I spar with him nightly. He's quite good."_

Ash was only half-listening. He focused, reaching through his body, and reaching for the same things that the spell had changed.

He made to change them back-

* * *

><p>-Ash blinked, finding himself on the floor again.<p>

"What-" he began, and stopped, because it hurt to keep talking.

"What did you just do?" Lily demanded.

Lucario arrived with a glass of water. _"Ash, here."_

Reaching for it with clumsy paws – he was still a Riolu – Ash took the glass, and had a sip. "I... I tried to reverse..."

"How could you even-" Lily bit her words off, and sighed. "Right. I _have_ heard of you, now I think – you're an Aura adept, right?"

Ash nodded, taking another sip of water.

"Right. Should have guessed." Another sigh. "Some of my books mention Aura users – never positively."

"_How so?"_ Lucario asked, keeping an eye on his transformed trainer.

"Magic... magic's not _like_ Aura," Lily said, rubbing her temples. "It directs itself – well, another way to say that is the spirits do it, that's part of why it's Ghost. It handles all the fiddly little bits of something like completely transforming a living person into a Pokémon, or... or making someone look younger!"

She pointed. "But _you_, just like all the Aura adepts in my books, tried to replicate it yourself using Aura! Not only is that life energy – and you could _kill_ yourself if you overdid it – but it's basically impossible to catch every single change, so you could kill yourself _that_ way!"

Pikachu's jaw hung open slightly. _"You let my trainer get into something this dangerous?"_

"It's safe when it's done magically," Lily replied, taking a calming breath. "But... you weren't doing it magically. All the safeguards just... go away, like that. And that means he could have seriously hurt himself."

She reached into a pocket of her robe. "Murkrow? Seven feathers, please."

"Seven for a secret, never to be told!" Murkrow cawed, and flapped his wings. Precisely seven feathers drifted down – two flight primaries, one secondary, two down and two tail feathers.

Taking a small vial of powder – it looked like chalk – she picked the feathers up, one at a time, and made white marks on the lustrous plumage. "Let's see... there!"

Each feather flashed once, then vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Good," she said, relaxing. "Nothing dangerous. You should just be fatigued. And you might be a bit low on fluids."

"I can feel that," Ash said, finishing the glass. "Well... I guess I should have asked if it was safe first."

"You got lucky," she nodded. "But... well, next time just wait for the spell to wear off!"

* * *

><p>Professor Birch looked up, at the now-familiar sound of a bicycle bell ringing.<p>

"Just a minute!" he called, making a few notes to avoid forgetting where he'd got to. He put the clipboard down, and walked over to the door.

"Hello again, May!" he said, opening it. "No school today?"

"Professor, it's Saturday," May sighed, smiling. "Did you lose track again?"

"It's always work for me!" Birch replied. "Good timing, by the way, you can check on the new arrivals."

May glanced up quickly at the mention. "I'd hoped there were some," she admitted.

"Well, that's perfect!" Birch waved her through into the main room. "Six of each – more than I need, for now, but they had some extra hatchlings volunteered by their parents in the Shikoku reserve and I can always use a bit of a buffer."

"Right." May nodded, picking up the second scanner, and started to go over the newly-arrived starters – giving them a health check, mainly, routine stuff.

She started with the Mudkips. They weren't her favourite Pokémon – memories of being blasted in the face while trying to save Professor Birch came to mind – but Brock's one had warmed her up to them, a little.

Warmed up or not, though, May always made sure to have Ethan's projector ready to block any unexpected streams of water.

As it happened, though, this set of Mudkips were relatively docile. Two girls, which was a little below average but nothing notable, and one of the boys showed off with a cute Yawn which nearly had her falling asleep herself before she noticed.

"Okay, the Mudkip are fine," she reported, moving on to the next.

"Excellent!" Birch smiled. "I've almost finished the Treecko, so you should just handle the Torchic."

May nodded absently, already back in her routine – learned over the last few months, once Birch decided to turn her visits into lessons.

Release the Pokémon from the standard Pokéball. Give them a quick physical inspection, scan them with the portable medical scanner and note any irregularities, give them some food, move on to the next.

She reached the fifth one-

-and nearly dropped the Pokéball.

It was _him!_

She'd know her lovely little Torchic anywhere.

It had been years, subjectively, since she'd seen him _as_ a Torchic – indeed, it had been over a year of subjective time since she'd seen him at all. But there was no mistaking him – everything, from his stance to his slightly airy attitude to the precise distribution of his crest feathers, was just the same as the Pokémon who'd first wormed his way into her heart.

"Are you okay, May?" Birch asked, looking concerned.

May became aware she was staring.

"Sorry, Professor," she said, blushing. "I just-"

Birch smiled knowingly. "I know exactly the feeling," he said with a nod. "The first time I saw Rono, I knew we'd be friends."

Torchic tilted his head curiously.

"I – that's it exactly, Professor!" May nodded. "I – sorry, can you give me a moment? I'd like to make a phone call..."

"Of course!" Birch told her. "You've done more than half my job, you deserve a break!"

* * *

><p>The moment she was out of the lab, May held up Ethan's main body. "Ethan? I need to speak to Ash – right now!"<p>

I had guessed, Ethan replied. Placing call now.

He emitted a ringing sound.

There we go-

Ethan abruptly stopped vocalizing.

"Ethan?" May asked. "Is there a problem?"

Sorry, I just got the call picked up at the other end. And... well, see for yourself.

His main screen booted up, and displayed a hat-wearing Riolu.

"May!" it said, with Ash's voice. "What is it?"

From off camera, a Lucario said something.

"Oh! Right... sorry, May." The Riolu rubbed the back of it's neck. "Ash here, it's complicated."

"It always is," May said, shaking her head. "Seriously... you're a Pokémon?"

"Magic," Ash told her. "Anyway, why'd you call?"

Thus reminded, May went from bewildered to excited. "Ash, he's here!"

"Who's where?" Ash blinked.

"Blaziken! Only, he's a Torchic, and... anyway, he's here and you said you could remind him and-"

"He is?" Ash interrupted. "Great! I'll be right over!"

The connection closed.

May smiled for a moment, then blinked. "Wait. He's still a Riolu..."

* * *

><p>"<em>Why are you a Riolu?" <em>Pidgeot asked, blinking down at her trainer.

"That would take too long to explain," Ash said. "Really, it would."

"_It seemed fairly simple to me."_ Pikachu shrugged.

"...okay, maybe it was. But we've got an appointment in Hoenn! Let's get to Littleroot town!"

Pidgeot flared her wings, and crouched to let Ash climb on – trickier than usual, in his abnormal body shape.

Once he and Pikachu were both on, Ash returned Lucario. "Okay, let's go!"

Pidgeot's wings spread, reaching up and cupping the air, then she slammed them down in a powerful downbeat and kicked off from the ground.

Two more steady, measured wingbeats, and she was speeding off to the south.

* * *

><p>About half an hour later, May saw a dot in the northeastern horizon.<p>

It grew with startling rapidity, going from a moving speck to a tiny bird-shape to a Pidgeot approaching at impressive speed – though clearly shedding speed – and then there was a very faint _bang_ as the sound of Pidgeot's earlier supersonic flight arrived, a little ahead of her.

The big Flying-type skimmed low over the forests between Littleroot and Oldale, wings flapping gently, and then flared and landed barely six yards from May's feet.

"Thanks, Pidgeot!" came a familiar voice, and then a blue Riolu hopped down from her back. "Hi, May!"

"That is the wierdest thing I have ever seen," May admitted, looking down at the two-foot blue Pokémon her friend had become.

Ash shrugged. "I've had a whole half hour to get used to the idea. Okay, where is he?"

"Inside the lab," May said. "I'll let you in. Oh, hi Pikachu!"

Pikachu waved, and said something.

He says he can't wait until Ash has given you the basic Aura lessons so you can understand him directly, Ethan supplied helpfully.

"That _would_ be cool," May admitted, fiddling with the door. "There we go."

* * *

><p>Ash strode briskly through the main room of the lab, his destination already firmly fixed.<p>

May was exactly right – there was the dancing, sparkling beauty in Aura sight that was a remindable Fire-type.

Ash smiled – he liked Blaziken.

"Well, here goes," May said, walking up behind him. "Ready?"

"Of course," Ash replied.

Torchic gave him a quizzical look.

"Hi," Ash said. "I'm Ash. We're going to know one another better some time."

That said, he reached out a hand and took Torchic's wing, and shook it.

* * *

><p>"Ah, there you are!" Birch said, spotting May as he came in through the door. "I-"<p>

He stopped.

"Why is there a Blaziken in the lab?"

Blaziken stepped a little closer to May.

"Why is there a Riolu wearing a hat in my lab?"

Ash waved.

"Why is there a Pidgeot _outside_ my lab, looking in through the door?"

Pidgeot chirped.

May winced. "This could take a while..."

* * *

><p>"So, you're my daughter's time-displaced starter," Norman mused, looking Blaziken up and down.<p>

The Fire/Fighting type nodded, folding one arm across his chest and bowing slightly.

"Hm. Interesting. May?"

May nodded. "Yes, Dad?"

"I'd like you and Blaziken to show what you're capable of working together at the gym some time soon. Let me know a good time next week."

"Okay, Dad!" May agreed readily.

She glanced over, and saw her brother looking a bit downcast.

"Don't worry, Max," she assured him. "Blaziken and I will make sure you get a starter."

Max looked up, and smiled a bit. "Thanks, sis."

Norman then turned his attention to Ash. "What happened?"

"Magic," Ash replied, standing on a chair to be at about the same level as everyone else. "Literally magic."

Norman blinked. "Your life is bizarre."

"I _know_."

* * *

><p><em>bink<em>

Mewtwo looked up. _Oh, hello Sabrina. Hello Mew._

"Hello yourself," Sabrina said, as her friend Mew began playing with Mewtwo's friend.

She put down a sheaf of paper on Mewtwo's trestle-table desk, along with a small memory stick. "I finished the foreword, by the way."

_Thank you,_ Mewtwo smiled. _What did you think of the book?_

"Pretty good," she said. "I've got a few changes to suggest, mostly minor, but we can discuss that after you've read the foreword."

Mewtwo nodded his acceptance, and picked up the paper – using his hands, rather than raw psionic might.

It relaxed him.

* * *

><p>Foreword – Sabrina, Saffron gym leader<p>

* * *

><p>In many ways, Mewtwo and I are much alike. He, like I, is a powerful psychic individual. Like myself, his upbringing was profoundly unusual and focused more on his gifts than on him as a person. Like me, he has struggled with the question of whether he is important as a person – or, instead, just important as a set of psionic skills.<p>

There is one difference, however, which most people would notice first. He is a Pokémon, and I am a human. That is a major difference – even a legal difference, despite how many advances in Pokémon rights have been made over the past century. It is the kind of difference which at first glance seems to divide us, and the rest of the world.

This book is about the other ways we are all alike – and why a Pokémon is not apart, just different.

One of the benefits of being a psychic – human or Pokémon – is that the task of interacting with those on the other side of the Pokéball is easier. A Psychic Pokémon can use telepathy, the ability to communicate with projected thoughts rather than spoken words, to make themselves understood to humans – and a psionic human can pick up the thoughts of their Pokémon and thus gain an insight into what is meant above and beyond what is normal.

But, until now, those insights and advantages have been largely ad hoc and individual. For example, I talk with my Kadabra, or with my dear friend Mew, but insights thus gained are rarely shared with others. I know that my Kadabra likes orange juice, but I do not even know if that is a racial trait or one peculiar to him.

It is my hope that this book, which I have helped to edit in places, results in a better understanding and dialogue between human and Pokémon. As a Gym Leader, I am used to battle – but I am also used to _not_ battling, and I would consider forcing a Pokémon to battle when they do not want to a good reason to not present my badge – irrespective of the victor in a battle.

I hope that I never have to do so. And this book is a good example of why I feel that hope may be justified.

* * *

><p>Mewtwo came to the end of the section. <em>I see,<em> he said, softly. _Thank you for the vote of confidence._

"You deserve it, you really do," Sabrina assured him. "I heard of your life – to overcome that, and become so committed to peace, is a great achievement indeed. And I really think this book is going to be an important one."

_May that be the case,_ Mewtwo smiled.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

So. Hocus Pokémon. Best known as "That episode Ash turns into a Pikachu".

I decided to go with Asholu instead of Ashachu, on the grounds his greater Aura affinity outweighs his connection to Pikachu. It was close, though.

And here's magic, the third kind of "broad variety of things humans can manage" along with psychic powers and aura manipulation. They're not the same, and trying to do one with another can lead to... bad results...

Also the Blaziken thing. Seemed neat, for the mental images as much as anything.

I currently have a _preference_ for Max's starter, but it's not set in stone. (It's none of the ones he befriends in canon – the Ralts in particular is over a hundred episodes into AG.)

Finally, Mewtwo's book. I'm actually writing some of it – short bits per chapter, as and when I can and I have a good idea of what to do for the bit.


	96. Johto 38

"Is it me, or is that taking longer to wear off than normal?" Misty asked.

Ash shrugged. "Don't know," he said, adjusting his hat. "I can't remember how long it took last time."

"Not this long," Misty assured him.

"_It took... well,"_ Pikachu counted on his paws. _"Last time the spell was cast in the afternoon, this time it was the morning. And last time you'd turned back by now."_

"Huh," Ash frowned. "That could actually be a bit problematic."

He shrugged. "Whatever, we'll give it a bit longer... aha!"

With a flash of light, Suicune formed.

"_...right,"_ she said, looking Ash up and down. _"I heard about it, but..."_

"Yeah, it's a whole different experience seeing it," Misty muttered.

Ash shrugged. "It's better than last time."

"_I'm hurt, I really am,"_ Pikachu told him.

"No, I mean at least I'm about the same _shape_ this time," Ash pointed out. "Anyway – Suicune, you know which gym's next?"

"_Dragon, yes,"_ she nodded.

As they set off, Ash went on. "Well... I know you've got Ice Beam already, but what about that move Lapras was showing you? Freeze-dry?"

"_That one has been a huge problem,"_ Suicune admitted. _"It's still not very near completion – in the time I've been working on it, you taught Entei _and_ I Aura Sphere, and that's for starters..."_

"Well, show me what you've got at the moment," Ash suggested.

Suicune nodded. She began to build the icy energy, in a way similar to an Ice Beam, but then frowned and altered it a little.

Ash watched closely. "What's that you're doing?"

"_I'm trying to get rid of the moisture,"_ Suicune mumbled, in her effort to not disrupt the ball of cold energy building just in front of her muzzle.

Frowning, the trainer-who-was-currently-a-Riolu looked closer again. "Oh, I think I see!"

The attack finally destabilized, producing a _whuff_ of fine powder-snow.

"_What is it?"_ Suicune asked, blinking snow out of her eyes.

Ash brushed the powder from his arms. "Well, it looks like a bit too much of your natural Aura is leaking in. That's fine, normally – it might make Ice attacks _more_ powerful – but it's turning this into... well, something that's not Freeze-Dry."

He shrugged. "And I want to have this ready, because Clair has a powerful Kingdra, and because Freeze-dry is _much_ more powerful than a normal Ice attack against a Kingdra."

"_I see,"_ Suicune nodded. _"I could most likely beat it anyway, but – yes, that would help. What do you suggest?"_

"Well..." Ash frowned. "Start by gathering aura like you would for an Aura Sphere – stripping out your Type from it, I mean. _Then_ try adding the Ice energy to it in the way you've already been trying."

"_Good idea."_ Suicune's eyes half-crossed, as she focused again on the point in front of her muzzle she was using as a focus for the attack.

Brock glanced down at the egg container – currently in his arms, as Ash was a bit short to do it properly. "I wonder about the environment this Pokémon is going to grow up in..."

There was a crash, as Ash slipped on some ice and fell over.

"Not bad!" he called, getting up again. "That was much drier! Now, make it not destabilize!"

* * *

><p>Pikachu stretched out his tail, tiny lightning bolts crackling along it. <em>"Ah, this place is lovely."<em>

Snapping her fingers as the idea occurred to her, Misty sent out Chinchou. "What about you? What do you think of this?"

"_It's great!"_ Chinchou enthused, lights flickering. _"Really neat – like the air's full of energy!"_

Stepping forwards, he dipped a toe in the water. _"Ooh, and so is the water! I love it!"_

A sound like all the cloth in the universe tearing made them all look up, startled.

Appearing around the edge of a headland, a Zapdos skimmed low over the water. Lightning blazed from Pokémon to lake in a continual, flickering connection, and several of the spectators threw up arms or squinted against the brilliant light.

After at least ten seconds, the Zapdos pulled up. There was a final crackling _bang_, and it rose well into the air – leaving clouds of steam behind from the repeatedly blasted lakewater.

"What the heck?" Ash asked, having gone for putting his paws over his ears instead.

"Pardon?" Misty replied, wincing. "I can hardly hear you!"

The Zapdos performed a wingover, and plunged back towards the lake at an angle to its previous path. This time, it hit the cloud of steam, and emerged out the other side with an almighty _BANG._

Rolling twice, it turned towards the shore and began to slow.

"Okay, now I want to know what that was," Ash said. "Hey, Keldeo? Mind giving me a lift?"

"_Sure!"_ Keldeo grinned. _"At least you're smaller now, I'm pretty sure this won't end badly!"_

Ash jumped up on Keldeo's back.

Keldeo took a run up, getting up to a good canter with Ash holding onto the back of his mane. As he crossed the shore, he began to skate using Hydro Pump, and set out across the lake.

* * *

><p>"<em>We nearly made it without falling over..."<em> Keldeo said, a little less cheerfully, as they splashed ashore.

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry, Keldeo, not your fault – that was _clearly_ an evil Vaporeon disguised as a wave..."

Keldeo sniggered, then they looked along the beach to where the Zapdos was still hunched.

As they looked, though, the Legendary noticed them. It cocked its head, confused.

"Wait a second..." Ash said, looking closer. "That... behind them, is that Todd?"

"_I think it is!"_ Keldeo agreed.

"Hey, Todd!" Ash called. "Nice to see you!"

The Zapdos just looked more confused. So did Todd.

"Who's that?" the lanky youth called. "Do... wait a minute... _Ash?_"

"Yeah?" Ash said, frowning. "What's so-"

"Why are you a Riolu!?"

Ash glanced down. "...do you know, I'd actually forgotten that?"

Todd shook his head. "I don't even... hey, are the others here?"

"Yeah," Ash confirmed. "We were over on the south shore, then we saw the show. What was going on?"

"I've been trying to get pictures of all three Legendary Birds – after the two Articuno you pointed me at, I mean," he clarified. "Got pictures of a recently-caught Moltres down in the Sevii-"

"_Caught?"_ Keldeo interrupted. _"I wonder who caught a Moltres..."_

"I didn't know them," Todd shrugged. "Few years older than me, at least. Had a talking Meowth-"

Ash's mouth fell open. "What."

He sighed. "Okay, you're going to have to explain the whole thing to us. Suicune, mind giving Todd a lift?"

At that point, they discovered Todd was _still_ not inured to Ash surprising him.

"Okay, are you like _catnip_ to Legendaries or something?" he asked, completely flabbergasted, as Suicune materialized. "How many do you _have?_"

Ash started counting.

"No, wait!" Todd interrupted. "Forget I asked!"

As he shook his head, astonished, Ash and his Pokémon noticed Sneasel clambering down his backpack.

Dropping the last foot or so to the floor, she ran lightly over to them – stopping several yards out – and bowed slightly.

"_It is an honour, my lady."_

"_Please,"_ Suicune said, raising a paw. _"The formality is tiresome. Are you the photographer's Pokémon?"_

Sneasel began to reply, and stopped. She started again. _"Technically, no... he never got around to capturing me – too busy travelling and learning how to photograph. Some of mine got into the magazine,"_ she added, with a slight blush.

"...we have got a _lot_ to catch up on," Ash stated. "Okay, let's head over to the others."

"_I remember when this place was calm and private,"_ Zapdos mused.

"_Really?"_ Keldeo asked, interested. _"When was that?"_

"_This morning."_

* * *

><p>"<em>She was stalking the trainer?"<em> Zapdos chuckled. _"Okay, now I may well have heard everything. At least she's more sensible than those idiots on Shamouti, though, those three are astonishingly immature."_

"Maybe it's being on their islands alone?" Misty suggested.

"_That could well be it, I know my siblings have done much to keep me grounded,"_ Suicune mused.

"So, anyway, they said that she'd literally tripped over a Pokéball," Todd finished. "And the next morning she decided to stay with them. Crazy, huh?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded.

Brock chuckled. "You don't get to say that, Ash. You're currently a Riolu."

"Oh, yeah, speaking of-" Todd brought his camera up, and took a quick picture.

"Hey!" Ash said, wincing. "What was that for?"

"Souvenir?" Todd shrugged. "I won't publish it or anything, but... you know."

"_Maybe Delia would like to see?"_ Pikachu suggested, grinning.

"That sounds like a good idea!" Misty grinned. "Todd? Pikachu just suggested-"

"Hey, no fair!" Ash interrupted.

"What?" Misty asked, innocently. "I'm sure your mother'd love to see!"

Ash frowned, thinking. "Uh... yeah, maybe you're right. Might be... okay, good point," he said reluctantly.

I can send her one right now, via Damos, Dexter suggested.

"Sounds good!" Todd agreed. "Do you have a data port?"

No need, I should be able to interface directly.

As Dexter got on that, Ash grimaced. "Huh, that felt weird..."

"_Are you okay?"_ Lucario asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I think-"

There was that same peculiar, fire-and-ice nervous discontinuity as before, and then Ash found himself almost flat on his back.

_Almost_. There were paws gripping his shoulders, holding him a few inches off the ground.

"_I've got you,"_ Lucario informed him, before lifting Ash back up to his feet. _"I saw it coming that time."_

"Good you did," Ash muttered, looking down at the beach. There were a number of quite large pebbles among the smaller sand. "Ouch, that could have hurt... thanks, Lucario."

Lucario nodded, pleased.

"Looks like that photo just about got taken in time," Brock grinned.

Ash chuckled. "Yeah, guess so..."

"_That was peculiar,"_ the Zapdos said, blinking.

Ash gave the Electric Pokémon a shrug. "Sorry."

"_No, I didn't have a problem with it per se, I just... it's baffling."_ Zapdos shook his head. _"Ah well. I'll take my leave, I suppose..."_

Raising spiked yellow wings, he took flight and circled once before setting out over the lake.

"That was nice," Brock smiled.

* * *

><p>"...okay, this is not what I expected as my third challenge this week," Pryce admitted.<p>

Raikou held up a sign. 'Let's get on with it!' it read, in large characters.

Pryce nodded. "Sure. Okay, S... no, never mind them," he amended, discarding his plans to use Seel and Dewgong. "Let's start with Aurorus!"

Aurorus looked Raikou up and down. _"I believe I fought your brother recently,"_ she said, raising her sail. It started to glow.

"_Oh? How'd he do?"_ Raikou asked, frowning. _"I could see him having a bit of trouble, what with that dashed Rock type and all..."_

"_He did,"_ she smiled. _"I mean, he won, but – Ice Hyper Beam!"_

Raikou's paws slipped on the ice as he tried to jump clear, and the Ice-type attack drove him into a wall in a crescendo of ice.

For about a second, that was it. Then the ice trembled, and Raikou exploded out of it with his eyes flashing an eerie gold.

"_Trying to take me by surprise, eh?"_ he asked, chuckling. _"Well played!"_

His paws dug in, this time, and he avoided an incoming Ice Hyper Voice to skate in an arc around the frosted-over gym.

Twisting to keep him in her arc of fire, Aurorus snapped off a series of Ice attacks, and Raikou dodged them – mostly. The one which hit, he blew to bits with a Thunder before it could hamper him too much, and he skidded behind an icy obstacle.

"_You know,"_ he said, conversationally,_ "My sister always said I had a head like a rock."_

Snapping thunder traced a path along the floor, curving out from his concealed position towards Aurorus.

"_Iron Head!"_

The icy stalagmite smashed apart, as Raikou rammed through it with a shining Iron Head.

It hit Aurorus on the flank with a _crack_, and she skidded across the floor a few inches before retaliating with a point-blank Ice Hyper Beam.

This time, Raikou took a few more seconds to blow the ice to bits, and grinned.

"_Oh, I like this!"_ he said, chuckling. _"Very impressive!"_

His tail blazed, and he threw a bolt of lightning at Aurorus to keep her honest. While she was blocking that with a quick Light Screen, he plunged through one of the damaged patches of ice and vanished underground.

Pryce, no fool, withdrew Aurorus and sent out Mamoswine.

"Earthquake!" he called.

The moment before the attack fired, Raikou burst out from underground again. The shaking made his tunnel collapse, and spiderwebbed cracks out across the ice, but he was mostly fine.

"_Sneaky!"_ he chuckled. _"Take this! Iron Tail!"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh, right!"<em> Donphan said, nodding. _"That makes a lot of sense! So I use that for getting into the air!"_

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "I mean, your Rollout is a pretty good start, but I was thinking – your Earthquake would be more powerful if you could get some momentum, and you could manage Magnitude too which is sometimes even more powerful."

"_I get it,"_ Donphan agreed. _"And it makes sure I can attack Pokémon flying in the air, too... great! How do I use Bounce, then?"_

Ash gave Donphan a look over. "I think it might be uncurling for a moment at the right time," he said. "Or – can you use your trunk to push off against the ground as you roll? That sounds like it might work."

Donphan duly gave it a go, diving forwards into a roll and promptly pushing off against the ground. Something went a bit wrong with the aiming, and he ended up in a tree.

Rather than take the difficult step of climbing up to save him, Ash did the sensible thing and returned Donphan before sending him out again.

"_Whoops,"_ Donphan muttered. _"At least I went up... oh, I saw something over the hill before you recalled me."_

"Oh?" Ash said, interested. "Let's go see!"

* * *

><p>"Somehow," Ash mused, "I remember this being different."<p>

There were still the two Igglybuff.

There was still the TV camera, and the stage, and the girl – Brittany.

One thing that was new, though, was the electric guitar and the drumset.

"Oh, hi!" Brittany said, noticing them. "Want to listen? I'm helping my friends practice for an audition for Jiggly and the Puffs!"

"Sure!" Misty said. "Only... do you have a Poké flute?"

Brittany blinked.

She turned to the two Igglybuff. "_That's_ what we've been forgetting!"

One of the Fairy-types slapped her face. The other one nodded ruefully.

"That does explain why everyone's been falling asleep all the time..." Brittany said, shaking her head. "Okay, sorry – guess we'll have to sort that out..."

"Not so fast," Brock said. "I think – do any of us have a Pokémon with Uproar?"

"_I know it,"_ Crobat volunteered.

"Right. Because that's just a way of making _loud_ sounds so they keep people awake, even through Sing," he went on. "Think you could explain for the Igglybuff?"

"_I think so."_

"Thanks," Brittany said, all smiles. "That's a great help."

"It's kind of a habit for us," Misty chuckled. "I mean, we kind of put her together with that Poké flute guy herself..."

For about four seconds, the three aspiring musicians tried to work out what she meant. Then they got it, and their eyes went wide.

"You... you _put Jigglypuff together with her backup act?"_ Brittany gaped. "That's amazing!"

As if on a coordinated signal, both Fairy-types pulled out autograph books.

* * *

><p>"Ready for this?" Norman asked.<p>

May glanced over at Blaziken, getting a confirmatory nod, then repeated it. "We sure are!"

Blaziken cracked his knuckles.

"Okay, this is going to be pretty much the kind of battle I give mid-level trainers," Norman went on. "I'm going a _bit_ easy on you because you've only got Blaziken, but on the other hand this isn't just about winning – it's about how well you've trained Blaziken, how strong your bond is... and, of course, how impressive you two look."

"Is that why Mom's watching too?" May asked.

"That's right," Caroline smiled. "I'm going to judge your _contest_ skills!"

"Right," May nodded. "Okay, Blaziken... here goes."

Her starter nodded to her, then stepped forwards.

"Let's start this off nice and easy," Norman said. "Vigoroth!"

Blaziken watched Vigoroth bounce back and forth, full of energy, and set his stance.

"Okay, Blaziken, let's do this!" May called. "Sky kick!"

Norman frowned minutely. "I've not heard of that one before..."

Blaziken stepped forwards, feinting towards Vigoroth, and scythed a kick out.

Vigoroth ducked under it, lunging forwards, and Blaziken flinched back from the Fury Swipes attack.

"Wait-" Caroline said, suddenly noticing.

Blaziken hadn't flinched. He'd gone over backwards in a preplanned move, lashing out with his _other_ foot, and taking his weight on backwards-leant arms. The uppercutting kick caught Vigoroth off guard, connecting with his abdomen, and a _whoof_ of air came out as Blaziken launched him skywards.

Springing back upright, Blaziken crouched and followed with a powerful leap.

By the time he reached altitude, Vigoroth had recovered somewhat. Whirling in mid-air, he slashed out at Blaziken again.

"Spiral toss!" May told her Fire-type.

Blaziken blocked with one arm, then the other, and used both blocks to gain a small height advantage over Vigoroth. Once he had, he fired a Flamethrower blast through the V at the top of his crossed arms, and kept it on Vigoroth as he fell.

The spiralling, red-orange stream of flame kept Blaziken from falling as fast as he otherwise might and also forced Vigoroth down faster. When the Normal-type hit the floor, Blaziken still had a little way to go.

All through his trip towards the floor, Blaziken had been coiling up. Now he kept firing, but turned the direction he was firing and straightened out in the same moment.

The result was that he turned a three-quarters-somersault, landing with both legs and one arm down as his Flamethrower finally cut out.

Seen from the side, as Caroline and Norman were, it was an upwards half-circle of flame which rippled and dispersed in the cool gym air.

"...well, that tells me our daughter's cut out for this," Caroline said, after a few seconds of silence. "Was that a version of Seismic Toss, May?"

"Yep!" May replied, proudly. "Blaziken and I worked on coded versions of his normal attacks that recreate other ones, so they're not what people expect – and they're quicker to explain, too!"

"It must be something about Ash," Norman muttered.

"What's that?" Caroline asked, also in a low voice.

"He just... brings out the best," Norman said, and shrugged. "Anyway."

In a louder voice, he addressed May. "Wonderful work! Now, I'm afraid I _do_ have to make you work a bit harder... your choice, May. Fire or Fighting?"

May exchanged a look with Blaziken, who shrugged. "Fire, I guess," she said.

"Right," Norman nodded, returning Vigoroth. "Girafarig, go!"

* * *

><p>"That's the main engine controls," James said, indicating a set of four throttles. "They normally need a few minutes to warm up, but there's also pyro charges controlled <em>there<em> in case we need to go from a cold start."

"Right," Jessie said dubiously, already having a little trouble keeping up with the array of switches and buttons James had installed on their transport plane. "Why do we need to know this?"

"Well, we've got a Flying-type now," James pointed out. "One who knows Fly. But she certainly can't carry all of us, so... you should know how to fly this thing."

Jessie blinked, then scowled. "Are you calling me fat?"

"I don't tink dat's what he meant..." Meowth said, shaking his head. "More like, Moltres ain't all dat big, an' she sure can't carry Gyarados!"

"What about this one, then?" Jessie asked, pointing at a control.

James blanched. _"Don't-"_

* * *

><p>"<em>It all sounds very peculiar,"<em> Moltres admitted. _"Time travel?"_

"_Pretty much,"_ Victreebell agreed. _"I mean, some of the new guys-"_

There was a loud _floomp!_ noise, and a braking parachute fired out the back of the transport before slowly settling to the ground.

"_I am _so_ glad we don't have to repack that,"_ Weezing said sagely.

* * *

><p>"Upper spin!" May instructed.<p>

Blaziken sprang forwards onto his hands, and spun his legs around with flame trailing from them. The arc of fire joined up, broadened, and became a roaring fire spin completely concealing his position.

"Psybeam," Norman ordered. Eyes glowing, Girafarig fired a multicoloured beam of light towards the flaming tornado at about chest height.

It blew through the flames easily, showing no Blaziken in sight.

"Hm," Norman mused, as the Fire Spin unravelled in both directions. Then, as the flames reached about knee height, Blaziken exploded out of a crouch and lunged forward.

Another Psybeam came at him, catching him on the side, and he winced. Turning the momentum into an advantage, he slammed one foot down on the floor to control his spin and lashed out with a Blaze Kick at Girafarig's other side.

The Normal-type's other set of eyes flashed, and a Reflect shield formed. It flared from the impact, but managed to prevent most of the force of the blow from reaching Girafarig.

"Switch to Special attacks!" May called, as Blaziken flipped backwards and braked by sliding along the floor. "Flamethrower!"

Launching a sheet of flame forwards, Blaziken scored a hit on Girafarig before his opponent could turn and attack properly. He then had to dodge out of the way as another Psybeam came flashing out, and barely avoided being hit a second time.

May frowned, trying to look for a good moment to change tactics. The Girafarig was already forming a series of Light Screens, so the Flamethrowers weren't doing as much good any more.

She already knew what she was going to have Blaziken do, so – there!

"Friction jump!" she called.

Norman blinked, not even sure _what_ that could mean. Then he saw Blaziken crouch slightly, fists held in a knife-hand position which rested on the gym floor.

Then Blaziken came rushing forwards. The blue-glowing fists dug a little into the floor, leaving a trail – and glowing brighter.

"Look out!" he called to Girafarig. "Now!"

Girafarig's horns flashed, and another Psybeam flashed out – to hit Blaziken when he couldn't dodge.

Unfortunately, though, Blaziken wasn't planning on delivering the attack in the first place. His arms came up, fists clenching, and blocked the Psybeam with his boosted Sky Uppercut before springing into the air.

"Overheat!"

Caught off guard, Girafarig couldn't erect a fresh Light Screen in time. The Overheat speared down from overhead, browning a circle of the gym floor and heavily damaging Girafarig.

Landing on the far side of his opponent, Blaziken whirled to continue the fight with a Blaze Kick.

"That's enough!" Norman called, and Blaziken's foot halted about three inches short of Girafarig's flank.

"So," the gym leader went on, returning Girafarig. "What do you think, dear?"

"Very good," Caroline said with a smile. "Nice and showy, but not to the point that they became the focus rather than the Pokémon themselves, which is good – the aerial combat thing was a nice touch – and I'm guessing that they were still powerful moves?"

"Oh, very much so," Norman agreed. "May?"

May looked up from where she was inspecting Blaziken's side, where he'd taken the Psybeam earlier. "Yeah?"

A Balance badge came flying at her. She caught it with some surprise, and looked at it. "Dad?"

"Well, you've earned it," he smiled. "Well done, May. I'll be here for you to practice on before you leave, but – well, I'm no longer in doubt about your ability to look after yourself. Congratulations."

May glanced at Blaziken, then hurried across the floor to her parents.

"Thanks," she said, giving Norman a hug. "That means a lot to me."

Releasing him, she grabbed Caroline as well. "Both of you."

* * *

><p>"...so, it's kind of like a <em>lower<em> powered version of Solarbeam," Ash went on. "Just that you fire it much earlier, and you fuel it internally rather than with solar energy."

"_I see..."_ Entei nodded. _"Well, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually..."_

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it's one of those things I've not even got _close_ to yet. But being able to hit Water-types no matter what other Type they are would be pretty useful for you."

"_Hmmm..."_ Entei rumbled, and glanced up at the sky. A bit cloudy, but not very overcast... _"Perhaps I should practice under rainy skies, loath as I am to admit it. To be sure I am not accidentally using the sun for my power."_

"Good idea," Ash agreed. "The other thing might be easier to do – _dragon_fire. Have you run into it before?"

"_A time or two,"_ Entei confirmed.

"Right. Well, the reason I think it'd also be a good one is we're on the way to Blackthorn, and that means-"

"Are you _sure_ this is the way to Blackthorn, Ash?" Misty asked. "This does look familiar, but it doesn't seem like the right way to go..."

We are certainly headed in the direction of Blackthorn, Dexter supplied. However, due to the fact we got very lost last time, this direct route is not where we've been before.

"You sure?" Brock frowned. "It seems..."

"Hey, look!" Ash said, pointing.

Brock and Misty followed his gaze.

"_That seems to be... a Charizard? No, _two_ Charizard..."_ Entei said, blinking. _"Either we're very lost, or... well, I'm not sure..."_

As he spoke, the two distant forms drifted towards one another. Then they banked around, and began to head towards the friends.

Ash began waving. "Hey!"

"_Oh, I get it!"_ Pikachu realized. _"That's Charizard!" _He paused. _"Wait, no, I mean Charizard, but not just any Chari – oh, you know who I mean. Him."_

"It sure is!" Ash confirmed, grinning. "Down here!"

Charizard had clearly already seen him, of course. The burly Fire-type came stooping down on them, flared his wings with a rush of air, and settled down just in front of them.

Charla swooped overhead, losing height a little less dramatically, and began to slow for her own landing.

"Hi, Charizard!" Ash greeted him. "It's been a while..."

"_Too long,"_ Charizard agreed, a grin of his own on his muzzle. He indicated Entei with a nod. _"He's new."_

Entei tilted his head. _"Not _that_ new, surely? We met in Greenfield?"_

"_...I was probably too unconscious,"_ Charizard muttered. _"Anyway, come on – you're only a little way from the Dragon Holy Land! I'll show you the best way in!"_

"_That's_ what was familiar!" Misty said, snapping her fingers. "Hmm... wonder what they'll think of Gyarados..."

Charla landed next to them. _"Why is Entei standing there?"_ she asked, blinking.

"I caught him," Ash explained simply.

Liza sighed. "I'm starting to see why it was _you_ who ended up time travelling."

* * *

><p>The Dragon Holy Land really was an amazing place. Set in a sparsely-inhabited valley, it provided a refuge in the heart of Honshu for the normally much more solitary dragons.<p>

As the place where Pokémon from the Cianwood Dragon Clan rested and recuperated, as well as where they raised their young, it was a place of astonishing variety. Just in the time Ash and his friends were walking in, they saw at least fourteen different Pokémon species – from Swablu in the trees, to a Dratini in the river running by the path, to a timid Goomy half-hidden behind a friendly Flygon.

"Wow..." Brock breathed. "It's amazing to think there's so many rare Pokémon here – look, that's a Gabite!"

The Gabite gave them a curious look, then shrugged.

"Oh, look," Misty added, pointing. "That's a Milotic!"

Unnoticed by Ash, the Gabite did a double take and looked at Ash more closely. _"Hey,"_ he said to a nearby Swablu. _"Is that me, or is that Ash Ketchum?"_

"_I think you're right!"_ the Swablu confirmed.

"_Did you just say-"_ A Vibrava hovered down, and looked between them. _"Hey, it is!"_

"_Who's that?"_ asked a Grovyle.

"_Can I see?"_

"How come you're here, though?" Ash asked Charizard, heedless of the rapidly spreading rumors. "I mean... you know, you're a Fire and a Flying type."

"_I'm clearly a dragon, what are you talking about?"_ Charizard replied, posing (to laughter from Charla). After a moment, he shrugged. _"Actually, I think they treat Dragon quite broadly – it means at least some Pokémon from the Dragon egg group, too."_

"Oh, right..." Ash nodded. "So... I guess that means Sceptile?"

"_That's one of them, yeah."_

Ash was about to say more, but a _bing_ from his bag distracted him.

The others stopped walking too. "Ash, was that-"

"Yeah!" Ash replied, swinging the bag down and unzipping it. He took out the egg capsule, and confirmed that the egg inside was just starting to glow.

Moving with cautious speed, he unlatched the top of the capsule and took the egg out. The glow brightened as he did, and he sat down with the egg in his lap just before it went completely white.

Several of the nearby dragons craned their necks to watch.

Then, as the light died down, it revealed the hatchling.

"Maw," she said, stretching and yawning. With both her mouth, and her big pair of secondary jaws.

"Aw..." Misty smiled. "How cute."

"Hi," Ash said gently. "It's nice to meet you."

At about that point, the shock of the spectators wore off.

"_Ash Ketchum has a Fairy type,"_ a Dragonite said, with forced calm. _"Ash Ketchum. Has. A Fairy Type."_

"_The guy whose Charizard knows Draco Meteor?"_

"_And it's even immune to Poison?"_ a Dragalge checked.

"_We're all doomed,"_ the Gabite decided.

Mawile yawned again, and blinked up at Ash. _"Hi!"_ she said, smiling. _"Nice to meet you too!"_

"_Now, don't worry,"_ said the Flygon. _"This might not be as bad as-"_

"_Hey, look what I learned!"_ Mawile added. Her secondary jaw opened, then slammed shut with an audible _crash_ of Ice Fang.

"_It knows Ice Fang! Run!"_

Ash looked up, somewhat bewildered, at the sound of a mass stampede. He saw every single Dragon-type in the area running for the hills.

"...what just happened?" he asked.

Charizard sighed. _"I'll see if I can calm them down..."_

"How did you learn Ice Fang, anyway?" Ash asked Mawile, as Charizard took flight and headed north.

"_I heard you and Mister Keldeo talking about it,"_ Mawile beamed. _"I didn't understand everything, but that bit was easy!"_

"...oh, that's _right,"_ Misty nodded. "Egg moves don't just mean moves which are inherited, it's also moves which are learned by a Pokémon while still in the egg. Doesn't come up much..."

"I can see you're a clever one," Brock said, crouching down. "Any other moves you worked out?"

"_Uh... not really,"_ Mawile said, shaking her head. _"Sorry."_

Ash chuckled. "It's okay, really!"

He rummaged in his pocket. "Hold on, I'm going to get Dexter to do a quick scan – just to make sure you're healthy."

"_Sure!"_ Mawile agreed. _"And – hey, is Mister Keldeo here? Or Miss Suicune?"_

"I'm afraid they're not, at the moment," Ash told her. "Maybe I should take you to meet them all, after my next Gym Battle."

"_What's a Gym Battle like?"_ Mawile asked, as Dexter's scanner flashed.

"It's kind of a way of showing how much I and my Pokémon have learned – how good we are at fighting," Ash explained.

"_Oh, okay."_ Mawile nodded. _"Do all your Pokémon have to?"_ she asked, a bit nervously.

"No, just a few," Ash assured her. "I think you're a bit young, at the moment. Even though you seem to have scared off every dragon in the valley..."

Mawile giggled. _"Rawr!"_ The big faux-jaw on the back of her head opened and shut as well, a bit more ominously.

"Oh – that reminds me," Ash said, retrieving the Pokéball from the discarded case lid. "Do you mind if I go ahead and catch you now?"

"_Sure!"_ she nodded. _"Do I get ice cream?"_

"I'm pretty sure most Pokémon centres do ice cream," Brock supplied.

"_Okay."_

Ash promptly used the Pokéball – nothing special, just a plain one – to catch her, and then sent her out again as soon as the capture registered.

"_That was fun!"_ the Fairy-type told him.

"_Not how I felt about it..."_ Pikachu muttered.

"_Oh, hello!"_ Mawile added, looking over to Pikachu. _"You're Mister Pikachu, aren't you?"_

"_...last I checked, yes."_

"_You're funny,"_ Mawile told him firmly.

"Hey..." Misty frowned. "Sorry to interrupt, but I just thought of something. Do Gyarados count as Dragons?"

Liza had been hanging back a bit, not wanting to interrupt the scene. "I think I remember seeing a few in the lake," she supplied. "It's about half a kilometre down that stream. Why?"

Misty adjusted her Mega Ring. "Oh, no real reason..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Right, going down the list:

Todd finally runs into Ash again. I actually think this is his Sneasel's first dialogue.

Raikou's nearly done with his gym challenges, just one to go.

Sing works better with anti-sleep effects in play.

May and Blaziken working together, in the first battle in a long while where I've been _not_ writing Pokémon dialogue. Hopefully it was very... uh... Coordinator-y.

For some reason, I see James as the pilot and Jessie the copilot. Functionally that means she has a much more limited range of controls, usually...

And, finally, that egg. Yep, Mawile. Hopefully she's cute!


	97. Johto 39

This is the first of two chapters today.

* * *

><p>"...oh, I didn't know there was such a thing as a Mega Gyarados," Liza said, watching Misty's Mega Gyarados roaring, splashing and generally showing off. "He's pretty impressive."<p>

Misty nodded, her bracelet-shaped Key Stone holder pulsing faintly as it sustained the transformation. "Yeah, though it's kind of hard to find a battlefield he can really cut loose on... Ash's Mega, Heracross, is much easier to do that with."

Liza nodded. "I imagine that's a consideration... well, for a Water-type trainer generally, too."

"Water can't be the _only_ type it matters for," Misty shrugged. "I mean, Steel types and Rock types are sometimes heavy enough to be a problem on upper floors, and as for Flying types..."

That earned her a chuckle. "Yes, Charizard mentioned how hard it was fighting inside the Steel-type gym down in Olivine. Until he broke it."

"Ash _is_ making a bit of a habit of it... wonder how Clair's going to handle it," Misty mused.

"Actually..." the Dragon Tamer said, craning her neck a bit. "I think that's her now!"

"Really?" Misty followed Liza's gaze. "Oh, yeah, does look a bit – wait. Why's Raikou with her?"

* * *

><p>"...and do you have any idea how much that's going to <em>cost?<em>" Clair asked, exasperated.

Raikou flicked his tail, and rummaged through his huge collection of signs. 'I don't see what you're complaining about.'

He twirled it around. 'It was a legitimate strategy.'

"How many times have you had to – never mind, I don't want to know." Clair rubbed her temples. "Anyway... here's what it means. I'll have to get someone out to cut through eight inches of granite facing in several different places, completely re-wire the entire gym, and _then_ probably get a Magcargo in to replace the rock with some basalt – that's not the same, but it's as close as I can get!"

Raikou rolled his eyes, then looked up as a familiar pair of shapes came loping towards him.

"_Aha, Suicune, Entei!"_ he greeted, fangs flashing in a grin. _"Lovely to see you!"_

"_Where have you been, Raikou?"_ Entei asked, as he came to a stop. _"You vanished weeks ago blathering about sign language... wait a moment."_

The Fire-type paced around his brother, and snagged one of the wooden signs. Turning it, he read it.

"_...you are a moron,"_ he sighed. _"Why didn't you just get a Psychic type to help or something?"_

"_That would have been boring!"_ Raikou said firmly. _"Anyway, I've got all eight badges, so that should _prove_ to Ash that I'm not holding back!"_

Suicune blinked. _"...I don't follow the logic."_

Ash came running up behind. "Are you the Blackthorn Gym Leader?"

"I am – and you must be Ash Ketchum?" Clair asked, getting a nod in return. "Sorry, gym's closed for now."

"What!?" Ash gaped. "Why?"

Clair indicated Raikou. "This Electric-type idiot blew out all the lights with an electro-magnetic pulse!"

"_...well, if you will use a Kingdra on me then I don't see how I can be held responsible,"_ Raikou mumbled.

"Why was Raikou challenging your gym?" Ash asked.

"_To prove that I'm dashed well not going to hold back again!"_ Raikou told him proudly.

"...I'm not sure that makes sense," Ash said slowly. "I mean, just because you got badges doesn't mean you're never going to hold back..."

Raikou started to prance back and forth, holding in his irritation. _"Fine! I've taught myself Extrasensory, Dig, Iron Head and Iron Tail, for starters! I'll use them, you'll see!"_

"I'm sure this conversation is fascinating," Clair interrupted. "But – hmmm..."

She frowned, then nodded firmly. "Okay, Mr. Ketchum. Give me an hour or so to contact those available of the Clan, and we can have our gym battle. Up there."

Ash followed her pointing finger, which indicated the opening of a little side valley.

"Right!" he said. "I'll spend the time making sure my team's ready!"

Clair nodded. "Very good; I'll be doing the same."

She made to turn away, then stopped. "What's that in the lake?"

"Oh, that's my friend Misty's Mega Gyarados," Ash explained.

"...right."

* * *

><p>Around an hour later, they reconvened in the side valley. It was steep-sided, with old terraces cut into the walls, and something of a curve to it so that where they were standing was a little out of view of the main floor of the Holy Land.<p>

"Is this place used for battle often?" Ash asked, looking around at the occasional burn scar and the variably-aged greenery.

"Occasionally," Clair agreed. "Lance and I come up here to keep one another in shape – he usually wins, though..."

She shook her head. "Anyway. Do you know what the secondary challenge of the Dragon Gym of Blackthorn is?"

"Not really, no," Ash admitted.

"It is – overwhelming power," Clair informed him. "Now, in your case, that's caused me a bit of a problem – but, fortunately, I have a solution."

She reached into her pocket, revealing a Mega Necklace holding a Key Stone – and no fewer than _three_ Mega Stones.

"I had to borrow over half the ones the Clan has, so I hope you appreciate this," she told him, as Ash blinked in shock. "Anyway. This will be a set of six one on one battles. If you win all six, you win automatically – otherwise, it's up to how the Clan thinks."

She pointed skywards, indicating the valley rim on her side. Ash looked up, and saw a dozen or so trainers standing there – each one next to a Dragon-type or similar Pokémon.

"Do you understand?" she resumed.

Ash frowned. "Uh, I guess, but – question?"

"Go on."

"The river here's only a few inches deep. Is your Kingdra going to be okay?"

Clair sighed. "Kingdra's in the Pokémon Centre. Raikou electrocuted him – that's when he blew the lights out."

Ash tried not to breathe a sigh of relief – that actually made things quite a bit easier, since it meant he didn't have to save one of the Pokémon with Freeze-Dry to handle Kingdra.

"Yeah, I understand," he said, after a moment.

"Good luck, Ash!" Misty called down from the valley rim on his side.

"Yeah!" Brock added. "Last Johto badge!"

"Thanks, guys!" Ash called back up. He turned to grin at Clair. "Who's first?"

Clair carefully took the first Pokéball off her waist. "Right. First is – Ampharos!"

Ash blinked. "Isn't that... whatever. Donphan!"

* * *

><p>Donphan stood on one of the lowest terraces before the valley floor itself, looking across at the Electric-type sheep facing him.<p>

"_I thought this was the Dragon-type gym?"_ he asked, curiously.

Ampharos shrugged. _"You'd be surprised."_

He cracked his knuckles. _"Okay, let's get started here."_

Electricity crackled around his fur, and then he faced Donphan and fired a Dragon Pulse.

"_Whoa!"_ Donphan yelped, jumping back out of the way. He balled up, pushed off with his trunk, and rolled a few feet up the wall of the next terrace up before coming back down faster.

"_Rollout!"_ Donphan stated, rather obviously, and ramped off his terrace straight at Ampharos.

In reply, Ampharos streamed electricity across his fur again and stepped to one side. Donphan tried to correct in towards Ampharos, and then some crackling electrical sparks appeared on his tusks and he found himself swerving aside.

"What was that?" Ash asked, looking closer.

"It's magnetism," Clair explained. "Magnetic Flux exploits the positive charge Ampharos has, and diverts objects away by inducing a current in them too."

"Then we'll just have to hit harder!" Ash decided. "Donphan, you know what to do!"

"_Not really..."_ Donphan admitted, turning some way down the valley to face Ampharos again.

"...that thing we worked on?" Ash asked.

"_Oh, right!"_ Donphan nodded. He skidded briefly, then accelerated, steering for a small fold in the ground. Hitting it, he went flying into the air.

Arms out, Ampharos refreshed his Magnetic Flux. _"That's not... wait..."_

Donphan plowed into the ground several feet from Ampharos – and used Magnitude.

The ground shook, making several of the spectators stumble, and Ampharos nearly fell over.

While he recovered his footing, Donphan came speeding out of the small crater he'd made and hit home with a Rollout.

* * *

><p>"<em>Mister Donphan's doing well, isn't he?"<em> Mawile asked, watching the fight closely. _"Is this what most Gym battles are like?"_

"_It's much quieter,"_ Pikachu told her. _"Well, it's early days yet..."_

Mawile nodded.

"_I don't like it when the ground shakes like that,"_ she said after a moment, as Donphan pulsed out an Earthquake. _"How do I make it stop?"_

Misty reached down and picked the Fairy-type up. "That better?"

"_Kinda,"_ Mawile nodded, her false-jaw moving a bit as she did. _"Thanks!"_

* * *

><p>Donphan just barely missed with his latest Rollout, and got hit in the side by a well-aimed Iron Tail as he went past. He skidded a little, bounced into the air with a push from his trunk, and came back down with another Magnitude.<p>

This one, unfortunately, hit fairly strong rock. It produced only minor shaking, and Ampharos kept his footing with ease.

"Let's go all the way, Ampharos!" Clair called.

The Electric-type looked back towards her, and caught a thrown Mega Stone.

"So Ampharos has a Mega Stone?" Ash asked, and then the answer became obvious. Clair's Mega Necklace shone with a bright orange light, matched by the Mega Stone in Ampharos' paw, and then the valley was lit by a flash.

Arm thrown up to block the light, Ash noticed another Ampharos on the valley rim nodding to itself with satisfaction.

That must be the Pokémon who normally used the stone, then... so that meant this Ampharos _was_ Clair's. He'd wondered.

Then the light died down, allowing everyone to see Mega Ampharos.

It was certainly... different.

The wool that a Flaffy mostly divested itself of when evolving to Ampharos was back, in the form of a long, stylized mane coming off the back of his head and a similarly styled tail with several red orbs on it.

There were also a few changes to the general black/yellow colouring.

Mega Ampharos reached one arm up, and brushed at the hair. _"There we go. Dragon."_

"How is that a dragon?" Ash asked, blinking. "I mean, he's certainly a Mega Evolution, but... dragon?"

"_You think I'm not a dragon?"_ Mega Ampharos asked. His orbs flickered red, and electricity shot between them.

As Donphan came charging back in, Mega Ampharos jumped into the air – and didn't come back down again, using Magnet Rise. Donphan went rolling past underneath, a little startled, and then got hit from behind by a Dragon Pulse.

Coming to a halt in a pile of soil and shaking his head, Donphan frowned. _"Right."_

He got moving again, just ahead of a Dragon Pulse which blew a crater in the ground.

* * *

><p>Ash watched Mega Ampharos' fighting style, trying to work out if there was something exploitable in it.<p>

It was a little hard to tell, in all honesty. Mega Ampharos was floating in mid-air using Magnet Rise, several feet off the ground, and was also using Dragon Pulses quite liberally – with a _lot_ of punch behind them. Donphan was having to weave erratically to avoid being hit, and near misses were still sending him skidding across the ground for a moment before he recovered.

If the Mega had been firing them from his mouth, that would have been bad enough – but those red orbs of his seemed to focus dragon-type energy. Balls of green light periodically jumped from one of the orbs to his paws, then got fired out at the evading Donphan.

Wait...

Ash looked closer. That was clearly Magnet Rise he was using to stay in the air, not something that he could just _do_ as a matter of course. That meant...

"Donphan!" Ash called. "Bounce!"

Donphan responded by rolling straight at the wall of the lower terrace. He rolled up it at full speed, just ahead of a Dragon Pulse which blew the wall to bits, and pushed off with his trunk as the Pulse hit home.

"Mud Slap!" Ash added.

Suddenly realizing what Ash was doing, Mega Ampharos changed the electric fields holding him up to try to move out of the way. He didn't quite manage it, though, and Donphan's trunk fired a spray of mud – some of which was deflected by the electromagnetic fields, but they were unable to block it all at such a close range.

There was a crackle as the mud interrupted Mega Ampharos' ability to keep himself in the air, and he dropped back to the ground.

Any celebration was premature, though. Just as Donphan landed, Mega Ampharos fired a pair of Dragon Pulses at him.

One went wide. The other hit hard enough to slam him through the packed-earth terrace wall, and part of it collapsed on him.

* * *

><p>Ash clenched his fist. "Come on, Donphan!"<p>

"Might be a problem, there," Clair told him. "Mega Ampharos can overload abilities like Sturdy, so your Donphan won't still be able to... eh?"

Light shone from behind the earthslide, and then it exploded outwards. The fragments of earth, some quite large, pelted Mega Ampharos – surprised, he'd not got his electromagnetic shield up in time.

Donphan panted, tired from the effort of the Hyper Beam he'd used to blast through the earthen wall, then focused. He reared up, glowing with a brown aura, and slammed his forelegs on the ground.

The whole valley shook as Donphan used Magnitude 10. A few small rocks fell down the sides, trees and bushes trembled, and at least one member of the Dragon Clan was grabbed by their partner to make sure they didn't fall. But that was only the side effects.

The main, unfortunate target of the attack was Mega Ampharos himself. The ground under his feet became unstable, like quicksand, and he sank into it up to the waist before the trembling stopped.

No longer able to draw power from his tail-orbs, Ampharos was forced to rely on the single ball on his head. It pulsed, building power, but Donphan simply rolled around behind to where Ampharos couldn't aim.

"That's enough," Clair said, before Donphan decided to Rollout her Ampharos. "Good work. I can see we need something better against Ground-types, though..."

Mega Ampharos transitioned back down to Ampharos. He picked up the Mega Stone where it had fallen, threw it back to Clair, and she caught it before returning him.

Ash did likewise with his tired Donphan.

"Good work," he said, then looked up at Clair. "Uh – is it okay if I use Legendary Pokémon?"

"Yes, that should be fine," Clair agreed. "That's part of why I requested the six one-on-one battles format, since it means no one Pokémon can face more than one member of my team."

"Thanks," Ash nodded. "Right, Suicune!"

Clair smiled. "Sceptile!"

* * *

><p>Suicune's first action upon materializing was to leap up several flights of the terraces, until she was a little way up the curving valley and well above the Sceptile facing her – who was clambering down, having been sent out just next to Clair herself.<p>

"_So,"_ she said, looking down – well down. _"I think we both know where this is going."_

Sceptile frowned. _"How so?"_

"_Well, clearly you're another of the ones with a Mega Evolution that turns them Dragon-type. Sceptile isn't normally Dragon-type."_

Sceptile raised clawed hands in a shrug. _"Lance's main team includes a Gyarados and an Aerodactyl – I've met them."_

Suicune nodded. _"Fair point, I suppose. Well, let's get started then."_

The wind picked up in the valley. A tendril of it curled around Suicune, making her streamers flutter in the wind, then launched forwards at the Grass-type.

Sceptile's arms glowed. She swung the flaring blades on her arm into the swirling Air Cutter, and her Leaf Blade blew both attacks apart.

The back-blast sent her back a step, but otherwise she was unscathed.

"_Interesting,_" was Suicune's only comment. She began to pace, slowly, and then called the north wind to her once more.

This time it was stronger and more intense, and the plants growing on the valley sides fluttered – a few leaves being whipped off the trees.

Both Suicune's streamers flared, and whipped back and forth. This time, two Air Slashes came off each streamer, resulting in four separate blades of wind curling in towards Sceptile.

Faced with this more powerful assault, the Grass-type burst into movement. She jumped to the left, evading most of the reaching blades, and spun her thick leafy tail into the fourth with the unmistakeable glow of an Iron Tail.

The impact produced a _bang_, and sharp eddies cut blades of grass around Sceptile. The Pokémon herself, though, was fundamentally undamaged.

"_My turn,"_ Sceptile stated. She swung her tail around, scattering glowing green leaves, which showered towards Suicune.

Suicune opened her mouth slightly, charging an Ice Beam. She waited until the Magical Leaves had almost arrived, then produced an instant wave of water with Hydro Pump and released the Ice attack into it at the same moment.

Sceptile's Magical Leaf attack expended itself on the icy sphere, which then shattered as Suicune burst out of the weakened side facing away from Sceptile.

Paws flashing as she kept running, Suicune fired another Ice Beam towards the Grass-type. This one, Sceptile blocked in an entirely different way – she volleyed in what looked a lot like a Drain Punch, which made the Ice attack scatter off in all directions.

She gestured, tail slapping the ground, and a tornado of grass and plant matter erupted from the earth just in front of Suicune.

Fortunately for the Water-type, she reacted fast enough to slow down – and to keep her Tailwind going at full speed. The powerful wind smashed into the Grass Pledge, breaking the column up, and by the time Suicune arrived it wasn't very coherent.

She still had a problem, though – the ground where the attack had been launched had been torn apart by the Grass Pledge, and her footing was uncertain. It took her a moment longer to accelerate to full speed, and that meant she was caught by the fringes of a Giga Drain attack.

Wincing, Suicune leapt clear and ascended two terraces, running along some distance above Clair while building up her next response.

The wind, ice, and water she summoned combined into a Blizzard, which howled down from the terrace towards Sceptile.

Sceptile's response was... unexpected.

She inhaled, then shot a roaring gout of Dragonbreath up at the incoming storm of ice and snow. The mystical fire wasn't nearly as hot as genuine Fire-type attacks, but it still took the worst off, and by the time Suicune could get a clear line on Sceptile again the Grass-type was brushing the frost off her leafy arms.

"_Hmmm..."_ Suicune pondered, as she jumped down a terrace and used the momentum thus gained to cross the valley at speed. _"Ash? Any ideas?"_

Ash frowned. "Yeah, actually! Hit her with Hydro Pump!"

"_If you say so,"_ Suicune said dubiously, then jumped to a higher terrace as the one she was on was hit by a Seed Bomb. _"Okay, here goes!"_

Keeping an eye on Sceptile, she waited until the Grass-type was just about to fire – then spun, skidding to a halt so fast that the Giga Drain aimed at her running form missed entirely.

Before Sceptile could retarget, Suicune fired a full-force Hydro Pump at Sceptile. Water went everywhere as Sceptile raised her arms to block with a Leaf Blade, and by the end of it Sceptile was standing in a muddy field and absolutely drenched.

"Now, quick! Bulldoze!" Ash told Suicune. "Then Ice Beam!"

Suicune pounced, paws slamming into the mud of the valley floor, and fired off a Bulldoze.

Sceptile sank into the grassy mud, but only an inch or two, and when Suicune followed up with an Ice Beam the effects weren't what they could have been. Sceptile was clearly caught, but just as clearly capable of escaping.

"What!?" Ash asked, sounding personally offended, as Sceptile smashed out of the ice and barely missed Suicune with a Leaf Blade. "I – wait a second..."

"_Grassy Terrain,"_ Sceptile said, smirking, as Suicune leaped clear from the valley floor to the terrace above Ash. _"Good try, though."_

Suicune's reply was to charge up another icy attack. This one, though, was clearly _not_ an Ice Beam.

She fired it, then added to the general theme with a Blizzard.

Sceptile tried to deal with the Ice attack with a Drain Punch – and that first icy attack burst, flash-freezing her wet arms in place as the Freeze-Dry detonated. Sceptile was hit next by the blizzard, and staggered backwards – using her tail to hold her up.

"Sceptile!" Clair called, her necklace glowing again. "Now!"

An orange light flashed from something half-hidden under the foliage at the base of Sceptile's tail.

"_Oh, come on!"_ Suicune said, exasperated. _"I thought she said-"_

"Thinking back, she never actually _did,_" Ash replied. "Oh, great..."

The glow grew and crescendoed, then subsided – revealing Mega Sceptile.

There were much more prominent head crests than a regular Sceptile, and her eyes had narrowed and gained red markings. Red markings also circled the tail, some of her claws and striped her lower belly, and her tail had gained a red tip.

The seeds on her back had grown substantially larger, some of them changing colour, and plates of dark green leaves formed armour at the shoulders and across the front of her chest.

She waved her tail back and forth, facing Suicune – then brought it around, over the top of her head, and fired the red tip at Suicune.

The Aurora Pokémon blurred into motion, jumping down almost to the valley floor, and successfully avoided the red plant-missile as it exploded into a storm of leafy fragments which peppered her former position.

"_What was that!?"_ she asked, glancing back at it.

"_Leaf Storm,"_ Mega Sceptile replied. Her tail-tip had apparently regrown already, and she fired it a second time at Suicune – who, predictably, dodged to avoid being hit by the cloud of razor-leafed shrapnel.

* * *

><p>Ash watched the third Leaf Storm, and then the fourth, and frowned. Something didn't seem-<p>

"Suicune!" he called. "It's not getting any weaker! I don't know why, but-"

"_Oh, that's just perfect,"_ Suicune muttered, pelting down the valley terrace. She kicked off, avoiding the latest shrapnel-storm, and landed on a terrace on the other side of the flat valley floor.

Since her original strategy of waiting out the Leaf Storm's normally-considerable burden on the user wasn't going to pan out, she decided to instead take advantage of her opponent's own Mega Evolution.

If, as she suspected, it had given Sceptile the Dragon-type... well, that just made her more vulnerable to Ice.

"Look-"

Ash's voice gave her warning. This time, the Leaf Storm missile burst earlier – covering more of the valley, and giving her less of a chance to evade.

She fired her Ice attack – an Icy Wind, this time – early, and then pulsed out a great spherical flood of water. More than she usually did, in fact – purely to try to resist the impact of the high-speed leaf shrapnel.

It almost worked, in fact. The few green-glowing fragments which connected with her had been significantly slowed, and she shook off the impact with relative ease.

As the water sluiced off her and down onto the valley floor, she jumped clear to avoid any follow-up and sought out Mega Sceptile with her eyes.

The Grass-type was... unscathed, actually, though she was only just regrowing her new red stinger to use. That was curious.

"_Ash!"_ she called, before summoning another wave of water and using it as cover to change position – it worked, and leaf shards peppered the ground some distance from her. _"What happened?"_

* * *

><p>Ash raised his voice, to be sure Suicune could hear him. "She kind of... summoned a storm of petals from the seeds on her back, which took the attack, and then regrew them first!"<p>

Trying a new trick, Suicune battered the Leaf Storm projectile with an Air Slash before it detonated. It tumbled, pointing in a different direction, but the shower of fragments went in the original direction anyway.

Looked like it was the _speed_ of the stinger which was moving the shrapnel, not that they were being launched from the stinger mid-flight. That was a pity...

"_Any ideas?"_ Suicune asked, snapping off an Aurora Beam at the Mega Sceptile to see for herself. Sure enough, pink and yellow petals promptly came seething out of the seed pods on her back, ablating away and preventing the Ice attack from reaching her.

"Uh... yeah!" Ash said, suddenly. "Right – head around the curve of the valley, out of sight, and use that to build up speed. Then come charging back in as fast as you can!"

"_I refuse to dignify that with the word plan,"_ Suicune deadpanned, wincing as one of her dodges wasn't quite fast enough.

"No, seriously, do it!" Ash instructed. "I'll give more instructions in a moment!"

* * *

><p>Suicune considered that. Actually, that was probably the best choice, if she wanted to avoid Mega Sceptile from countering whatever Ash's plan was.<p>

She skidded out of the way of a Leaf Storm, and pelted along the valley floor at maximum speed – aiming for the very far end, which was as Ash said out of direct line-of-sight.

Turning, she began to accelerate. Wind at her back, she fairly rocketed along – body flat to the ground between the moments where her paws landed, and she coiled-stretched-sprung again.

To make sure she could corner this hard, she was running close to the outer wall of the curve. She sighted Mega Sceptile, and the Grass-type swung up her tail to fire again.

"Icy Wind!" Ash called, just as the Leaf Storm fired.

Suicune reached the wet patch from her earlier Hydro Pump shield, but her paws found it just as sure footing as the grassy ground. She snapped off an Icy Wind, which spread out in front of her and hit the Leaf Storm projectiles the moment after they burst.

Since Ash had said what she was to do out loud, Mega Sceptile had overheard – meaning the detonation on the tail missile had been set late, to do the most damage. But that also meant they were close together, all caught by the same Ice attack, and while the frozen projectiles _hurt_ as they bounced off they weren't nearly as powerful as the unaffected Grass attack would have been.

"Ice Beam!" Ash added, as Suicune pelted along towards the reloading Mega. "And – Extremespeed!"

Suicune's Ice attack flashed out, and Mega Sceptile formed her petal-shield automatically. The Ice Beam splashed off the shield, freezing it but going no further-

At which point a large, powerful Legendary moving at speeds considerably faster than a runaway train hit it, shattering it into a thousand pieces of ice-encrusted plant matter.

They, and Suicune, hit Mega Sceptile all in one go.

Mega Sceptile was driven back across the Grassy Terrain, feet scrabbling for purchase, and slammed into the lowest terrace retaining wall. As she tried to pull herself out of the mud, Suicune hit her with a Blizzard at point-blank range.

"Good match!" Clair called, and Suicune stopped attacking.

She took a deep breath, and exhaled it.

That had been... interesting. And invigorating.

With a wet, muddy sound, part of the terrace wall collapsed.

_Oops..._

* * *

><p>"<em>That was cool!"<em> Mawile smiled. _"Mister Ash was smart!"_

"_More like crazy..."_ Pikachu muttered.

"_Don't be like that, Mister Pikachu,"_ Mawile admonished, shaking her head. _"That's not nice!"_

* * *

><p>Mega Sceptile transitioned back down to Sceptile, and Clair retrieved the Mega Stone from her before returning the Grass-type.<p>

"Very good," she said again. "Not many are ready for that little trick of hers – but you managed to work around it. Well done."

"Thanks," Ash said, as Suicune jumped from terrace to terrace to join the spectators. "Uh... whose turn is it to pick who goes out next?"

"I think mine," Clair smiled. "Flygon, your turn!"

Ash glanced down at the floor. Well, it was now or after Squirtle, those were the times there'd be enough water... "Lapras, you have a go!"

* * *

><p>Lapras splashed into the water, grounding out with an <em>oof<em> before floating back up to a still-uncomfortable float an inch or two above the submerged valley floor.

"_You couldn't have made sure there was more water?"_ he asked, grumpily.

"It was now or after Squirtle, and who knows _what_ he's going to do..." Ash replied. "Anyway, can't you fix it?"

Lapras nodded. He inhaled, and got hit by a rather nasty Iron Tail as Flygon swooped down on him.

"_Ow!"_ he snapped, and fired his Hydro Pump. The broad blast of water whipped around, spraying the nearest terrace and eroding off some of the earth making it up, and tracked around towards the evading Flygon.

Some of the water spatter did hit the insectile Dragon, but he performed a roll away from the reaching Hydro Pump and gained altitude.

Lapras ended the Hydro Pump, now floating considerably higher off the ground, and sculled around to face Flygon directly.

"_Well, I think we all know what I'm going to be using..."_ he muttered, charging an Ice Beam.

When it fired, snapping out into the sky, Flygon dodged with relative ease – the Ice Beam was a long, thin line, and even when Lapras swept it across the sky the agile Dragon was able to keep one step ahead.

As soon as the Ice Beam ended, Flygon retaliated. Wings blurring, he came diving down towards Lapras with his foreclaws glowing.

Hurriedly, Lapras pulled another Ice attack together – this time, a potent Frost Breath which he exhaled just as Flygon arrived for his melee attack.

There was a crashing sound of splintering ice, the crack-_thud_ of an impact, and Flygon was pulling away again with a dusting of ice falling from his wings.

Lapras came bobbing up out of the water again – Flygon's Superpower had knocked him down, and it had taken a moment for his bouyancy to reassert itself – and turned to face the next attack.

He frowned, watching as Flygon did a complex series of loops and turns at the end of his run. A lot more than was necessary...

"He's using Dragon Dance!" Ash called. "Watch out, he's going to use it to negate the drawback of Superpower!"

"_Oh, great..."_ Lapras sighed. He fired another Ice Beam – to no effect, the speedy Ground/Dragon type evaded it almost casually – then paused, to consider how to best hit Flygon.

He could just save his attacks for when Flygon came in close – but that didn't sound like a good idea, to him. It was passive and would normally work quite well, but with the Dragon Dance boosting him Flygon would only hit harder and harder. Perhaps hard enough to win with ease.

No, Lapras had to pre-empt him. And the best time would be _during_ his attack run.

Thrashing his fins, Lapras began to charge another attack. This time, the blue ball of Ice energy was different – smaller, and harder, with a blue core.

Flygon finished his Dragon Dance, and dove. He bottomed out just out of sight, then came charging along the valley floor – his green colouring making him a little harder to spot.

Lapras smirked, and fired the ball of ice. As it shot forwards, he added to it with an Aurora Beam – weak, from being given so little time to charge, but he didn't need power.

Inside the icy sphere was a core of unfrozen, supercooled water. As the Aurora Beam hit it, it all froze at once – expanding, and making the sphere explode into a shower of Ice Shards going in all directions.

Several of them peppered Flygon, and he wobbled in the air. One wing brushed close to the water, then he pulled up again and prepared for his attack.

He flew into another Frost Breath – one he was at least a little better prepared for, this time – and in return hit Lapras with another painfully hard Superpower.

This one sent Lapras skating back through the water, despite his best efforts. He turned, firing another of the bursting Ice Shard bombs, and managed to clip Flygon with a couple of the fragments.

Flygon did another of his looping wingovers, and came in again – dodging from side to side, this time, so Lapras couldn't line up a good attack.

"Sheer Cold!" Ash called.

As soon as he said it, Flygon began to slow – not wanting to be caught in the potent Ice attack.

"_Should I still-"_ Lapras asked, glancing back. Flygon was circling, looking for an opening, but staying out of range.

"Yes! Right now!" Ash ordered.

Feeling a little confused Lapras complied. The surface of the water around him froze, and then the ice quickly spread out to cover the entire elongated lakelet.

As the Sheer Cold went on, the ice creaked – and exploded upwards, the whole thing acting like a gigantic version of Lapras' earlier ice bomb.

Blindsided from below, Flygon was bounced about thirty feet into the air by an upwards shower of ice. He described an arc through the air, wings twitching and then flapping frantically as he fell, and hit one of the terraces with a _thud_.

Pushing off, he tried to gain height again, but Lapras hit him with a well-placed Ice Beam.

"_There,"_ Lapras said, feeling satisfied, as Flygon crashed into the next terrace down – snapping through a few bushes before skidding belly-down on the earth of the terrace. The ice shattered off as he spun to a halt, but Flygon was in no further shape to battle.

* * *

><p>Clair nodded to herself. "Ice is one of the banes of all dragons," she agreed, returning Flygon. "Fairies are the other – you don't have any of them, do you?"<p>

"Aside from Mawile, no," Ash said. "And she's a bit young for battle at the moment."

* * *

><p>Mawile seemed very amused by the idea of battling. <em>"That'd be fun!"<em> she said, one hand over her mouth as she giggled. _"I'd be all sneaky, and then BOO!"_

Her false-jaws half-opened and closed, though not in time with her words.

"I'm sure you would," Misty agreed. "You'll probably need some training, though."

"_Sure!"_ Mawile agreed readily. _"Training sounds fun too!"_

* * *

><p>"Okay, that's three down and three to go," Ash said, withdrawing Lapras. "Who's fourth?"<p>

"It's your choice," Clair reminded him.

"Right." Ash frowned, considering.

He didn't know what Clair had, but... oh, why not.

"Charizard!" he called.

"_Took you a while!"_ Charizard chuckled, as he emerged. He rolled once, then turned over and began hovering in place over Ash's head.

"Ah, your Charizard. A familiar sight around here," Clair told him. "Well... how about this?"

She took a fourth Pokéball "This is one of the few Pokémon whose _primary_ type is Flying. Though in practice it's no different from having a secondary type of Flying, apart from academic curiosity. Noivern!"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

It's the final gym in Johto, so it's a bigger fight than usual.

Inspirations here: Ampharos-M is taking a bit from Dragonball, what with his floating, his dragon-type orbs, and his energy blasts from the hands.

Sceptile-M is pretty much an artillery piece.

And Lapras vs. Flygon took on a bit of an anti-air gun vibe.


	98. Johto 40

This is the second of two chapters today.

As the Sound Wave Pokémon materialized, Charizard gave her a considering look.

"_I've met Noibat before,"_ he commented. _"Are you evolved from them?"_

She nodded, silently, and began to climb. Matching her, Charizard beat his wings harder and rose into the sky.

"_Hey!"_ Charla called. _"You'd better win this – or we're all going to look like wimps!"_

"_You know it!"_ Charizard called back, then returned his attention to Noivern.

"_Why are your ears glowing?"_

Noivern used Boomburst.

The blast of sound was clearly visible, a pressure wave in the air which turned it whiter and more translucent. Charizard had just enough time to realize it was coming before it hit him.

It was like flying into a plate glass wall. The almightly _SLAM_ of impact passed Charizard in a moment, shoving his wings back to their furthest elevation and making his neck snap back.

* * *

><p>"Charizard!" Ash called, startled.<p>

What had just _happened?_

He watched as Charizard went through a slow backflip, shedding forward momentum before dropping towards the valley below.

Then his wings snapped out again.

* * *

><p>Roaring, Charizard shot a pulse of Dragonbreath out at Noivern from below. The Sound Wave Pokémon rolled to the side, wings flapping as she evaded, and fired another Boomburst downwards.<p>

Gritting his teeth, Charizard gave one great wingbeat and flew straight at it.

The sonic pulse blasted over him again, but this time he was ready for it. Wings stooped over to deflect the blast of sound, teeth held unclenched to reduce the impact, Charizard grunted and powered through the sonic attack.

It was still like flying into a plate glass window. But Charizard absolutely _could_ do that, and keep fighting.

Already Noivern was charging again. To avoid her getting too long to build it up, he fired a Dragon Rage at her and followed it up with a less effectual Flamethrower.

Noivern's response surprised him. She fired her half-charged Boomburst, this time directly at the Dragon Rage. It reacted as though it had hit something solid, detonating early, and Charizard had to roll to one side to avoid flying through the explosion.

This was going to be harder than he'd been expecting.

* * *

><p>"Why's it a primary Flying-type anyway?" Ash asked, squinting into the sky.<p>

Charizard snatched his tail away from the latest pulse of sound, wings hammering, and fired a roaring pulse of flame to give himself some cover.

When Noivern blew a hole in the smokescreen with Boomburst, she didn't reveal her orange foe. Then Charizard emerged from the smoke with his mouth full of green fire, and scored a line down the side of her body before she fired a point-blank Boomburst which knocked both of them tumbling for a second.

"Oh," Clair blinked, realizing she'd been asked a question. "What's that?"

Recovering first, Charizard spun around in a tight turn and launched a Fire Blast at Noivern. The attack detonated on a pulse of intense sound, but successfully disrupted the attack and prevented it from reaching Charizard in turn.

"I asked how come Noibat and Noivern are primary Flying types," Ash repeated, half his attention on Charizard.

Flaring his wings, Charizard shed speed. Noivern's attack – a Dragon Pulse, seemingly for sheer variety – shot in front of him, and he dove to regain speed.

"Right," Clair said, also a bit distracted by the overhead battle. "Basically, that's what the scanner says."

Pressing her advantage, Noivern stooped towards Charizard to reduce the charge time for her attack. It took at least a little time for her to go from _deciding_ to fire to _actually_ firing, and the closer her target the lower the power she could get away with.

"Really, so – dodge!" Ash shouted.

Noivern rolled and pitched, gaining the right angle, and Charizard dodged to his right just before she fired. The blast of sound rippled out, but Charizard had gotten away with it – his tail flame whipped in the side-burst, but the hammering sonic attack itself missed.

"Break left!" Clair called, seeing something Noivern couldn't.

* * *

><p>Under his body, Charizard's mouth was glowing. He pulled his wings in, slamming around in a painful yaw turn, and fired his Draco Meteor.<p>

The glowing orb soared towards Noivern, exploded, and showered the whole area of sky she was in with bright orange projectiles. She blasted one out of the way, dodged another, and then a third one hit her in the small of the back – producing an explosion of orange and purple light.

"_Take that,"_ Charizard said, panting, and followed up with a blast of Dragonfire.

Noivern snatched herself away from the gout of mystical flames, hammering a Hurricane back at Charizard to keep him occupied.

As he fought the intense winds, Noivern gained height. She flared her wings, and a pinkish glow enveloped her.

The injury on her back started to fade. Then a Fire Blast detonated near her, and she stumbled slightly in the air.

Charizard climbed up towards her at speed, already shooting out a column of Fire Spin, and she abandoned her healing technique to fire back at him. The Boomburst blasted his Fire Spin apart, and he bulled through it with a grunt of pain.

"Charizard!" he heard. "Use Blast Burn if you want!"

Oh, Charizard very much wanted that.

He sent another salvo of fire Noivern's way, licking at her wings and making her spend energy blowing it out, and gained height.

* * *

><p>"Blast Burn?" Clair repeated. "That's the powerful... wait, he's a Charizard. The <em>ridiculously<em> powerful Fire attack? The version they only teach at the Valley?"

"Yep!" Ash replied, hand already up to shade his eyes. "Only thing is... we kind of improved on it."

Clair blanched. "You improved on _that?_"

She looked around. "I hope everyone's going to be safe when you let that off..."

"No, it's fine," Ash hastened to let her know. "No-one's been hurt yet."

"That doesn't exactly _fill_ me with confidence," she muttered.

* * *

><p>The two Pokémon were both rising further and further into the heavens, as Charizard drew the battle higher – climbing whenever possible, firing attacks down from his position of height, and refusing to give up any of his hard-won altitude even if it would improve his chances of dodging.<p>

Since distance reduced the effectiveness of her attacks, Noivern was forced to come climbing after him and keep him within effective range. Both Pokémon were fit, and well-used to hard flying, but she was tiring just that little bit faster.

Or so Charizard thought, anyway.

As he considered that, she fired out another Boomburst to make sure he wasn't getting complacent. The attack spread as it climbed, losing some of its force, but still retained enough to rattle his bones and click his teeth painfully together.

Snarling, Charizard pulled around in a tight turn, inhaling. Blue light shone from his throat, and he launched out a jet of Aura-saturated hydrogen gas.

The gas reached the distance he set within a couple of seconds, and spread out into a sphere as Noivern stopped climbing – turning to stay a reasonable distance from this unknown attack.

Smirking, Charizard triggered his Blast Burn.

It began at his mouth, flashing down to encircle the bluish globe evenly. The explosion flashed inwards, growing stronger and more powerful as it approached the centre-

And then Noivern hit it with a full-power Boomburst.

The delicate conditions which would have led to the micro-fusion explosion were disrupted by the wall of sound. There was instead a complicated _BANG_ as the remaining gas detonated all at once, producing a wash of heat and pressure but nothing like what Charizard intended.

"_That's just not fair!"_ he shouted, highly offended, as the cloud of smoke from his fizzled attack spread. _"Do you have any idea how much work that took?!"_

Noivern replied by launching a Dragon Pulse at him.

Charizard slipped sideways in the air, avoiding the attack, and blasted a stream of Dragonbreath back down – diving, now that he had less need for his height advantage, and managing to get close enough to score on Noivern.

Pressing his attack, he swiped out at her with a Dragon Claw attack, and barely missed. He took a hasty Boomburst to the side as Noivern rolled clear, which came in at an oblique angle and didn't get proper purchase.

Snapping around in a turn, Charizard decided on a new strategy.

She didn't want to fight him close in? That's exactly what he'd give her.

Mouth flashing with an eerie green light as he repeated his earlier Dragonbreath, Charizard lunged forwards. He fired it ahead of Noivern, making her instinctively slow to avoid the sheet of green flame, and he managed to get close enough to swipe at her wing – scoring a hit, and making her hiss in pain.

As Charizard continued going for close-quarters attacks, Noivern pulled up into a wingover to stymie him. She managed to evade his attempt at a Bite, but shed a lot of speed in doing so, and Charizard – experienced at fighting other dragons – performed a dizzying forward roll to come up below and behind her as she tried to regain speed.

Mouth flashing with blue light, Charizard volleyed in one of the lesser, 'normal' Blast Burns he had learned before. Noivern was hit for just a moment before managing to slip out of the line of fire, but the momentary contact was clearly painful despite her Type advantage.

Swallowing as he waited for his flames to build back up again, Charizard banked after his opponent – noticing as he did that they were losing height rapidly.

That gave him an idea.

He stayed on her tail as she tried to jink and lose him, focusing hard to make sure he caught every last indicator of her next moves, and as soon as it was feasible he shot out a Fire Blast just below her.

Instinctively, she pulled up slightly – losing a bit of speed. Then the Fire Blast detonated, producing a rippling air current which knocked her flight path off further, and by the time she'd made up the speed deficit he was close enough to grab her tail and _yank_.

He lost his grip quickly, but it was enough. She stumbled slightly in the air, slowing further, and Charizard slammed bodily into her before fouling both her wings with his claws.

They were falling much faster, now, as Noivern lost the ability to control their flight and Charizard wrenched them around into a dive.

Struggling, she fired a Boomburst at him at point blank range. The concussion made Charizard's head swim, but he held on gamely – and blazed a Dragon Rage ball right back at her from just as close.

As she tried to charge another attack, he slapped her neck aside with his horns – making it go wide – and kept one eye firmly on the uprushing ground.

* * *

><p>"Are they about to-" Clair began, then interrupted herself. "Look out!"<p>

She ducked reflexively as Charizard abruptly pushed Noivern away from himself. Wings straining, he bottomed out a few feet above the valley rim and swept inches over the head of the watching Suicune – who skidded backwards a little before regaining her footing.

Noivern wasn't so lucky. She made a good effort to stop herself, but hit the valley side with a concussive _WHAM._ Staggering back into the air from the glancing crash, she flapped once, then hit the upper branches of a tree and went tumbling to the ground in a tangle of branches and dust.

* * *

><p>"Is she okay?" Ash asked, wincing. That hadn't looked pleasant...<p>

"I hope so," Clair admitted.

After a moment, Noivern's head was seen shaking. She stood, wobbling a little, and as she did Charizard came flying back over the valley side and hovered menacingly overhead.

"Noivern can't battle on," Clair decided. "Well done once more, Ash Ketchum. Though I think you and Charizard were both a little surprised by Noivern there..."

"Yeah, she was really good," Ash agreed. "Blocking attacks like that was neat!"

Clair nodded, returning her Pokémon. "Overwhelming force doesn't just mean being able to knock out your opponent – it means being stronger, in some way, and forcing your opponent to _think_ to react. My gym's purpose is to ensure trainers cannot rely simply on strong Pokémon."

"Right!" Ash realized. "So either they have to do something _you've_ not seen before, or they have to _come up_ with something on the fly!"

"Very good," Clair smiled. "Now, my turn. Dragonair, your time to shine!"

"Squirtle!" Ash replied promptly.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ooh, that looks pretty,"<em> Mawile said, looking down with interest at Clair's Dragonair. _"Is it a Water-type as well as a Dragon?"_

"No, just pure Dragon," Misty replied.

"_Thank you!"_ Mawile glanced up, smiling, before returning her attention to the battle. _"What moves does Mister Squirtle know?"_

Misty rolled her eyes. "I'm not even sure _he_ knows..."

* * *

><p>"<em>Okay, Dragonair!"<em> Squirtle announced, sliding down the terrace slope with one arm used for braking his fall. _"You're not the first dragon I've fought, but you're the first in a good long while that wasn't a Dragonite!"_

Dragonair tilted her head slightly. _"...are you well?"_

"_What's that supposed to mean!?"_ Squirtle reached the valley floor, in a different patch to the one Lapras had frozen solid. _"Of course I'm fine! I'm better than fine, I'm the badass leader of the Squirtle Squad!"_

Over on the valley side, Charizard cleared his throat. _"He gets like this,"_ the Fire-type told Dragonair succinctly. _"You may as well get on with it."_

"_Very well."_ Dragonair rose up with the upper third or so of her body, her beaded tail waving lazily and producing a series of ripples.

"_...in the world!"_ Squirtle finished. He pointed at Dragonair. _"So eat this! Rime!"_

Inhaling, Squirtle fired out a jet of super-cooled water.

Dragonair reacted by briefly drawing back, and then darting to one side – moving with blurring speed, and easily getting clear before the water froze into a complicated splash-shaped structure on the valley wall.

"_Interesting,"_ she said. Her tail tip rose again, describing a circle, and a wind picked up.

Squirtle fired another attack, this one an Ice Beam, then jumped into the air and used Hydro Pump to get clear of the Twister attack.

Behind him, the Dragon-typed whirlwind scoured a semicircle out of the terrace side, with some of the earth slumping into the space it left.

"That's a powerful Dragonair," Ash commented, wincing as the wall of the next terrace up slumped slightly.

"She wouldn't do so much damage if the walls hadn't been weakened by... well, everything else," Clair admitted. "But yes, she's quite strong."

There was a small explosion, as Squirtle's Ice Beam hit a Dragon Rage ball and detonated it about halfway between the two battling Pokémon. Dragonair followed up her attack with a Twister, and Squirtle plucked his sunglasses from his face to swipe at the tornado – breaking it in half.

"How did he-" Clair began, then shook her head. "Never mind, I'm not sure there's going to be an explanation I'd be happy hearing..."

Dragonair ducked under the next Ice Beam, and launched a wave of Dragonbreath at Squirtle. The Tiny Turtle retaliated with a huge wave of water in a Surf, which extinguished the mystical flames more by hammering them flat than by elemental advantage, and threw his glasses into the next Dragon Rage ball.

It went skidding off course, almost back towards Dragonair, and blew another crater into the valley wall.

Following straight up on his previous attack, Squirtle launched a wave of water at Dragonair again. This time, it was a steaming Scald, which underwent a series of steam explosions as it travelled in order to fling it into the evading Dragon-type, and while she was focused entirely on dodging he managed to lead her enough with an Ice Beam to freeze the lower part of her body.

The Scald quickly melted the ice, but it had held her still long enough for Squirtle to get in a full Rime. Freezing near-instantly on contact, it solidified Dragonair to the place her dodging had taken her – two terraces up.

* * *

><p>"Good work, Squirtle!" Ash called. "Now she's frozen, she can't-"<p>

He noticed Clair smirking.

"...Aspear Berry?"

Clair shook her head. "Something else entirely."

Light began to emanate from the ice. Then it exploded, and an orange-cream Dragon_ite_ went soaring skywards.

"She deliberately held back from evolving!" Clair explained, as Dragonite blocked Squirtle's quick Ice Beam with a Flamethrower.

"I prefer it when it's me doing things like that," Ash said ruefully.

* * *

><p>Squirtle gestured with his glasses. <em>"Not going to stay down here and fight?"<em>

He put the glasses back on, firmly. _"Right! That's it, I'll come up and fight _you!"

Withdrawing his arms, legs, head and tail into his shell, he fired a Hydro Pump and went flying into the air.

Dragonite retaliated by flying higher, and crackling light flickered between her palms for a moment.

"Look out!" Ash called. "That's-"

The light focused on one hand, and Dragonite flicked it downwards. A Thunder slammed down, hitting one of Squirtle's water jets and conducting up to him.

Shocked and stunned, Squirtle wobbled out of control and crashed about halfway up the valley side.

Ash scaled the terrace behind him and ran along to where Squirtle was. "Squirtle, are you okay?"

The Water-type shook his head, standing on wobbly legs. _"Ow,"_ he reported. Taking a breath, he produced an Aqua Ring around himself. _"Okay. It's time to break out the big guns."_

"The big guns?" Ash repeated, glad Squirtle seemed to be recovering swiftly. "You mean that Drill Break?"

"_Bigger! It's time to use... _that,_"_ Squirtle said ominously.

There was a pause.

"What?" Ash asked.

"_No, That! It! The Thing!"_ Squirtle went on, waving an arm encouragingly. _"Plan S!"_

"I have no idea what you mean, Squirtle," Ash explained. "What is It?"

Squirtle rolled his eyes, then reached into his shell and produced... _it._

Ash did not find the sight encouraging.

There was a deep, indigo blue sphere, striated with cool and watery markings – though so faded they were barely visible.

There was some kind of greyish sphere rammed into a hole drilled in the side, blocking off the hole.

And, through the crystal, Ash could faintly see something glowing.

"What is it, Squirtle?" he asked.

"_It's Squirtilite!"_ Squirtle told him. _"It's much more likely to work than last time!"_

"Last-" Ash stopped. "No, I don't want to know."

"_Good!"_ Squirtle said firmly. _"Now, light up that staff of yours and let's do this!"_

Dubiously, Ash swung his staff off his shoulder, and concentrated.

Squirtle, one of his first Pokémon. Kind of strange – this being one example – but certainly brave, strong and loyal.

Ash remembered Squirtle saving his life, back when they first met. He remembered the times Squirtle had fought for him, worked to keep his friends safe, and gone to his limits and beyond in battle.

No, Squirtle wasn't perfect. But Ash didn't care, since he was still great.

Then there was an orange glow.

* * *

><p>"<em>What the heck!?"<em> Pikachu gaped. _"That shouldn't even have been possible!"_

"_He got it working,"_ Suicune sighed. _"He asked me for advice, but... I can't believe he actually got it working."_

As the light faded, they saw what had happened

Standing there was, unmistakeably, a _Mega _Squirtle.

His glasses had gone along with the Mega Stone – replaced by a pointed pair of black markings around his eyes, forming the outline of his signature shades.

On his wrists, just above the hands, bands of what looked like semisolid water supported a pair of drill-like gauntlets – one per arm – and a similar-looking material formed a pair of tiny water cannons on his back as a separate, almost backpack-like unit.

Misty sighed, facepalming. "I don't believe this."

* * *

><p>"<em>That's right!"<em> Mega Squirtle announced, not quite gloating. _"My indomitable will has overcome all obstacles in its way! Even the rules which dictate what can evolve and what can't stand no chance against the power of a hot blooded mon's friendship!"_

"How the heck did that even-" Ash shook his head. "Okay, I'm not questioning it. Uh – Heracross had trouble knowing what his body did when he Mega-Evolved, are you-"

"_I'm fine, of course!"_ Mega Squirtle announced. The gun pack swivelled, pointing down, and he pointed one fist skywards. _"All right, you overgrown Dratini, I'm coming up to-"_

A Thunder speared down out of the sky, and Mega Squirtle just about managed to jump out of the way.

"_Right, then,"_ he said, cracking his knuckles, and raised his fist again.

Then his cannons fired.

In a stream of high-pressure water, Mega Squirtle ascended skywards. Ash raised an arm to fend off the rushing water, and then the jets altered slightly so they were spraying the valley floor instead of the terraces.

There was a moment of near-silence.

"...what just happened?" Clair asked plaintively.

* * *

><p>Rolling his neck as he ascended, Mega Squirtle considered his options.<p>

A Thunderbolt crackled down at him, and he batted it aside with one of his water-drills. There was a hissing _BANG_ as the water reacted violently, making him roll once to the side, before he steadied down and ascended further.

Levelling his other drill, he fired a blast of water at the Dragon-type. Dragonite rolled away from it, losing a little height, and then found Mega Squirtle adjusting the angle of his gunpack to follow.

What resulted was an unlikely dogfight, with Dragonite finding herself pursued by the jet-powered Mega Squirtle in a series of close engagements mixed with sudden, wide, swooping curves.

Neither was all that _good_ at flight – Dragonite had flown as a Dragonair, but more of a lazy levitation than the kind of high speed Dragonite could produce, while Mega Squirtle was basically going off what he'd seen on TV – but it all seemed to cancel out, resulting in a very evenly matched aerial battle.

Dragonite took an Ice Beam that clipped her wing, making her snatch it away from a follow up blast – she spun into a tight turn, managing to get inside Mega Squirtle's turn – Mega Squirtle was nailed by a Thunderbolt as he sought to evade, then switched his gun pack briefly to Ice Beam and hit Dragonite that way – Dragonite fired out a Dragon Pulse, clipping Mega Squirtle and sending him into a spin – Mega Squirtle recovered...

They flashed back and forth across the sky, jockeying for the advantage, until after several minutes Dragonite managed to hit Mega Squirtle with a Dragonbreath.

Mega Squirtle tumbled for a few seconds, jets firing away, and stabilized in a much lower hover.

"Finish him off, Dragonite!" Clair called, her voice just about audible over Mega Squirtle's jets. "Use Outrage!"

Mega Squirtle jinked to the side as Dragonite's first attack run of the Outrage came in. _"That's your mistake! You're trying to finish me off! And if there's one thing the Badass Leader of the Squirtle Squad never is, it's be in a position where he can be finished off! Just get that through your thick head!"_

Coming in on the second attack, Dragonite caught him a glancing blow. Mega Squirtle grinned, rubbing at his cut lip.

Both drills began to glow, and then shot off streams of water that dripped as they arced off into the sky. Again, and the second pair were dripping water that froze to ice beneath them.

The third pair _were_ ice, and they stayed connected to Mega Squirtle's fists.

"_Mega Squirtle Ice Drill Break!"_ the chelonian Pokémon announced, and all six drills converged on Dragonite.

There was a very loud explosion.

* * *

><p>Jets flaring, Mega Squirtle came down to a landing in the centre of the valley.<p>

Behind him, covered in ice, Dragonite crashed to the floor of the valley.

"_And that's why I'm the badass _leader_ of the Squirtle Squad,"_ Mega Squirtle finished.

* * *

><p>"...I have no idea what we just saw," Clair admitted.<p>

"Not surprised, I don't either," Ash confessed.

Clair shook her head, and went on. "Still, I think that counts as a win for you. Impressive, if baffling."

* * *

><p>"<em>That was cool!"<em> Mawile announced. _"Mister Squirtle's amazing!"_

Charizard sighed. _"I really hope you don't take too much inspiration from him..."_

"_Why not?"_ Mawile asked, turning to look at him.

"_He goes a bit... too far, sometimes,"_ Pikachu volunteered. _"It's okay to be strong, certainly, but Squirtle overdoes other things."_

Mawile nodded seriously. _"Okay."_

* * *

><p>As Dragonite was returned, Mega Squirtle exhaled. <em>"Right, now we're done-"<em>

He flashed orange, and reverted to Squirtle. His glasses were back on his face, and the homemade Squirtilite was in his left hand. _"I- eh?"_

Immediately obvious was that the Squirtilite was not behaving as it should. It was crackling with energy, the water-stone component was a deep, night-dark black, and the Everstone component was fizzing like limestone in water.

"_What's-"_

* * *

><p>Finally overloaded with strain, the makeshift Mega Stone detonated into a tidal wave of water. The sudden rush splashed both Clair and Ash as it briefly overtopped some of the terraces, then flowed back – carrying large amounts of mud and silt with it, along with a startled Squirtle.<p>

A blue blur came leaping down from the valley side. Pausing a moment at each terrace to kick off, Suicune landed on the rushing water rapidly draining out of the side valley. She plucked him from the water, her powers purifying the flood as she did so, and then jumped clear and skidded to a halt.

"_Got him,"_ she announced, depositing the bedraggled Squirtle on the grass.

Ash returned him. "Thanks, Suicune."

She nodded. _"I'll go make sure no-one else is caught in the flood."_ With that, she jumped off down towards the Dragon Holy Land proper.

"Okay... well, I guess we're both down to one left," Ash went on. "And that means it's Keldeo!"

Keldeo emerged with a flash, and gave a determined nod. _"I'm ready!"_

"We are indeed down to one left," Clair agreed. "This one determines if you win automatically, or if the Clan is to judge you. Altaria!"

* * *

><p>Keldeo looked Altaria over, head tilting slightly.<p>

The Humming Pokémon leant down to receive a Mega-stone charm from Clair, then ascended to hover several feet in the air as Keldeo set his stance.

"Begin!" Clair said. "Sky Attack!"

A silvery-orange glow flashed into being around Altaria's body, growing in intensity. Altaria circled once, then came diving down to deliver the Sky Attack.

Keldeo stamped a hoof on the ground, and formed a ball of bluish Aura in his mouth. As he concentrated, the colour leached out of it, resulting in a near-pure-white sphere.

He then leaked a bit of his own Aura back into it, adding water to the ice, before releasing it just as Altaria came down.

The shotgun-like spread of the Icy Wind attack peppered Altaria as he stooped, making the Sky Attack ripple and weakening it considerably, and one of Altaria's semisolid cloud wings managed to clip the dodging Keldeo.

There was a flash as the energy of the attack released, knocking Keldeo onto his side, and then Altaria scraped the next terrace up as he climbed frantically to avoid crashing into the earthen wall.

Keldeo pulled his hooves in and pushed himself back to his feet, shaking his head. _"That didn't go too well..."_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "But I guess – wait, look out-"

There was a flash of multicoloured light from Clair's Key Stone, and Altaria's Altarianite charm responded.

Incongruously, as the orange glow lit the valley, Ash noticed someone moving up on the rim. A young man with an Altaria beside him.

He looked familiar...

A moment later, though, the transformation was finished, and Ash returned his attention to Mega Altaria.

Compared to some Mega Evolutions, there weren't many obvious changes to Mega Altaria's body. His semisolid cloud-stuff had shifted, revealing different parts of his draconic form, and his tail feathers had grown to long, opalescent streamers.

The biggest change, however, was to the cloud itself. Normally, the cloud for an Altaria was clumped in a fairly spherical blob around its main body. Mega Altaria had distinct wings around his arms, a diffuse tricorn-like hat on his head, and a great mass of it behind him.

It was all also shimmering with an eerie pinkish-silver shading, as though the light itself was just beneath the surface.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wow..."<em> Mawile said, both mouths slightly agape. _"That's pretty!"_

"_It's certainly different,"_ Pikachu decided.

Lucario nodded. _"Hmmm..."_ He closed his eyes, frowned, then glanced around at the spectators.

His lidded eyes flicked between Togekiss and Mawile, then to the Mega Altaria.

"_That's interesting..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Tyl..."<em> asked a Salamence, slowly. _"What types do you get when you go Mega?"_

"_Oh,"_ Tyl replied, shrugging under his cloud. _"I become Dragon/Fairy, of course!"_

"_...that's vaguely disconcerting,"_ commented a Dragonite absently.

"Shh, I want to watch the match," Maurice said, waving a hand. "That Altaria's stronger than Tyl is, I want to see how _he_ handles being Mega!"

* * *

><p>Keldeo contemplated his opponent anew, examining the shimmering energy that seemed to fill his cloud.<p>

"This could be tough, Keldeo," Ash said, frowning. "I think you should-"

"_Right,"_ Keldeo nodded, filling in Ash's meaning. He stamped a hoof on the floor, and transitioned to Resolute Form.

"I didn't know Keldeo could go Mega," Clair said, interested. "And – I thought the staff was your Key Stone, but-"

"No, that's a Form change," Ash explained.

"Right, I see..." Clair nodded.

Keldeo grinned, then lit his Sword. _"Okay, let's do this!"_

He cantered forwards, gaining speed quickly, and launched himself off the terrace side.

Mega Altaria promptly used Fairy Hyper Voice.

A wavefront of sparkling light spread out towards Keldeo, and hit him all across his front from hooves to horn. The shimmering sparkles detonated on contact, halting Keldeo's charge and knocking him back into the upper wall of the terrace he'd just left. Wincing, he slid down the wall, regaining some control over his position, and jumped clear before the second one arrived – making the ground shake slightly, and the terrace collapse behind him.

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Ash said, blinking. "Was th – look out!"<p>

His warning came just in time. Keldeo jumped down a terrace, avoiding a Fairy Hyper Voice which made where he'd been running crack visibly, and skidded around in a turn to fire his Icy Wind.

The gust of chilled air spread and expanded out, reaching for Mega Altaria, but he ducked down underneath it with ease and fired a Pixilated Hyper Beam.

Yelping, Keldeo interposed his Secret Sword into the way of Mega Altaria's attack. The howling, sparkling beam of energy crashed home, making Keldeo wince, and he braced his hooves and leaned into the attack to avoid being knocked flying.

Side-blast snapped off in smaller beams, carving lines into the sides of the valley, and the spectators took some nervous steps back. Ash spotted that Clair had her – now recovered – Ampharos setting up Light Screens to protect her, and Dexter started to do the same.

After some seconds, the Fairy-typed Hyper Beam sputtered out.

Keldeo looked a little the worse for wear, but still hale, and his Secret Sword blazed back up again as he focused.

* * *

><p>"<em>Take this!"<em> Keldeo called, swinging his horn down sharply. _"Secret Sword!"_

The golden blade separated from his horn, exploding forwards in a curved scythe of energy, and Mega Altaria brought up his tail to block. The tail collided with the Secret Sword with a _bang_, shielding Mega Altaria's body from the main attack, and his type advantage removed a lot of the sting of the blow.

Dodging back and to one side to prevent Mega Altaria lining up easily, Keldeo fired another Icy Wind. This one he charged with more power, and filled with his Aura until it was barely stable _before_ firing, but even that attack – which was approaching the strength of a Blizzard, if not the speed – didn't connect. Mega Altaria simply swooped down to the surface of the valley floor, squeaking underneath the attack, and launched another beam of Fairy-typed energy.

Reigniting his sword, Keldeo blocked again. This time, the beam was much lower, and he had to crouch to make sure it wouldn't push his head up and out of the way.

* * *

><p>Clair glanced over to her opponent, and saw Ash seemed to only be keeping one eye on the battle. Half his attention was on his palm.<p>

Curious, she looked closer, and saw a faint white sparkle there.

"Okay, Keldeo, I've got an idea!" she heard Ash call. "First – as soon as you can, get moving! This could take a while!"

* * *

><p>The blast of Fairy-typed energy finally subsided, as Mega Altaria stopped using Hyper Beam.<p>

Keldeo glanced up, coming back to his full height, and saw the Dragon-type was already recharging. Pink-silver energy flowed through his cloud, gathering on his neck ruff and crown, before streaming from there towards his mouth.

Deciding he'd got more than enough of a look for now, Keldeo spun on his forehoof and got moving – leaping up three terraces in a row, then running along to look for a good place to jump up again.

A Hyper Voice slammed into the ground behind him, making it crack and fall away.

"_What now?"_ he called, most of his attention on his headlong gallop.

"Okay!" Ash replied. "Now – do the first step of how you form an Icy Wind! Just the first step, the cold ball of Aura!"

"_Right,"_ Keldeo replied, nodding and leaping up to a new level as he did so. Mega Altaria sent a blast of Fairy-energy at him, and he jumped straight back to the old one – forming the ball of cold.

"_Got it!"_ he called, a few seconds later. _"What now?"_

"Now – keep it going, and focus on how it feels!"

Keldeo skidded as he reached a particularly broad tree, ducked – the tree exploded into splinters as Mega Altaria blew it up – and skidded down a level before deciding to cross the valley and start coming back the other way. _"I'm concentrating as much as I can!"_

The next thing Ash said was lost in the sound of an explosion.

"_Pardon?"_

"I said to concentrate on how your Secret Sword feels too!" Ash repeated.

Keldeo duly did so, concentrating on the rippling Aura of his Secret Sword and the nascent ball of cold in his mouth at the same time. _"Ash, is this-"_

"Look out!" Ash interrupted.

Keldeo glanced ahead, and yelped as he reached one of the sections damaged earlier in the fighting. A hasty jump carried him over the slumped part, and he accelerated further.

"Now..." Ash's voice hung on the word for a moment. "Swap them around!"

Keldeo blinked. _"What?"_

He stumbled, almost fell, and went back into a canter. _"I don't see-"_

"You did it!" Ash told him. "Or, started to! Just keep it up!"

A Fairy Hyper Voice went a bit long, and knocked a chunk from another tree.

Keldeo lost the ball of frost as he switched focus, and felt a tendril of aching cold on his horn.

But – that could mean...

He switched all the attention he could spare entirely to that nascent chill, and pumped energy into it. His Sword changed colour, going from a glowing gold to a frosty silver, and by the time he was getting close to Mega Altaria again the transition was complete.

"Good work!" Ash congratulated, as Keldeo shot past on the next terrace down. "Now – fire!"

"_Ice blade!"_ Keldeo shouted, launching the silvery blade-beam from his horn. It snapped out towards Mega Altaria, and the slightly startled dragon fired his Pixilated Hyper Beam early.

The blade shot past the Hyper Beam, eroding a little as it clipped the edge of the energy stream, and hit Mega Altaria's left wing – producing a musical _crash_ as the icy attack connected, and a thin layer of ice over the cloudstuff covering the wing before Mega Altaria shook it off.

"All right!" Ash grinned. "You know what to do!"

"_I sure do!"_ Keldeo agreed, his grin matching Ash's. Reigniting his sword, he cloaked it in ice and fired a second scything ice blade – one Mega Altaria only barely dodged.

* * *

><p>Clair blinked. "Did you just <em>invent a move<em> in the middle of a battle?"

"Yeah, why?" Ash asked, puzzled.

"...nothing."

* * *

><p>Keldeo fired out another Ice Blade, and Mega Altaria's tail snapped up to block.<p>

Having taken three hits already, it was caked in layers of ice, and this fourth one seemed to reach a critical mass- it lowered again only slowly, and Mega Altaria bobbed side-to-side slightly before recovering.

Cantering out of the way of a Fairy Hyper Voice, Keldeo charged his next one. His horn was beginning to tingle with the effort of sustaining all that throughput, but it was paying off!

This time, though, he'd barely fired the Ice Blade when it was hit by a Flamethrower.

Mega Altaria followed that up with a Fire Blast, and Keldeo rocked back on his hind legs and used a Hydro Pump jet to negate the flames in a hissing explosion of steam.

As the steam cleared, Keldeo saw that Mega Altaria had used the Fire Blast as a cover to switch back to charging Hyper Beam.

"Keldeo!" Ash called, in the moment before Mega Altaria fired. "Go for melee!"

Mega Altaria heard Ash as well, and began to ascend into the air.

"_Right!"_ Keldeo called, his sword flashing from gold to icy silver, and interposed the blade between himself and Mega Altaria. The beam of Fairy-typed energy hit and splashed off, blowing holes in the grass around him, and he jumped.

All four hooves erupted with water, sending him soaring skywards, and he gritted his teeth – wobbling around a bit, trying to make sure he kept his Ice Blade in the right place.

Rising faster than Mega Altaria, he rode the Pixilated Hyper Beam right up to the Dragon-type himself, and slammed his Ice Blade into Mega Altaria's chest – then pushed as much Aura into it as he could.

The pink and icy silver explosion was about half as wide as the valley.

* * *

><p>Keldeo landed on three hooves, stumbled, and stood there panting for a long moment.<p>

"_Ow,"_ he said, shaking his head. _"That kind of stung."_

He looked up at a slithering sound, as Ash came down the side of the lowest terrace and ran over to him.

"Nice work, Keldeo!" he said, grinning. "Really – that was awesome!"

"_Thanks,"_ Keldeo replied, reverting to his Ordinary Form. _"Phew... that was intense."_

He and Ash looked around the side valley.

It was a wreck. Trees were blown to bits, there was water and ice damage everywhere, a number of long furrows had been carved by attacks that had missed or gone wide, and about a third of the terraces had collapsed completely.

"Uh... sorry about breaking the battlefield!" Ash called up at Clair.

"...I think I'm now much less upset that Raikou broke my gym lights," Clair sighed. "Otherwise you'd have ruined the entire building. Well, you won, Ash Ketchum – and won outright. Congratulations."

"Thanks!" Ash said, with a relieved sigh. "That was a really good battle!"

Clair inclined her head slightly. "I'll give you the Rising Badge in a moment. Now... who would like some lunch?"

"_What!"_ Raikou roared.

He came bounding down the slope, and skidded a halt in front of Ash. _"When are we going to have our bally _race_, then? It's always something!"_

"Raikou!" Ash shook his head. "We'll have the race – in fact, we'll probably have it today. Just let me get everything else sorted out first..."

The Electric-type Beast subsided, somewhat, but looked mutinous.

* * *

><p>Gary Oak yawned. "Oh, that was a terrible night's... what is it, Dee?"<p>

He glanced at the clock, and blinked. "It's four in the morning. Why did you get me up at four in the morning?"

Ash just fought Clair, thus earning the Rising Badge, Dee explained.

"So?" Gary bunked sleep out of his eyes. "This better be good..."

In reply, Dee's projector sparked to life. She hovered into the air, and showed a flat-screen image of Mega Squirtle.

Gary stared at it for several seconds, as his brain booted up.

"...what is that?" he asked, carefully.

Mega Squirtle.

"Okay, _how?_"

I'm not sure of the details, Dexter sent me the picture... Dee broke off for a moment, then resumed. Right. Squirtle put together some bizarre bodge-job Squirtilite. It handled one battle and then exploded, but...

"...but it's flat impossible under what we think of as the rules of Mega Evolution. Right." Gary shook his head. "When's the paper due back from peer review?"

Two days from now.

"Right." Gary yawned. "Okay, I'm not going to pull it out of review, reformat the references, and go through all that _faff_ for this. I'll just... write an addendum or something." Another yawn. "Maybe a monograph, always wanted to write one of those..."

Umbreon came out of her 'ball, looked at the picture, and rolled her eyes. _"Sometimes I forget that Ash's one is the worst of the lot."_

Gary was already back under the covers. "Wake me sometime after nine, then we can go to that Fairy-type gym..." he mumbled.

* * *

><p>"<em>What does Mister Raikou mean a race?"<em> Mawile asked, nibbling on some pocky.

"The three Legendary Beasts of Johto have been challenging me," Ash explained. "I have to beat them in a race followed by a battle, and if I do then I can catch them."

"_Right!"_ Mawile nodded. _"I see! Are you going to catch Mister Raikou?"_

"I'll certainly try," her trainer chuckled. He passed her another piece. "This one's strawberry."

"_Thanks!"_ She took a bite, and beamed. _"I like strawberry!"_

"Okay, I'll remember that in future!" Ash chuckled.

He pretended not to notice that the dragons were still giving them quite a wide berth.

Except one...

"Hi, Ash," one of the dragon riders said, walking over. "How's things been?"

"Uh..." Ash frowned momentarily, trying to place the man, then realized. "Oh! You're Maurice, right? The guy who J captured?"

Maurice shrugged. "Yeah, that's me – seriously, thanks for saving Tyl and me back then. And, uh – sorry about loaning Clair that Altarianite."

"That was yours?" Ash asked. "Huh. Well – congratulations, I guess, for having it. They're pretty cool."

"_The cloud dragon was pretty!"_ Mawile said.

"I guess they are cool," Maurice agreed. "So – guess you're off to the Silver Conference, then?"

"Yeah," Ash confirmed. "But we're going on holiday for a couple of days before I get down to training hard, pretty much."

"Oh?" The dragonrider nodded. "Sounds cool. When and where?"

"Altomare," Ash said – simplifying things a bit. "Should be in a few-"

"_You've not forgotten about-"_

"No, I haven't!" Ash replied, turning to Raikou. "So stop asking! We'll do it once I've put together a team for it!"

"_Then do it now!"_ Raikou whined. _"I've been waiting for this for weeks!"_

"You've been running all over Johto fighting Gym Leaders, I thought..."

Maurice raised a hand. "Is that a speed run?"

One of the other riders made to throw something at him.

* * *

><p>"So that's your newest Pokémon, Ash?" Delia asked, looking at the screen. "She's such a cutie!"<p>

Mawile waved, and said something.

Delia waited for a moment. "What did she say, Ash?"

"Oh, sorry!" Ash blushed. "She said it was nice to meet you, too. Hey, Mawile, do you want to meet her in person?"

Mawile nodded.

"That's good – I'm going to be shifting a few Pokémon around, so you can head to Pallet Town for a bit." Ash thought for a moment. "Oh, and don't forget to see Molly, she can understand Pokémon too."

That sentence seemed to puzzle Mawile a bit. She asked what Delia could clearly tell was a question.

"No, only some humans can understand Pokémon. I'm lucky to be able to," Ash said with a smile.

That satisfied the little Fairy-type, and she nodded again.

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's see..." Ash said, counting under his breath. "Pikachu, Lucario, Houndour... Pidgeot, of course... Donphan... and Meganium."<p>

"_Interesting choice for Meganium,"_ Pikachu said, as Ash sent out Pidgeot and clambered aboard. _"Why her?"_

Ash shrugged. "She's not got a disadvantage, and her petal storms are surprisingly potent – and, of course, she can keep everyone else healthy. That could be important, remember Raikou's been basically training for the last few months."

"_Fair point."_ Pikachu hopped up onto Pidgeot. _"We ready?"_

"_We are ready,"_ Pidgeot replied, raising her wings briefly to feel the wind. _"Okay, not too bad..."_

"I guess I'll see you in Altomare!" Ash called to Brock and Misty. "Oh – do you want me to leave you Entei and Suicune so you can get around faster?"

"We'll be fine!" Misty told him. "There are these things people use, they're called boats!"

"Sounds boring!" Ash laughed.

"_Right, shall we do this?"_ Raikou asked, crouching down. _"Three, two, one..."_

He set off with a crack of thunder, and Pidgeot launched herself into the air. Cream-brown blur chased streak of moving lightning southwards, and then they were gone.

"...well, I guess that's that," Brock said. "Where's the nearest port?"

Clair frowned. "Tell you what... I'll give you a lift. Where's Salamence..."

"That's very kind of you," Misty said gratefully.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

The second, longer, half of the gym fight.

Boomburst is loud. Very loud.

As for Mega Squirtle... yeah. That happened. Though many will want to forget it.

And finally, Keldeo vs. Mega Altaria. It is interesting how many cosmetic similarities Resolute Form has to a mega evolution, at least in the film/anime.


	99. Johto 41

"Okay, here goes," James said, sitting himself firmly down in the back seat. "You two ready for this?"

"Good question," Jessie muttered. She glanced out the window of their modified C-130 Machamp, and looked down the beach on beautiful Five Island. "Uh – is that clear enough?"

"Should be, we landed on it a couple a' weeks back," Meowth quipped.

Jessie double-checked, then flicked a few switches. "Right. Self Test... good. Engine oil levels are fine... Meowth, how's the fuel?"

"All good!" Meowth reported. "We got several hundred miles in dis thing!"

"Good," Jessie said, concentrating. "Okay, injectors ready... mix is rich... I think we're ready to start."

"Remember, we're testing a sudden takeoff," James hinted.

"Right." Jessie clicked a toggle, and a plastic cover unlatched. She slid a fingernail under it and flipped it up, then rested her finger on the switch.

"Cover your ears, guys!" Meowth called. "Dis is gonna be loud!"

Jessie hit the switch, slamming the throttles forwards with her other hand.

In each engine, several small explosive charges went off. They spun the engine rotors to full heat and power in an instant, and the engines coughed, then caught and began to run steadily.

"Flaps down..." Meowth reported.

"Right," Jessie confirmed. "Pitch going to coarse – we're rolling!"

* * *

><p>Moltres tried to put her wings over her ears. <em>"This is so loud!"<em>

"_Don't worry,"_ Arbok said, shrugging with a sinuous flick of his body. _"You'll barely notice it after a while."_

"_I'm not sure how I feel about that..."_

"_I think Abra has some earplugs,"_ Victreebell suggested.

The aircraft surged forwards, then tilted back to the accompaniment of a roar from the engines.

* * *

><p>"Good work, Jessie," James complimented, as they levelled out. "How was that?"<p>

"...unexpectedly complicated," Jessie admitted. "I thought it would be more like those robots we have. You know, four buttons and a joystick."

"The robots used ta last about twenty minutes once we got in dem," Meowth said, shrugging. "So it might be a good ting."

"True..." Jessie nodded.

"Right!" James said. "Two more things to try out before we head back to Honshu. Well, three. Anyway – which of the first two should we do first?"

Jessie waited.

James looked expectant.

"James..." Jessie said slowly. "What _are_ these mysterious things?"

"Oh, right." James winced. "Okay. The first one is to give Meowth a go flying."

"Me?" Meowth asked, blinking. "Why me?"

"Don't worry," James shrugged. "I won't try to have you land. It's just so you can keep the plane orbiting if we need it."

"I guess..." Meowth said, looking with trepidation at the yoke. "I'm more of a copilot cat... what's da second one?"

"Testing the hover capabilities," James explained. "The third one's... well, basically, seeing if Moltres can catch someone when they jump out the back."

"...and how is _that_ useful?" Jessie asked, banking slightly as they spiralled slowly up to cruising altitude.

James took several seconds to answer. "If we need to jump out in a hurry and one of us forgot their parachute?"

"Sure," Meowth said, unconvinced.

* * *

><p>Raikou jumped from rock to rock, approaching a steep drop. As he arrived, he took in the valley below at a glance, and kicked off for a point about a third of the way down the far wall. Reaching it, he turned inside his own body length to jump back across the valley – arresting his fall to the river below.<p>

Pidgeot shot overhead, turning in a three-quarters-circle to drop into the steeply sided valley as Raikou reached the bottom. Balancing briefly on a rock outcrop in the middle of the river, he jumped again to pelt downstream.

Glancing back, he spotted Pidgeot – her wings slightly folded back, to make her narrower in this constricted airspace – before turning back to the river and accelerating.

A few miles downstream, the valley sides began to flatten out, and there were farms. Raikou went blazing past, relishing in the glory of running flat out, and as he made each turn he caught just a glimpse of the steady Bird Pokémon following him – swinging wider on the turns, banking over to avoid oversteering too much, and keeping pace without too much difficulty.

Another turn, and then Raikou was out of the hills and onto a plain. He saw a bridge coming up, and quickly verified that there was more than enough room underneath for him to pass.

But that was boring!

The Electric-type's legs bunched up, and he launched himself entirely over the bridge in a prodigious leap – passing over the covered footbridge, and the higher roadbridge suspension cables.

Landing again in a great splash of water, he dug deeper to make sure he was properly skimming across the surface rather than sinking – and, glancing back, he spotted that Pidgeot had also done the reverse of what was expected by going _under_ the bridge.

She was getting uncomfortably close. Raikou spotted a wier coming up, and used the broad spill surface to spin around and snap off a Thunderbolt at her.

It connected, but Pikachu's Lightningrod caught it and drank it in without letting any through to Pidgeot. It did startle her instinctively, though, and she let off the pace slightly.

Spinning around again as he reached the base of the spill surface, Raikou kicked off again.

The river was becoming swiftly broader and flatter, now, as it reached the sea. There was another bridge, and then another – which Raikou jumped over, sometimes landing in a mud-flat before accelerating back to full speed – and then with shocking suddenness the land just _ended_ and he was running over an inlet of the sea.

There seemed to be an airport on an island to his left, though, which was peculiar...

Returning his attention to where he was going, Raikou was somewhat surprised to discover he was about to run into a yacht. Managing to turn away in time (though getting the owner of the yacht quite wet with spray), he settled down for the long run south.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Max," May said, standing up. "Come with me for a bit, okay?"<p>

Max blinked. "What?"

"Come on!" May insisted. She sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to take your lunch money, or anything..."

"...why would you even-" Max shook his head. "Okay, I guess, just – why?"

"It's a surprise!" May told him. "Come on!"

Max sighed. "Okay, I guess you're going to pester me until I say yes..."

"That's about the shape of it," May agreed readily. She glanced down at her belt, checking Blaziken was with her. "Okay, let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Are you going to explain why we're out here yet?" Max asked.<p>

"Ssh!" May admonished.

Max rolled his eyes, sighing. "I could have been reading or something."

"You'd prefer this – aha!" May stuck a hand out, stopping Max from moving past the bush she was looking through.

"What?" Max asked, more quietly this time.

May peered through the bushes for a moment longer, then nodded to herself. She picked Blaziken's Pokéball off her belt, shoved it into his hand, put another Pokéball in his other hand, and gave him a shove that sent him staggering around the bush.

Blinking, Max glanced down at his hands. "What the-"

A bark interrupted him. Looking down – and not very far down, given his height – he saw a green Electrike staring at him, growling softly.

"May?" he asked. "What in the-"

Blaziken's Pokéball burst open. He stared impassively back into the bushes at May for a moment, then turned to Electrike and knelt down.

This rather wrong-footed the little Electric-type, who stopped growling in confusion. "Rike?"

Blaziken shook his head, smiling slightly. "Ken."

Max glanced at his pocket. "Kris? What are they saying?"

It seems May planned this without actually telling Blaziken what she wanted him to do, Kris postulated.

"Hey!" May called.

You did, though, Ethan's synthesized voice pointed out.

"Well, yeah..."

The two Pokémon appeared to have worked something out. Blaziken stood, coming back to Max's side, and took a stance. Electrike matched him, hunching down again and growling.

"May?" Max asked, a little plaintively.

"It's a Pokémon battle, Max!" May told him. She came out of the bushes, the pretense now so threadbare it wasn't worth keeping up. "You know how those work."

"Well, yeah, but – why?"

Blaziken looked back expectantly, and said something.

Apparently the Electrike is fine with this, Kris supplied. I think you're supposed to tell Blaziken to do an attack now.

"Uh...Ember?"

Blaziken duly used an Ember.

With a crackle of electricity, Electrike launched itself forwards and out of the way of the Ember. It Thunder Fanged Blaziken's leg, and the Fire-type responded with a vague shake.

He gave Max an encouraging look.

"Blaze Kick!" Max instructed, then frowned as Electrike let go. "And – uh, Fire Spin!"

Raising his fists, Blaziken summoned fire from his wrists and directed it forwards in a pair of swirling motions. The flame formed a tornado around Electrike, who yelped, and had noticeable scorch marks when the flames died down.

"That's weakened it!" May said, as the Electrike started trying to bite at Blaziken's hand and Blaziken retaliated by lifting his hand out of the way. "Now, catch it!"

Max blinked. He glanced at May, then at Electrike, and then at the empty Pokéball she'd given him. "...oh, right."

"Took you long enough," she said, shaking her head.

"You didn't exactly warn me," he pointed out.

"True."

"But – I mean, is this okay?" Max asked. "I don't know if-"

He said he was fine with it, Kris repeated. That's what he and Blaziken were talking about.

Over the intervening time, Electrike had started biting at Blaziken's ankles again. His teeth crackled with a Thunder Fang, but Blaziken endured it relatively easily.

"Right!" Max said, more firmly. "Pokéball, go!"

The red-white sphere spun across the intervening space, opened, and sucked Electrike in. It wobbled for a moment, slowed, and clicked.

"See?" May asked. "Not so hard, is it?"

"...it would have helped if you'd given me any sort of warning at all," Max muttered. He picked up the Pokéball, and let the passenger out.

"How'd you know?" he asked, kneeling down to the green Electric-type. "That I was considering Electrike, I mean?"

"...right," May said, blushing. "I was cleaning your room, and-"

"May!"

"It was right there!" May protested. "Under your textbooks, closed, with a note on it telling me not to read it!"

Blaziken gave his trainer an amused look.

"Oh, shut up," she said to him, unable to restrain a snort of laughter.

Electrike yapped something.

You're his starter, Kris informed him. I don't count.

The Electric-type considered that, scratched, and then jumped up and licked Max's face.

"Hey!" Max said, flailing. "Gerrof!"

Blaziken exchanged a glance with May, and both nodded – satisfied.

They may not have planned it ahead of time, but they could tell when something had worked.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot rose slightly, steering around a small and startled flock of Wingull, then dropped back down towards the surface of the sea.<p>

"Good work, Pidgeot," Ash said, one eye on Raikou. "Easy does it for now-"

Raikou jinked to the right, then left, and snapped another thunderbolt up at Pidgeot as he slowed briefly. The blast of electricity came in, hit her wing, and flowed up the thunder-armour enshrouding it into Pikachu's cheeks.

"_Ah!"_ the Flying-type said, flinching slightly. _"That was-"_

"It's okay," Ash reminded her. "Just focus. He can't-"

He stopped. "Okay, left!"

Pidgeot turned on her side and banked, wings hauling around in a sharp turn, and the rainbow-coloured beam of light just about missed hitting her tail.

"_What was that!?"_ she asked, turning back across her base course to stay a difficult target.

"Looks like Raikou's been teaching himself some new moves," Ash explained. "That was Extrasensory. Pikachu can't block that!"

"_No kidding,"_ Pikachu muttered. _"But you can, Ash."_

Ash nodded, taking the big blue hat off and placing it on Pidgeot's head. He had to hold it on, as her crest wasn't very well suited to keeping a hat that size on, which meant he was a little startled when she made another sharp turn and dove seawards.

Spinning in a tight, wings-in roll, Pidgeot spun off two layers of air which intensified and sharpened. They curved gracefully down and along until parallel with the sea surface, then sliced in towards Raikou from both sides.

He saw them coming, jumped, and got hit by a Gust from behind.

The slug of air wasn't very damaging, but it did blow him forwards and foul his landing. He skipped off the water at several hundred miles an hour, rolled, straightened out in mid-air and resumed running.

"Nice work," Ash said, then Raikou skidded around and fired another blast of Extrasensory. It splashed off Pidgeot's breast, negated by the Dark subtype the hat gave her, and she powered forwards while he was slowed.

She shot past him at a few feet distance, kissing the sound barrier as she did so, and the _SLAM_ of her airstream hit Raikou like a sledgehammer.

Growling, he snapped a thunderbolt after her – which Pikachu absorbed – and darted off in a different direction.

Pidgeot came out of her shallow, U-shaped dive-and-climb. _"What now?"_

"Try and push him towards an island!" Ash said. "I – there's one there! Uh..." he glanced skywards. "To the southwest! Nearly at the horizon."

"_I see it."_ Pidgeot banked around, describing a three-dimensional arc through the sky, to come in on Raikou's right side and push him towards the small island.

* * *

><p><em>Excuse me.<em>

Oak looked up, startled. "Wh – Mewtwo?"

The grey-purple Psychic-type nodded. _I hope I am not interrupting anything._

"Not much," Oak sighed. "Just – be careful when you're teleporting directly indoors, okay? Most people prefer it if their guests knock."

_Sorry,_ Mewtwo 'pathed, contrite. _I can see I still have to internalize some things._

"No, it's not... oh, never mind." The Pokémon Professor leaned back in his chair. "So, what brings you here?"

_You are aware I am writing a book?_ Mewtwo inquired.

"I think you mentioned, yes..."

He was provided with a manuscript. _As and when you have the time, I would appreciate a proof-read. It's mainly nerves, I hope._

Oak took it, noting the title – _The Other Side of the Pokéball – _and flicked through. "Anywhere in particular?"

_Please, start from the beginning,_ Mewtwo requested. _I hope you enjoy it, and maybe even find it useful._

Nodding, the professor found the start of the first chapter and began reading.

* * *

><p>The Circumstances of One's Birth – wild, tame, artificial<p>

* * *

><p>One of the most important moments in the life of anyone, human or Pokémon, is the very first.<p>

Almost all Pokémon hatch from eggs. They are born to a mother of the same evolutionary line, and to a father who may be a very different Pokémon. While they may hatch alone, with a family, in a small house or a big hatchery, or even at the inducement of another Pokémon, for the purposes of this chapter I will consider two categories – wild, and tame.

* * *

><p>A wild-hatched Pokémon is one which has been born into a natural environment, no matter what it may be. Examples of wild Pokémon are all around you – the Pidgey in the trees, the Butterfree overhead. Almost without exception, Pokémon caught in the wild are wild Pokémon.<p>

To be a wild Pokémon is to grow up mostly apart from humans, and among one's own kind. They teach the wild Pokémon things it may not learn from humans – how to survive alone, for example, or how to find food. Wild Pokémon also must learn self-reliance – the wild is not for the faint hearted.

This very unsafeness, however, is why those Pokémon who tend to live on the fringes of human settlements tend to be the smarter ones. They are more able to tell that humans are – for the most part – not very dangerous, will pick up the languages of humanity much more easily, and many of the smartest will carefully weigh up the pros and cons of becoming caught. Ask your caught Pokémon about it – they may surprise you.

* * *

><p>Tame Pokémon, on the other hand, are those bred by humans or born to Pokémon partnered to the same. As a rule, they are comfortable with humans, and tend on average to be more intelligent than the <em>average<em> wild Pokémon (though not necessarily the average _captured_ wild Pokémon.) They are part of the social contract of society and often understand this, expecting to be treated well, fed and kept safe – and, in return, they are willing to perform quite impressive tasks for their human partners and friends. That said, no Pokémon will do anything, and most tame-born Pokémon are quite capable of coming to conclusions about a poor trainer by comparing them to prior experience.

Tame-born Pokémon will tend, on average, to need more attentive training than wild Pokémon – being less able to figure things out for themselves, at least at first – but over time there comes to be little distinction.

* * *

><p>Some Pokémon blur the lines between these two categories, being born into a civilized community of Pokémon. One of the most commonly known is the Lucario Kingdom in Sinnoh, whose noble families are born into a community as centralized as any human village. They are taught to fight and to learn, and are thoroughly pleasant individuals.<p>

* * *

><p>There is a third way a Pokémon may come into the world, however. I am one of this third kind, the created Pokémon – one not born to parents, but made. In my case, it was through cloning and genetic manipulation of the DNA of a Mew. Many of my companions were similarly created, though not all.<p>

Other examples of created Pokémon are those Porygon who have started to appear more often in the world of late, as technology becomes more up to the task of their creation, as well as the three Legendary Beasts – created by Ho-Oh – and the Dragons and Fairies of Sinnoh, all of whom were directly created by Arceus in an act of extreme direct power.

Created Pokémon tend to be powerful – we are made artificially, so weakness can be factored out – and tend not to have a childhood, since in all cases to date they have been made fully grown. We are unconventional, but we are not fundamentally different from other Pokémon – indeed, clones of my acquaintance have themselves laid eggs, and their young are a delight to play with.

* * *

><p>Case study one: Wild Pokémon<p>

For this case study, I have elected to examine the starter Pokémon of a friend of mine. This starter is one of those relatively rare starters who was caught, not bred, and his initial attitude to his trainer was...

* * *

><p>Finishing the first chapter after about twenty minutes, Oak looked up.<p>

_What do you think?_ Mewtwo asked nervously.

"It seems... very level-headed," Oak said. "You've clearly put in a lot of effort to be objective – and there's some nice personal touches. I couldn't see any particular errors."

_Thank you,_ Mewtwo smiled. _Let me know if you do spot anything._

Nodding, Oak went back to reading.

* * *

><p>Pidgeot's belly skimmed inches over the sea, as she closed in on Raikou's position. The highest point on the small island they were headed for was now visible, and she judged distances-times-speeds to make sure she had the right moment.<p>

Her mouth opened, and she sucked in air towards a swirling sphere held just outside her beak. It grew, building up, and then she tilted her wings and popped up.

Raikou had just reached the island, and was turning to launch an attack off at her – exploiting the solid ground it provided. Just as he was about to get off what looked like a Signal Beam, though, Pidgeot fired.

The Aeroblast hit a little off-target at first, smashing into the shallow waters of the beach. It slid quickly onshore as Pidgeot corrected her aim, blasting a long furrow in the ground, and connected with Raikou as he dropped his attack and turned to dodge.

Pidgeot held the attack for a second more, then dropped it. The moment she did, a Hyper Beam speared back out of the dust cloud, and she rolled hastily out of the way.

Raikou's Hyper Beam blew the dust away, revealing him to be standing in a respectable crater. He turned his head, sweeping the beam around to follow Pidgeot, and she just about managed to stay ahead of him by shedding height for speed and pulling in close to him.

Ash winced as the g-forces drove him into his seat, then Pidgeot rolled and soared back up into the air. Wings spread wide to catch as much air as possible, she shed speed and came down again to land.

Jumping off her back, Ash sent out Houndour, Lucario and Meganium. "You know what to do, guys!" he called, as Pikachu jumped from Pidgeot's back to join them.

Lucario nodded for all of them, and they set off at a sprint.

He turned to Pidgeot, and sent out Donphan. "You two – like we planned."

Pidgeot nodded, picking up Donphan by the tusks, and set off skywards.

There was a crackling _BANG_ as Raikou launched a Thunder attack at Ash's team. Pikachu darted out in front, drinking the energy into his Lightningrod, and then retaliated with a quick Aura Sphere.

Raikou darted aside, evading it, and dug his paws into the beach before pouncing forwards – ramming home a powerful Bulldoze attack aimed at Pikachu.

Lucario scooped Pikachu up on the run, getting him out of the way of the Ground attack just in time, and rammed home a kick on Raikou's flank – producing a crackle of electricity, and a _whoof_ of air. For his pains, Lucario got a Rock Smash to the shoulder, and was knocked back a step.

As he gave ground, Houndour darted in and lashed out with a Foul Play. Raikou called down a stream of lightning from the cloudless sky, not all of which Pikachu managed to absorb, and lashed out at Houndour with a paw before darting away from a Bone Rush staff-blow.

The Electric-type beast blurred across the beach, skidding to a halt on one of the few high spots on the small island. _"Right, now-"_

Meganium unloaded a Petal Dance on him.

"_Ow! Right, you first..."_ Shaking his mane, Raikou charged forwards for a direct melee attack.

Unfortunately for him, he'd missed keeping track of Pidgeot. The Flying-type came screaming in at low altitude, and released Donphan on an intersecting trajectory.

Donphan proceeded to use Earthquake directly on impact with Raikou, sending him skidding off-course, and then bounced back into the air where he was caught by Pidgeot once more.

"_...right!"_ Raikou said, shaking his head as he came back to his feet. _"I can see this isn't going to be easy..."_

* * *

><p>"Shadow Ball!"<p>

Alakazam's spoons crackled with greyish, ghostly energy. As his opponent's gloves crackled, building up a Dazzling Gleam, he swirled one spoon around and defined a circle in the air.

Placing his other spoon in the middle, he let go, and it hovered there.

"Get on with it!" Gary called.

Alakazam didn't deign to respond. He reached up, tapped the hovering spoon, and the whole circle of shadow energy flashed to it before the spoon shot forwards as though fired from a cannon.

It beaned Valerie's Mr. Mime on the forehead, sending her staggering back, and the Dazzling Gleam earthed into the floor.

Moustache bristling, Alakazam gestured again. The spoon came back from where it had ricocheted, sparkling with shadowy energy again, and slammed into Mr. Mime from behind as she tried to get a shield up.

That did it, and she faceplanted into the floor.

"Right!" Valerie called, making a sweeping gesture with the wing of her outfit. "Good. Now, the final match of the Laverre gym is against Sylveon!"

"A Fairy-type, right..." Gary frowned, recalling Alakazam. "Who-"

"_Dibs,"_ Umbreon said.

"Really?" Gary blinked, as Dee fed him the translation. "I mean-"

"_I know, I know, type advantage."_ Umbreon shrugged. _"I can take her."_

"If you insist..." Gary nodded her forwards, as Valerie sent out her Sylveon.

Umbreon rolled her neck. _"Right, let's do this."_

"_A _Dark_ type?"_ Sylveon asked, looking her over. _"Ew. And I could have turned into _you?_"_

Umbreon was silent for a moment.

"_Right, you're going down,"_ she said, claws scraping on the gym floor as she got a good grip. Her ear and forehead rings flickered in an odd, disjointed way.

Sylveon frowned. _"What is it? Surely you're not offended by- by-"_

She looked suddenly very confused. _"My head hurts..."_

Umbreon pounced forwards, kicking off from the ground and performing a forwards roll. Her tail flashed silver, and she slapped an Iron Tail into the back of the slow-to-react Sylveon.

"_Ow!"_ Sylveon said, snapping out of it. _"What did you do?"_

Umbreon grinned tightly. _"That would be the Confuse Ray."_ Her rings started to flicker again, and Sylveon looked away.

"_I don't have to see you to beat you, ruffian!"_ Sylveon insisted, her furry tendrils gaining a coating of blue-pink sparkles. Keeping her eyes closed, she turned to face Umbreon. _"Dazzling Gleam!"_

The attack shot across the intervening space, and detonated.

"_Missed!"_ Umbreon informed her cheekily. Another Iron Tail slammed home, making Sylveon stagger, and the Fairy-type lashed out with her tendrils and got nothing but air.

Gary winced. "What did she do, insult your mother?"

"_As it happens, yes,"_ Umbreon replied. _"Now, excuse me while I see what effect Toxic has."_

* * *

><p>Palms glowing, Lucario rammed home a one-two Force Palm kata into Raikou's side. He followed that up with a scything axe kick, and Raikou responded by firing Extrasensory at him.<p>

The blast of psionic energy streamed off Lucario's body, pushing him backwards a step, before he rallied by firing a Dark Pulse from his off hand.

Raikou growled, knocking Lucario back with a physical blow, and turned abruptly to hit Pikachu with another Extrasensory.

Pikachu wobbled, already fatigued from the buffeting he'd taken earlier in the combat, and fell backwards.

"_Right,"_ Raikou said, shaking his mane out and turning back to Lucario. Lightning crackled all along his body. _"Let's get this bally show on the road!"_

Thunder surged out, hitting Lucario's crossed arms and grounding on his metal wrist-spikes. The Fighting-type formed a pair of Bone Rush staffs, sweeping them down-and-across in a reverse scissor blow to intercept the thunder, and Raikou rolled his eyes before pouncing forwards with a Wild Charge.

The bones went out of Lucario's hands as he was knocked physically over by the impact, and Raikou delivered another blast of electricity.

Dazed but not yet out of it, Lucario shook his head to focus it. He pulled his legs in and kicked up, forcing Raikou off him, and came back to his feet.

Houndour contributed with a Beat Up, swarming Raikou in duplicates for the time it took the Beast to clear them out with electrical attacks, and then shot a Flamethrower at him.

His reward was a bolt of electricity several inches wide.

As Houndour collapsed, finally out of the fight, Raikou rolled his neck again. _"Looks like I'm starting to get a grip on this dashed fight!"_

Lucario summoned a pair of Bone Rush staves again, and took up a guard stance.

"_Wait just one minute..."_ Raikou frowned. _"I could swear there were more of you..."_

His tail cracked, and he fired an Electric attack at the incoming Pidgeot.

It didn't hit her.

"_What now!"_ Raikou roared, thoroughly annoyed. He whirled, and saw Pikachu running determinedly towards him.

Behind the Electric-type, Meganium smirked and fired a tornado of petals.

Jumping clear of the four-way pincer attack, Raikou shot an Extrasensory skywards. Pidgeot was hit, wobbled briefly, and was unable to swoop down and catch Donphan again.

"_How are you still doing this?"_ Raikou asked Pikachu, swiping at him with a paw and missing.

Pikachu ducked in under Raikou's guard and hit him with a Force Palm. _"I'll let you figure that out."_

"_...wait one minute!"_ Raikou batted at the ground with a Bulldoze, which hit Pikachu but didn't knock him out, and jumped off.

Another storm of petals came his way, and he fired a Signal Beam back up the Petal Dance whirlwind at Meganium.

She flinched, keeping the attack going for as long as possible, but finally gave up and slumped.

"_She knows Heal Pulse, doesn't she?"_ Raikou said indignantly. It wasn't a question. _"I knew I should have kept track of the blighter!"_

Donphan came spinning over a hill at speed, and Raikou unlimbered the tattered bundle of signs that had been on his back this whole time. _"Wood hammer!"_

Donphan was hit for six.

"...did you plan that?" Ash asked, from the rock formation that was the closest thing on the island to hard cover.

"_Why do you think I was still carrying the things?"_ Shaking his head, Raikou charged down on Lucario and hit _him_ with a Bulldoze. Lucario's counter Counter blow was powerful enough to knock him backwards, and then a chirping, snapping sound drew his attention.

Pikachu's tail was a shimmering silvery colour.

"_...Iron Tail?"_ Raikou asked, uncertainly. _"Are you all right in the head there, Pikachu? That's not going to-"_

Pikachu charged forwards, lightning enveloping him, and jumped at the baffled Raikou. He spun, bringing his tail down for an almighty blow. _"Volt Tail!"_

There was a very loud bang.

* * *

><p>Ash ran forwards and caught Pikachu as he fell from the sky. "Nice work, Pikachu."<p>

"_Ow,"_ Pikachu said faintly.

"_What the blasted hell was that!?"_ Raikou asked.

"It's a combination attack," Ash explained, setting Pikachu down and watching Raikou carefully. "It's something we've only ever used on Pokémon resistant to Electricity, but it still seems to work pretty well. We're careful with it."

"_Oh,"_ Raikou said, nodding. _"That makes a deal of-"_

He fell over.

Ash blinked, then glanced over at Lucario – who was still standing.

"I... guess I win?"

"_Presumably,"_ Lucario agreed. _"You should probably use that Pokéball now."_

"Oh, right!" Ash nodded, and threw the Fast Ball. It was still for a moment, then began to rock wildly.

Ash watched it, hoping. Raikou was clearly awake, and if he wasn't as weak as he'd guessed...

The ball gave one more shake, then subsided. There was a quiet _click_, and the capture registered.

"_Well done,"_ Suicune said. _"Three for-"_

"Gah!" Ash spun. "Where did you two come from?"

"_We _have_ been watching since about halfway through the battle,"_ Entei informed him. _"I suppose it was a bit loud for you to notice..."_

"_We wanted to make sure our brother didn't mess around this time,"_ Suicune explained. _"It seems he did not – a well earned capture, Ash. You should be proud."_

Pidgeot came skimming in for a landing, and Ash nodded. "I guess so..."

"_So,"_ Suicune went on. _"You mentioned Altomare when we set off. Are we heading there next?"_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I – how far is it from here?"

"_Not far, actually,"_ Entei informed him. _"About twenty or thirty miles."_

"Thanks – I guess that helps," Ash nodded. "We were there for my birthday last time, and that's coming up – and..."

"_Your birthday?"_ Suicune said, interested. _"How fortuitous! You've caught... is something wrong?"_

"Kind of," Ash agreed. "Sorry, I – it wasn't a very happy one for me. See, there's a Latias and a Latios who – who _are _the guardians of Altomare, and someone came after them while we were there."

He sighed. "Latios died. I couldn't save him. And..."

"_I see,"_ Suicune said, nodding sombrely.

She shook her head. _"Well! That will not be happening this time!"_

Entei nodded, embers flashing briefly in his mane. _"Whoever this is, they won't stand a chance!"_

"But-" Ash stopped, swallowed, and started again. "Thanks, guys."

"_We'll sort it out, Ash,"_ Pidgeot chirped. _"After all, last time you didn't have us with you."_

Her wing sweep took in herself, the three Beasts and Lucario.

"Good point," Ash agreed. "Okay, I promise to try to enjoy my time there. I mean, we'll keep an eye out for Latias and Latios, because we could stop the whole thing, but... yeah, trouble comes to me, I guess."

"_That's the spirit."_ Suicune then blinked down at Raikou's Fast Ball. _"Is he alright?"_

Ash opened the Pokéball, and Raikou staggered as he materialized.

"_...I was hoping to come out in a Pokémon Centre,"_ he muttered. _"Oh – when can I learn that Volt Crash move from Pikachu?"_

"_I can barely credit you've been obsessing over that for this long,"_ Entei said. _"We should probably head to Altomare as soon as possible, then, to get looking."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Brother?"<em> Latias asked. _"Can we go out into the city again?"_

"_No,"_ Latios instructed her firmly. _"If there's even the slightest risk, we have to remain safe. The best time to go out is when the city is busy with a festival, because then people don't notice strange things happening so much."_

"_Awww..."_ Latias sighed. _"But... fine."_

She paused. _"But I heard there was someone who has Legendary Pokémon!"_

"_Where did you learn that from?"_ Latios asked, alarmed. _"If you've been going out _without_ permission-"_

"_I haven't!"_ Latias said quickly. _"Bianca told me. When we were painting."_

"_I'll be checking in on her to make sure,"_ Latios warned. He sighed. _"Well, I suppose going out would be fine... but during the festival only!"_

Latias pouted.

"_Don't do that,"_ Latios said. _"That hasn't worked on me for years."_

Latias just pouted more.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>The Rockets' aircraft is a bit indistinct, but it's basically a modified four-engine propellor cargo aircraft with extra hover-capable jet engines.<p>

Max has his starter! Yeah, Electrike seemed to be fun, because there's no type overlap with anything else he's slated to get. Bit inexperienced, for now, but he'll learn.

Some more of Mewtwo's book – _The Other Side of the Pokéball._ I'm not going to be able to write the entire book, but I can certainly pull off the first chunks of a chapter or two.

Gary Oak Fighting Fairies In Kalos. (If you recall, Umbreon's mother was also an Umbreon, hence why she wanted to evolve into one as an Eevee. That's one reason she took Sylveon's comment so badly...)

And the Lati twins being their very-much-not-twins mental ages. Latios is stern, Latias is kind of playful.

Oh, yeah, and something about a Raikou, too. (Ever seen a Donphan fly?)


	100. Heroes

There is only one chapter today. It's a doozy, though – chapter 100 is the _entirety_ of Pokémon Heroes.

Just FYI.

* * *

><p>"Well, here we are," Misty said, looking out towards the peaceful city. "This is a nice place – all the canals..."<p>

"You Water Pokémon trainer, you," Brock laughed.

Misty chuckled, nodding. "I guess so... oh, you've got the presents, right?"

"Of course I do," Brock replied. "After organizing holiday presents for all my siblings, Ash is easy to remember."

Their boat heeled over slightly, as it headed in towards the docks.

"We should get ready," Misty suggested.

"Good idea," Brock agreed. "Can you send out Togekiss to look for Ash?"

"Right." Misty released her Fairy-type, who took up station alongside for a moment before soaring skywards and orbiting overhead.

Misty peered out towards Altomare a moment longer, smelling the sweet sea-breeze, then followed Brock to go and get their stuff.

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Ash waved from the quayside. "What took you guys?"<p>

"We don't have a supersonic Flying-type, Ash!" Misty called back. "We discussed this, remember!"

Ash chuckled, hoisted Pikachu a little higher on his shoulder, and came over to the gangplank. "How was the trip?"

"Fine," Brock shrugged. "Nothing particularly unusual happened – Misty did give this Water specialist a few tips, I think she's got a fan-"

"Hey!" Misty said.

"If you do make it, you're going to have to deal with fans, Misty," Ash said. He glanced a little nervously around at the docks, noticing that several people were looking at him. "I know I'm starting to have to..."

"Yeah, good point." The Water-trainer sighed, then perked up. "Okay, that's enough of that. Where's the Pokémon centre?"

"Uh..." Ash frowned. "This way. I'm pretty sure."

"Dexter?"

He's right.

Once they were walking, Brock raised the next question. "So... have you managed to find-"

"No," Ash sighed. "I've been looking, too. But even with Aura sight, no sign of either Latias or Latios."

"How is that possible?" Misty wondered. "Unless they were never coming out... couldn't you just go to that secret grotto?"

Ash shrugged. "I don't know where it is. We were only there a couple of times, and it was years ago."

"That could be a problem," Brock winced. "Pikachu, do you remember?"

"_I'm afraid not, sorry."_ Pikachu shrugged. _"I was kind of preoccupied."_

"Great..."

"I guess the best thing we can do is wait for trouble to find me," Ash suggested. "It usually does."

"I suppose you're right."

Brock and Misty exchanged a glance, and Brock spoke up. "Hey, Ash..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget – you're thirteen now! It's not every day that you become a teenager!"

"Most people only do it _once..._" Ash chuckled. "But yeah, good point. Suicune pointed that out too, I just..."

He shrugged. "I worry, I guess."

Misty punched him in the shoulder. "Come on! Hey, tell you what – bet you can't win the Tour de Altomare!"

"...who with?" Ash asked. "I mean, Suicune's just plain _cheating..._ she's faster than most Flying-types..."

"What about Keldeo?" Brock suggested. "I'm sure he'd enjoy it."

Ash frowned, then nodded. "That does sound like a good idea – thanks, Misty!"

* * *

><p>Ash's birthday meal wasn't something the friends made much of a production out of. They'd been on the road together for years, and each of them had had their turn – and it was often just a particular favourite of the person, made by Brock. (Or, if it was Brock's birthday, something put together by Ash and Misty from a cookbook, with great care and the odd scorched thumb.)<p>

They still had a nice lunch, though. Altomare had such good restaurants it would be rude not to.

"So," Misty said, over the dessert. "How did you do?"

"How what?" Ash asked, looking up from passing Mawile his spare strawberry.

"Raikou," Misty specified. "How'd you do? Did you catch him?"

Ash nodded, fighting a grin. "You bet!"

"Wow," Brock said, shaking his head. "All three, huh?"

"Yeah." Ash shrugged. "But Raikou's mostly been back at Professor Oak's the last couple of days, it's a bit crowded in Altomare."

The others nodded, understanding. They both had Pokémon who were best kept out of crowded city streets.

"Oh – that reminds me," Misty said. "Brock, the presents?"

"You got me presents?" Ash asked, a little surprised. "I mean, to have now, instead of-"

"I know, I know, we usually sort it all out just before the League," Brock agreed. "But we saw a couple of things we thought you'd like!"

He took a small wrapped box from a bag. "Here's mine – well, we all discussed it."

Picking it up, Ash undid the ribbon and tore the wrapping off.

Inside was... nothing.

"Huh?" he said, looking up in confusion.

Brock chuckled. "Told you he'd fall for it, Misty..."

Misty rolled her eyes. "It's the ribbon the box was wrapped in. It's a brand new Expert Belt."

"Oh, right!" Ash said, pulling the ribbon out from under the paper. "So this is what they look like when they're new... all the ones I've seen have been old..."

Brock nodded, pleased at the reaction. "We thought it would be good to get you something any of your Pokémon could use, rather than just one."

Mawile looked up from her strawberries. _"Ooh, that does look nice..."_

"It's a good reason to train, then," Ash suggested. "This helps Pokémon battle."

That was a revelation to the young Mawile. _"Nice looking things help Pokémon battle?"_

Pikachu removed his Light Ball, showing it to her. _"This has been helping me battle for nearly two years now."_

"_Cool!"_

Misty pushed her box across the table next, and Ash opened it more carefully – checking to make sure there was nothing on the box that might be the actual present.

This time, however, there was something in the box. It was a small amulet, which on investigation turned out to be a locket.

Opening it, Ash saw a picture of himself on one side and Charizard on the other.

"That's kind of nice," he said, frowning. "But why-"

The picture on the right changed to show Meganium.

"-wha?"

"It's got a memory card in," Misty told him. "It cycles through several different pictures. We put a few on there, but you could have your entire team."

She shrugged. "It seemed nice, especially since your team's far too large to have them all on hand at once any more."

"Yeah, I like it!" Ash grinned, putting the chain around his neck. "Thanks, Misty!"

He frowned. "Now I need to work out what to get you guys for your next birthdays..."

"**Attention!"** a PA system announced. **"The Tour de Altomare will be starting in fifteen minutes. Will all contestants please proceed to registration if they have not already done so!"**

Ash blinked. "Uh oh... come on, Misty, let's go!"

* * *

><p>"<em>So, how does this work?"<em> Keldeo asked, standing on blue-glowing hooves on the water's surface. He looked a bit dubiously at the rope tied around his midsection. _"I hope this works better than it did back in Eggseter..."_

"It's a Water Pokémon race," Ash told him. "Each person's pulled by one Water-type, and they have to follow the circuit through the canals back to here."

"_Right!"_ Keldeo glanced both left and right, noticing the other Pokémon floating in the water. _"I'll do my best!"_

One of the race officials came over to Ash, sculling a small coracle. "Excuse me, young man?"

"Yes?" Ash replied.

"...is that a Water-type?"

"_Water and Fighting type!"_ Keldeo said helpfully. _"Hi, I'm Keldeo!"_

"Right, thanks for the confirmation." The official glanced through his paperwork. "Ah, I see, originally from Unova. Thank you."

"_I'm on there?"_ Keldeo asked. _"That's quite impressive."_

"We do – wait a minute..."

The official looked at Keldeo. "...I just realized you were the one speaking."

"It's Aura," Ash explained.

"Right..." The hapless man glanced over at Ash. "You seem to have an Electric-type with you."

"Ballast?" Ash asked.

"_You'll pay for that..."_ Pikachu muttered.

"Seriously, no, he's just here to be another passenger," Ash told the man. "And an excuse if we only just lose."

That prompted a smile. "I see. Well, it's not long before the race starts, and that all seems in order..."

"_Hey, Keldeo?"_ Pikachu asked, as the marshal sculled back to shore. _"Are you just going to run across the water?"_

"_Nope!"_ Keldeo replied. _"By the way, do you mind getting wet?"_

"_...uh oh."_ Pikachu clambered around to Ash's back. _"I'll just stay here for a bit..."_

* * *

><p>Brock leaned over the edge of the bridge, quickly finding his two friends – Ash was easiest, with Keldeo standing on the water in front of him, but he was only a little slower to find Misty.<p>

She was using Kingdra, who seemed just about small enough to fit easily. Gyarados was probably too big, and as for Kabutops...

Given the town's history, not a good plan.

A ripple ran through the stands as the countdown started. Three Natu statues unfurled, one by one, and then the wings of the big Xatu at the bottom of the pole opened.

Almost immediately, there was a huge cloud of spray from Ash's end of the line. Keldeo rocketed forwards, passing under the bridge in seconds, and two other indistinct shapes sped past not far behind.

* * *

><p>"Whooaaaaa!" Ash yelled, one arm up in front of his face to block the spray. "Keldeo, what the-"<p>

"_I'm using my water jets for propulsion!"_ Keldeo replied, voice almost lost in the roar of spray. _"They can lift both me and you at once, so they're easily able to tow us!"_

Ash had his eyes closed, since that let him see better. "How fast are we _going?"_

Unseen by him, Keldeo frowned. _"Uh... I think we're going at about sixty knots!"_

"Is that fast?" Ash asked. He shook his head. "No, wait, I _know_ it's fast!"

He leaned over as Keldeo took the first turn, a great crescent-shaped wave of water blasting out during the turn.

"_I feel sorry for all the spectators..."_ Pikachu said. He blinked. _"Hey, Ash... we're not right out in front!"_

"Really?" Ash asked, startled. He glanced behind, and saw two other racers keeping pace.

One of them was easily recognizable – Misty. The other one he didn't know, but they had a Sharpedo.

He turned back to the front, wobbling a little as Keldeo took another turn, and concentrated on not falling off.

* * *

><p>"Wow, Ash, overdo it much?" Misty asked, staying just out of the spray zone.<p>

"You know this kid?" the racer next to her asked.

"Yeah, we travel together!" Misty explained. She jinked to the side, and took the turn on the inside. Her skiff swung wide as Kingdra hauled around the corner, but didn't quite hit the outer edge of the track.

Her fellow competitor slowed down a bit for the turn, then accelerated again.

"Is that a Sharpedo with Speed Boost?" Misty asked, noticing something about the way it was managing its speed.

"Yeah!" the other racer said, pleased someone had noticed. "You've got quite an eye for Water Pokémon!"

Misty shrugged, then yelped and leaned far over as a tight corner came up.

Managing to take it without falling over, she saw that the next section was a long straight.

That would be a problem – the Sharpedo would be best on the straights. At the same time, this one was wide, so the spray was less of a problem...

"Kingdra, left a bit!" she called, aiming to try and get alongside Ash.

* * *

><p><em>I'm still not comfortable about this,<em> Latios said through their bond.

_Oh, come on, brother!_ Latias whined. _You said it was okay for us to come out here during the festival!_

_I did, yes,_ Latios agreed with a mental sigh. _Just remember not to do anything suspicious._

_Okay,_ Latias said, a little reluctantly. _I'll be a good girl and stay out of the way. Seriously, we're the same age, why are you so boring sometimes?_

_Someone has to be an adult,_ Latios explained. Again.

He bobbed back and forth, invisible with his light-bending feathers in stealth mode, and hovered a little higher. _Come on, you wanted to watch the race and I think it's coming past-_

Then there was a great wave of water which washed into their side canal, soaking both Latias and Latios.

"_Gah!"_ Latios squeaked, shaking the water off his feathers to try and make sure they could stealth him properly. _"What just-"_

He focused, and switched to telepathy. _What just happened?_

_I think that was a Keldeo!_ Latias said excitedly. _That's one of the ones that boy who has Legendaries is supposed to have! Come on!_

_Wait!_ Latios snapped – too late.

He rolled his eyes, then sped after his sister.

* * *

><p>"Wait, I think-" Ash cut himself off, turning to look back and see if he was right.<p>

No sign. They must have been going too fast, or maybe he'd been wrong in the first place. But he could swear he'd seen a shimmering light in his Aura sight – a completely unfamiliar colour, as well, pinkish-purple-blue which didn't look like any type he'd ever seen before.

Maybe that meant it _was_ one of Latias or Latios, then. Thinking about it, he'd never seen what a remindable _Dragon_-type looked like, and the pinkish part of the hue could have been due to the Psychic-typing.

"_Ash, look out!"_ Pikachu said quickly.

Turning back, Ash ducked as Keldeo nearly pulled him into a flock of startled-looking Pidgey. There was a comparatively wide turn next, and the Legendary leaned hard into it along with his trainer.

"_I'm starting to think we should charge for washing all their walls..."_ Pikachu quipped.

* * *

><p><em>Latias!<em> Latios called, skimming invisibly through the sky. _Latias! Where did you go?_

A mental giggle was his main reply.

_Latias, this isn't funny!_ Latios said. He closed his eyes, and borrowed her sight for a moment.

He got a view of a red-headed girl and a twentysomething man with bronzed skin, either side of Latias' head – and, out ahead, a huge plume of spray.

_That's not very fair, brother!_ Latias twitted him, as he opened his eyes again and dove towards the front of the Tour de Altomare.

As he levelled out about ten feet above the water, Latios caught a glimpse of the boy in first place making a wide turn.

_Huh. He does have a Keldeo._

Shaking his head and refocusing, Latios looked for his sister.

No sign of her.

_LATIAS!_ Latios snapped. _Get back here! This isn't funny!_

_I beg to differ!_

Another flash of sight-sharing, and Latios located where Latias had gone this time – she was going through a back canal which would join up with the race again.

She'd made a mistake, though... by following the race directly, Latios could come out in front of her.

Folding his invisible wings back, he accelerated, shooting around the corner just ahead of the second- and third-place racers.

* * *

><p>Ash's eyes flicked back and forth as he tried to keep track of everything. "I saw one of the Latis earlier, Pikachu – keep an eye out! Either Latios or Latias, but I don't <em>know<em> which one!"

"_What's that?"_ Keldeo asked, glancing back. _"Ash, did you say-"_

"Look out!" Ash warned, and Keldeo turned his attention back to the race just in time to avoid hitting a house.

Ash leaned to help him turn, then glanced up at a flicker of movement.

Nothing- but-

Switching to Aura Sight, his suspicion was confirmed. There was one of the Eon Pokémon – and it was shining just like everyone he'd reminded had.

He still wasn't sure which one this was, though.

Then _another_ blue-purple-pink blur shot out of an alley just ahead, and Ash flinched reflexively. He knew that both Dragons wouldn't _try_ to crash into him – or anyone – but-

Keldeo started his next turn at just the wrong moment. Ash's foot slipped, and he came crashing off the skiff in a plume of water.

"_Ash!"_ Keldeo called, braking as Pikachu landed on his back. Two other skiffs went shooting past as he slowed, and he hurried over to where his trainer had hit the water. _"Are you okay?"_

* * *

><p>Latias slowed, looking down. Had she managed to startle-? But – how? She was invisible!<p>

Latios grabbed her around the waist. _Latias!_

_But – I wasn't-_

_This is too risky!_ Latios said sternly. _I said we could watch the race – from a distance! Not take part!_

_I wasn't going to!_ Latias protested. _Much! But – that boy, Ash, he fell off because of me!_

_How?_ Her brother asked, and she didn't have an answer. _Come on, we're going. _Now_._

Latias huffed. _Fine._

_What were you going to do, anyway?_ Latios asked, as they zoomed off to somewhere less crowded.

_...pull him,_ Latias admitted. _Pull the rope, I mean. Just enough to make sure he gets back to first place!_

_And that's your idea of being not obvious?_ Latios sighed. _Latias, I don't enjoy these rules. They're there for a reason._

"_I know, I know,"_ Latias sighed, vocalizing this time. _"But they're no fun."_

* * *

><p>Ash hauled himself out of the water. "Ow..."<p>

Glancing around, he saw no sign of the Latis. "Oh, come on!"

"_What is it?"_ Keldeo asked, a little anxious. Pikachu hopped from his back to Ash, and the trainer grabbed the wayward skiff.

"I saw Latias and Latios," Ash explained. "Both of them. But – they're gone. That's..."

He shook his head. "Never mind, we've got a race to win!"

Keldeo nodded firmly, as Ash remounted the skiff and took the tow rope's handle. He tilted his hooves back slightly and restarted his Hydro Pump, and they sped off towards the finish line.

* * *

><p>"Ash has the worst luck with this race..." Misty muttered to herself. "Okay, Kingdra! We can still win this!"<p>

Kingdra tilted forwards, pulling her harder through the water, and she crouched over slightly.

The announcer started talking about how it was the last turn, and she winced – glancing over at her opponent, she could see that he was only slightly behind.

That Sharpedo of his would do better than her on the final straight-

"Kingdra!" she said, suddenly remembering. "Don't take the turn at full speed, I'm going to give you something!"

"_Okay!"_ Kingdra replied, slowing slightly for the turn.

Misty reached up, and pulled the Mystic Water pendant off her neck. Reaching forwards, wobbling slightly as they banked, she tossed it to loop around Kingdra's neck.

The mystical object flashed once, then began to glow.

Kingdra steadied down onto the final stretch, and his fins whirred – faster, now, as the Mystic Water amplified his strength.

There were several confusing moments of jockeying for position as they sped out of the turn, Sharpedo waving back and forth to try to prevent Kingdra coming alongside, but then they were coming up on the bridge-

There was a camera flash, and Kingdra slowed down.

The Sharpedo trainer wobbled and jumped clear of his own skiff, sending out a Swellow as he did so, and the Flying-type caught him and let him down into the water gently.

"**And it looks like that one's going to go to the judges, folks! Misty and Jakob are in first and second, but we don't know which one's which! Looking at the replay..."**

The announced paused, and when he resumed he sounded a bit offended.

"**And the replay shows they were absolutely neck and neck. I guess they've both won?"**

Misty shrugged, retrieving her Mystic Water. "I'll take it!"

Ash and Keldeo came speeding through in a giant plume of spray, which subsided as Keldeo switched from Hydro Pump to running and then to walking. _"Sorry, Ash..."_

"Don't be!" Ash replied, as they came to a stop. "I'm the one who fell off, not you..."

He sighed. "I just wish I'd managed to warn Latias and Latios. I guess we'd better go looking as soon as possible."

* * *

><p>"So you saw them?" Misty asked.<p>

"Yeah," Ash confirmed, with a nod. "Both of them – Latias and Latios, though I couldn't tell quite which was which. And – I _think_ I can give both of them their memories back."

"Is that such a good idea, with Latios?" Brock asked, as they walked – keeping a surreptitious eye out for anyone else who might be trying to listen in on them. "I mean, when you think about it, what he experienced last time was basically horrible pain and then dying."

Ash winced. "Yeah, I _know_... not sure if there's a good answer."

"_What's the plan, Ash?"_ Pikachu asked.

"Good question," Ash sighed. He shook his head. "Okay, let's see... they might be invisible, or disguised as humans. You two know what Latias' disguise was, right?"

"I think..." Misty frowned. "Yeah, it was a girl, right?"

Ash nodded. "I _think_ I can spot her with Aura Sight – well, I saw them when they were invisible, but..."

"Well, I'm pretty sure Crobat could spot her," Brock suggested. "And Misty, do you think Togekiss could?"

"Maybe if they were invisible..." Misty hedged. "I'm not sure about disguised. She can pick up emotions..."

"I guess we'd better split up," Ash suggested, getting nods from both of the others.

* * *

><p>"<em>Latios..."<em> Latias wheedled.

"_I know you want to go to the festival,"_ Latios sighed. _"You've told me enough times. But I still think it's not safe!"_

"_But I've been waiting for weeks!"_ Latias complained. _"You said yourself that the festival would be the best time to go out, because we wouldn't be as likely to be noticed!"_

Latios sighed, but didn't answer.

"_Come on!"_ Latias insisted. _"I'll be careful – I'll stay disguised as a human, and I'll not talk to anyone, and I'll stay in crowds – or near a canal so I can escape if I need to!"_

"_Latias, this isn't a game of-"_

"_You promised, Latios!"_ Latias whined. _"You did!"_

The blue Eon Pokémon sighed again.

"_...fine,"_ he said, reluctantly. _"But come straight back here as soon as you're done, and don't stay out too long."_

Latias beamed. _"Thanks, brother!"_

She headed over to the grotto's exit, and then shimmered as she folded light around herself to appear like a slightly altered version of her friend Bianca.

"_I'll bring you something!"_ she called.

"_Remember you're supposed to walk! And don't forget yourself and speak-"_ her brother replied, but she was gone before he could finish the warning.

Latios rolled his eyes. _Sisters..._

* * *

><p>Ash soon found himself with little idea where was the best place to look.<p>

Altomare was full of plazas, little back streets – both at and above the water level – and areas dissected by canals and only joined together by the occasional bridge.

For lack of a better idea, Ash decided to focus on the plazas he could find. He glanced around every so often, using both regular sight and Aura sight, and moved around regularly to try and cover more ground.

"See anything, Pikachu?" he asked.

"_Nothing much,"_ Pikachu replied. _"Wait – at the top of those stairs!"_

Ash glanced at Pikachu to see where he was pointing, then looked up.

There was a momentary sign of movement.

Closing his eyes, Ash spotted a fading shimmer of purple-pink-blue.

"I think you're right!" he said, starting forwards – walking quickly, but not running. "What did you see?"

"_A girl – the same disguise Latias used,"_ Pikachu reported.

"Okay, thanks. Good work, Pikachu!"

Ash reached the stairs, and pelted up them. He could still just about see the shimmer of Latias' aura, but it was fading quickly.

* * *

><p>Togekiss floated back down to Misty, shaking her head.<p>

"No luck?" Misty asked.

"_No luck, sorry,"_ Togekiss sighed. _"I couldn't feel anything that might be Latias or Latios. No invisible emotion sources in the sky."_

"Well, thanks for looking," she said, shrugging. "I guess we should just keep our eyes peeled."

"_Got it."_ Togekiss gained height a bit, and floated along just behind Misty. _"What should I be looking for?"_

"That's it, I'm not sure..." Misty sighed. "I have some idea, but... wait!"

A girl had just come out of one of the nearby doorways. She looked just right – her hair had a pair of tufts which Misty remembered the human disguise of Latias having.

Hoping they could get this all sorted out quickly, Misty hurried over. "Excuse me, miss?"

"Yes?" the girl replied, turning. "Oh, you're the girl who drew first place in the Tour, aren't you?"

"That's right," Misty confirmed, hiding her disappointment. She remembered Latias couldn't speak – so this couldn't be Latias.

"Why did you call me, anyway?" the girl asked, now a bit curious.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you were-" Misty stopped. "Well... Latias..."

"You know about Latias? You know she sometimes looks like me?" the girl – _Bianca_, Misty remembered – asked, startled. "How?"

"...it's a long story," Misty said, before shaking her head. "Never mind that – if _you_ know Latias, and Latios, then we need to warn them. They could be in danger!"

Bianca frowned. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't," Misty admitted. "But this is really important – someone's going to try to take the Soul Dew."

The young girl swallowed. "Well, if you know that much you're either a master criminal or you're trying to help... okay, follow me!"

Misty nodded. "Right. Togekiss, can you find Brock?"

"_I'll certainly try,"_ Togekiss said, dipping her wings and spiralling into the sky.

* * *

><p>Latias hurried along the raised walkway, trying to avoid feeling too stupid.<p>

She'd noticed the boy – Ash – and wanted to get a good look. But Ash had noticed her, somehow, and now he was coming after her.

The question Latias wanted answered, though, was _why_. Not only had he spotted her – and she was _sure_ she'd kept her disguise up, so she'd just appeared to be a girl – but why had he come running after her?

She turned a corner, finding some steps, and took them at speed – taking care, even so, to make sure her cloaking illusion used the steps properly.

"Hey, wait!" the boy called after her. "I just want to talk! It's important!"

Latias wondered why she hadn't just gone invisible. Or abandoned her disguise, vanished into the canal, and come back out in the secret garden.

Maybe it was that... she _did_ want to see what he wanted. A boy who had several Legendary Pokémon, who used them openly... there _had_ to be something special about him.

And his Keldeo had seemed to care for him. He couldn't be one of those horrible trainers Latios told her about.

Perhaps that meant there _was_ a way she could leave the garden. Safely, and for good – or, for long enough it wasn't just a taste of something she craved.

Latias realized she'd already come to a decision. She stopped, abruptly, and spun around to face Ash.

As soon as she did, Ash slowed down – going from a run to a walk, and panting slightly.

"Uh... thanks for slowing down," Ash said, sounding uncertain. "Why did you-"

He shook his head. "Never mind. Latias, you're-"

"_You know who I am?"_ she asked, startled into forgetting one of the rules Latios had drummed into her. Then she gasped, realizing she'd just confirmed it for him.

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "You're Latias, disguised as a human. And you're in danger."

"Oh?" a smirking female voice said. "How touching."

Latias looked past Ash, and realized she'd missed the approach of a motor boat with two young women in it. They were looking straight at her, with predatory grins.

"_Uh oh..."_ Ash's Pikachu said, cheeks sparking. _"Thunder!"_

There was a flash, and an Excadrill materialized on the prow of the boat. It blocked the Electrical attack with sharp, metal claws, and grinned.

Ash grabbed her hand. "Come on, we've got to-"

And then there was a confusing swirl of sensations and memories.

Her brother... dead? Had- did- _was going to have_ died?

Ash and Pikachu helping – another version of the Tour De Altomare, where Ash was using Totodile -

Latias felt her illusion dissolve as she lost focus, trying to work out what had happened and what hadn't.

"Get them, girls!" one of the women in the boat ordered, and Latias felt the sudden smashing pain of a Dark Pulse.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked, realizing he'd accidentally passed on memories to Latias – then blanched, as no fewer than <em>five<em> Eeveelutions came swarming out of the boat and began to attack.

Oakley sent out her team as well, and Ash caught sight of a Beedrill and a Bisharp before Annie came towards him in a forward roll and kicked him in the chest – sending him skidding backwards, and losing his grip on the stunned Latias.

A bolt of electricity crashed into the Espeon attacking Latias, who yowled and turned her attention to Pikachu, and Ash ducked a sweeping kick before releasing most of his own on-hand Pokémon.

Pidgeot was just too _big_ for the cramped canal, but the rest of them-

"Should have stayed away, _hero_," Annie taunted him.

Ash's arm came up in a block, knocking her punch aside, and he shoved into her with his shoulder before she could follow-up with a snap kick.

* * *

><p>Lucario ran forwards across the water, all four paws glowing, and volleyed in a Mach Punch at the Excadrill.<p>

Claws coming up, Excadrill blocked with a musical crash of steel on steel, and stabbed forwards with his head spike before launching himself forwards in a Drill Run.

Lucario flinched as the drill-shaped attack scraped up his side, and retaliated with a quick Aura Sphere. It shot off towards Excadrill, who hit the wall and drilled into it to escape.

Emerging a second later, he threw two bricks at Lucario, who blocked with lightning-fast paw strikes and lashed out with a kick. Excadrill swiped at his calf as it came in, and then there was a sudden eruption of water from one of the other fights which slapped into both of them.

Lucario recovered first, and stepped up to land a palm strike. It crashed into the wall just next to the evading Excadrill, and the mole promptly slapped his clawed paw on the wall to fire off an Earth Power.

Wincing as he slid backwards, Lucario braked with a foot. He pivoted, launching a sweep kick at Excadrill, and the mole vanished into the wall again.

Emerging a little higher up the wall, the Excadrill threw more hunks of brick at Lucario. He frowned slightly as the Fighting-type smashed them to pieces, then blocked a follow-up Force Palm and swiped out again with his metallic claws.

The clashing of steel continued for a few more seconds, and then Excadrill burst out in a Drill Run. He hit Lucario twice – once on the elbow and once on the shoulder, and turned to come in again.

He met a Fire Punch coming the other way.

Lucario ran after the mole as he tumbled, and added a Force Palm to finally knock him out.

A red beam lashed out to return the Excadrill as soon as he was done, and he turned to see what was going on in the rest of the fight.

* * *

><p>Pikachu's cheeks sparked once, and he opened up on the Espeon with a blast of Thunderbolt.<p>

He remembered this cat from last time. She'd hit Ash with a Psybeam, and had Ash not already been so freakishly tough that probably would have seriously injured him.

Espeon shielded herself with a Light Screen, tail snapping across to establish it, and then added in a Psywave from her forehead-gem.

Pikachu gritted his teeth, then pushed out a shield of electricity when the Psywave let up for a moment. The electricity interfered with her Psywave, and he broadened it out into a full Counter Shield to make sure she couldn't hit him easily again.

"_What on earth-"_ Espeon began, then intensified her shield as Pikachu slapped an Electroball out at her. The electrical explosion reached around her Light Screen, and she broadened it frantically to ensure she wasn't hit.

Tail lashing, she pounced forwards at Pikachu – electing to attack him directly, rather than handle his electrical attacks at range. She fired out a Confusion as she leaped, and Pikachu's Counter Shield rippled for a moment before she hit it.

The electricity of the shield grounded in her fur – then a sudden wave of water from the canal hit her, conducting the electrical attack into her more harshly than she'd been expecting.

Her eyes glowed as she regenerated the damage, and her claws swiped at Pikachu.

Much to her surprise, the Electric-type blocked her first swipe and _caught_ her second.

"_Thunder!"_

There was a sudden _BANG_ as Pikachu discharged thousands of volts into her.

Espeon was thrown backwards by the blast, bounced and rolled to a stop, and came to her feet just in time to leap clear of a Volt Tackle.

Her eyes glowed again, and she battered at him with a wall of psychic force.

Pikachu skidded to a halt, abandoning his Volt Tackle, and then launched another Electroball forwards. This one hit a wider, stronger Light Screen, and he frowned in concentration.

His feet stuck to the floor, paws glowing blue, and he resisted the battering of the psychic surge for a couple of seconds before lunging forwards again – cheeks blazing up brighter than before.

This time it wasn't _an_ electrical attack. It was at least _four_, arcing and snapping in wildly different directions before joining up behind Espeon.

She glanced around, and began trying to establish another Light Screen _behind_ her before the combined attack struck home. She was mostly successful, and the Shockwave merely made her knees tremble and her hair stand on end.

At that point, Pikachu pushed his paw into her shield. Pulsing a needle of Aura into it, he broadened the spike out and popped her Light Screen like a balloon.

His Thunder attack finished the job, and he smiled for a moment before looking for the next opponent.

* * *

><p>Quilava glanced a little nervously at the water to her right, then set herself – facing her opponent.<p>

She wasn't very familiar with this Pokémon. She'd gathered it was a Bisharp – learning the name of a Pokémon wasn't exactly _hard_, you just had to listen to the sounds instead of the words – but beyond that she knew very little.

"_So, what-"_

The Bisharp lunged forwards, sword-like arms flashing for her neck. She yelped, balled up, and flashed into fire.

That seemed to ward him off, but a Night Slash came in a moment later and she had to dodge awkwardly back.

Looking closer, she came to a decision. This Pokémon was all sharp edges, and so she couldn't use her Flame Wheel to any great effect.

That meant she'd have to switch styles.

Rolling back a bit, she uncurled and gestured with one paw. Her quills flickered up, and she eyed Bisharp – looking for an opening.

It wasn't long in coming. Bisharp lunged forwards, arm-blades flashing, and Quilava retaliated with a stream of fire in a Flamethrower.

She rolled sideways out of the way of the first Night Slash, ran forwards underneath a second – briefly ending her Flamethrower as she did so – and then spun in her own length and launched a cinder-strewing Flame Charge at Bisharp's exposed back.

The attack connected, and seemed to do damage – but a moment later a wave of water hit them both. It blasted Quilava sideways, extinguishing her flames and sending her into the wall with an _oof_ of pain.

Bisharp came off much the better of the sudden blast of water, and spun, using Swords Dance to power up before diving to hit Quilava again.

Quilava leaped forwards out of the way of the sword-slash, glancing in all directions to check where everyone was.

Another swipe, and Bisharp forced her to back against the wall again. Fortunately, it was a blank wall – no openings on it.

Ash was just about-

_There!_

She inhaled, and fired the most tightly focused Lava Plume she could manage. Bisharp was caught in the fringes, staggering backwards briefly with flame licking over his exposed blades, and nearly fell into the canal before rallying.

The blast of fire also left black scarring on the canal-side path and in a long teardrop-shape reaching up the wall Quilava had been backed against. She was just about to jump clear when a scorched Ariados landed on her.

Bisharp stepped forwards, wavering but not yet down, and his arm-blade produced a shimmering white extension – Guillotine.

He wound up to hit her neck as she struggled free-

Then a Sacred Sword hit him from behind.

* * *

><p>Keldeo jumped into the water as soon as he emerged, getting some fighting room. He charged up a Sacred Sword to attack the Umbreon going after Latias, but was forced to abandon his plan when a stream of Sticky Web nearly hit him in the head.<p>

Jinking back out of the way of the shower of spider-silk, he saw an Ariados focusing on him. A shower of poisonous needles came next, and Keldeo blocked them with his blade before retaliating with a ranged Sacred Sword.

The attack whistled in on Ariados, who sprayed a continuous stream of more spider silk at it and made the attack weaken itself cutting through all the gunk. Scuttling out of the way, Ariados fired more poisonous shots at Keldeo, forcing him to focus on defence.

A second wave of sticky web came lashing out, and this time Keldeo was still blocking. It covered him with the gunk for a moment, but then Suicune blocked one of the attacks aimed at her with a huge spherical wave of water.

It washed out across the whole fight, knocking both her opponents back, and Keldeo benefitted too – it washed the webs off, letting him canter clear of the follow-up Venoshock attack.

"_Thanks!"_ he gasped to Suicune, skating sideways on the water and aiming for a good target. He fired a Focus Blast to try and knock Ariados into the water, but the arachnid Pokémon scuttled backwards and up onto the wall – using his height advantage to pepper Keldeo with pin missiles and needles.

Keldeo switched to an Ice Blade, which hit Ariados' foremost left leg and seemed to freeze it slightly. The Bug-type side-walked higher-

And got hit by a sudden blast of flame from below.

Keldeo glanced down. _Quilava!_

She looked like she was in trouble, though – his opponent had landed on her, making it hard for her to get away.

Scowling, Keldeo charged forwards. He powered up his Sacred Sword, and brought it down in a diagonal cut which hammered Bisharp to the floor and unconsciousness.

Both their opponents vanished in red light, and Keldeo turned to face the rest of the battle just as a Moonblast came the other way. It smashed him backwards, making him lose his concentration on water walking, and he sank up to his knees before reflexively activating his Hydro Pump jets.

* * *

><p>Suicune emerged, landing with feline grace on the water of the canal, and oriented herself.<p>

Latias was under attack by several Pokémon at once, and she gathered herself to spring to her aid – but then she was hit by an explosive Seed Bomb on the side of the muzzle, and she shook her head briefly before turning her attention to the Pokémon on the footpath.

A Leafeon stood there, already firing another of the explosive seeds, and Suicune batted it out of the way with her paw. It hit the water hard, plunged a little way beneath it, and detonated.

Riding the swell, Suicune produced a ball of swirling cold in her mouth and fired it. Leafeon jumped aside, tail lashing, and Suicune corrected the Ice Beam onto her.

The Grass-type flinched backwards, a frosting of ice forming by the time the attack ended, and Suicune prepared a follow-up. Latias was in trouble, but not yet subdued, and if she worked quickly-

Leafeon's eyes flicked to the side. It was just enough warning for Suicune, who saw the incoming Beedrill out of the corner of her eye.

She pulsed out a huge wave of water with Hydro Pump, which intercepted the Beedrill and made its Poison Jab discharge into the water instead of into her flank. Suicune's water-purification power quickly neutralized the poison, and an additional effect of the spherical water-shield was that it knocked Beedrill violently backwards.

Turning her attention back to the now-bedraggled and soaked Leafeon, Suicune fired another Ice Beam. This time Leafeon seemed to be more ready for the attack, jumping over it and firing a shower of Razor Leaves back at Suicune.

Suicune darted to one side, ducking most of the Razor Leaves and freezing a few with an Icy Wind, then got hit in the side by an Electroweb from the Beedrill.

Wincing, she fired another Icy Wind – this one got through to Leafeon, knocking her out – and turned to focus on the Beedrill.

"Stupid stone!" one of the criminals said, shaking something in her hand. "Annie, you said this was-"

"I'm a little busy right now!" Annie replied, still engaged in close quarters combat with Ash.

Suicune blinked, noticing the band around Beedrill's stinger. Was that a-

Happily, it looked like they couldn't work it. How fortunate.

Ducking another Electroweb, Suicune fired a stream of water and knocked Beedrill backwards. A stream of Bubblebeam followed, and knocked Beedrill out entirely.

Turning, Suicune prepared to help Latias, but saw she was too late – the Eon Pokémon had been neutralized by a Cofagrigus, and a fraction of a second later a Moonblast whistled past her face to hit Keldeo.

A blaze of multicoloured light went past in the other direction, and smashed into the Umbreon standing over Latias – knocking her out with a _bang._

* * *

><p>Latias hit the floor hard, as the Umbreon hit her with another Dark Pulse which blew her backwards and interrupted her levitation.<p>

Still shaken from the experience of having a whole new set of memories, she scrambled for an attack she could use to help her out. Psychic-type attacks were no good-

She fired a Dragon Pulse, hoping that would help, and a Sylveon darted into the way and took the attack without flinching. The Sylveon then lashed its tail and pounced on her.

Somewhat to Latias' surprise, the Fairy-type Pokémon kissed her on the neck. Much more to her surprise, it _hurt_ – horribly, as though it was pulling her strength out through her feathers.

Panicking, Latias released a pulse of psychic energy. It knocked the Sylveon back, but at the same moment the Umbreon came in and bit down hard on her leg.

Latias tried to throw the Umbreon off, and largely succeeded – though her situation didn't improve even then, as a Glaceon stepped up next. Tail and ears swirling in an artificial wind, the icy vixen hit her with a point-blank Blizzard.

Stunned, battered, drained and now chilled, Latias was reacting more than thinking now – trying to do something, anything, which would make the attacks stop. She formed a Safeguard shield, driving all three Eeveelutions away, and looked for Ash-

And got hit by a draining, deadening Curse.

The Cofagrigus who had hit her with it laughed, shadowy arms reaching out for her, and Latias reached deep. Remembering an attack she'd only managed to use once before, she gathered together a ball of mist as the Cofagrigus snared her wings and arms.

Umbreon fired a Dark Pulse at her, and she sank back towards the ground – but kept that attack going. It reached full power, and she fired.

A blur of motion sped into the way of her attack between her firing and it reaching the target, and she stayed conscious long enough to see a Shedinja absorb the attack without a ripple.

Then darkness closed over her.

* * *

><p>Seeing Latias collapse made Ash all the more determined to get past Annie.<p>

The Rocket agent was a quick, slippery opponent, and kept trying to use cheap shots – sharpened stiletto, a quickly thrown rose, even a web gun – to wrest the initiative away from Ash.

Ash had only managed to land a solid blow on her once. Despite that, though, he was pushing her back, and he could see it wouldn't be much longer before he could slip past her and get at the downed Dragon-type.

What he'd do then, he wasn't sure. But it would probably involve throwing at least one Eeveelution into the canal, possibly all three.

"Annie!" Oakley called. "Back here!"

"Trying to! This kid is-" Annie began, and then there was a tearing sound as a Signal Beam went past the battling humans.

Unnoticed by any of the other participants in the chaotic waterside fight, Dexter had managed to set up and fire a Signal Beam at the Umbreon. He'd been a moment late to help Latias, but it was still welcome.

Before he could get off a second attack, though, a Kirlia jumped up onto the bow of the Rockets' motorboat and fired a Moonblast at Keldeo.

"Get us out of here!" Oakley snapped, grabbing a Pokéball from the seat beside her and returning the Umbreon.

Nodding, Kirlia spread her arms. Suicune pounced, but a moment too late – both Rockets, all their remaining Pokémon and Latias vanished in a flare of light.

Ash panted, feeling bitterly disappointed. He noticed absently that his clothes were soaked – the blast of water from Suicune had been _noticed_ but not really thought about during the intense hand-to-hand battle he'd been engaged in.

"_What do we do now, Ash?"_ Keldeo asked.

Ash slumped. "I don't... wait. Follow me!"

He set off at a run.

His Pokémon exchanged glances, then headed after him.

* * *

><p>Brock glanced up as Crobat came back down. "Nothing?"<p>

"_Nothing!"_ Crobat replied, orbiting his trainer. _"Everyone here's the same shape they seem. Sorry, Brock – maybe they're just not in the public places."_

"I guess we can hope that Ash or Misty found one of them," Brock said, shaking his head. "Where-"

He paused, glancing around the large open space they were in. "Wait a minute... that's the museum, right?"

"_I suppose it must be,"_ Crobat said, looking at it. _"Unless this place has an extremely large and ornate bike shop, or something..."_

"That might be our best bet!" Brock started forwards, and Crobat dropped a little to hover alongside. "I think the curator knew – knows – Latios and Latias."

"_That sounds right..."_ Crobat agreed, frowning. _"I think."_

"It's at least somewhere to start," Brock shrugged.

It took him a minute or so to reach the museum across the large, open plaza – it was less crowded than it had been an hour or so ago, as people went in for lunch, so Brock could follow a much straighter path.

The museum itself was, as Brock remembered, a little palatial. Beautiful stained-glass windows encircled the building, which had a high top surmounted by a spire, and ornamental towers guarded the main entrance.

Inside, Brock looked around for the man he remembered meeting here years ago. It was frustratingly hard to remember what he looked like, so Brock was forced to rely on the hope that he would know the man when he saw him.

Despite his preoccupation, though, the D.M.A. was a fascinating sight. It was much bigger than he'd remembered, all dark metal and complicated mechanisms, and lit an eerie green by the light coming through the stained-glass windows.

"_This thing's huge,"_ Crobat said.

"Yeah," Brock agreed.

"That's the D.M.A," a voice said. "The Defence Mechanism of Altomare."

Brock turned to the speaker, and blinked as he recognized – Lorenzo, _that_ was his name!

"It was built to-"

"Sorry," Brock interrupted. "Can I have a word?"

"Well, sure!" Lorenzo said, readily enough. "What do you want to know?"

Brock spoke quietly. "Latios and Latias are in danger."

Lorenzo's reaction was quite impressive. His eyes widened, but apart from that he showed no particular surprise or recognition of the news. "You mean the defenders of Altomare?"

"I mean Latias and Latios – the ones you know. My friends and I are here to-"

"Okay, come with me," Lorenzo said, urgently. He guided Brock out through one of the side doors and into an empty backroom.

"What's that about Latias and Latios being in danger?" he asked, once the door was shut.

"There's some agents coming – we think – to try and capture Latios or Latias. We need to warn them," Brock said succinctly.

Lorenzo examined him for a long moment. "Suppose I believe you. What then?"

"We head for wherever Latias or Latios is and warn them – fast," Brock said promptly. "We've been looking, but no luck so far."

A frown. "Hm. Well, Latios can take care of himself, but I'm not so sure Latias can... right, we'd better go. Latios can decide if you're trustworthy. Follow me."

Brock returned Crobat and followed, out through two more back rooms and through a small door letting out onto the canal.

"Quagsire, can you pull us?" Lorenzo asked, releasing his Pokémon. "You know the way."

Quagsire nodded placidly, and took a painter rope attached to the nearest gondola.

"Get in," Lorenzo nodded. "It's safe, don't worry."

Brock duly got in, and the Water-type started to pull them off.

A few seconds later, Brock looked up at a familiar voice. "Togekiss?"

"_Brock!"_

The Jubilee Pokémon came swooping down on him, pulling around in a turn to come alongside. _"Misty found the girl – Bianca! They're headed for the garden!"_

"Good!" Brock said. "Can you tell her I'm headed there too?"

"_Sure!"_

Togekiss orbited once more, then set off again.

"What's that?" Lorenzo asked, blinking. "Headed there too? Did you understand what that Pokémon said?"

Brock nodded. "My friend Ash taught me how to-"

Lorenzo nodded, as if this made sense. "Oh, right, you're friends with that Ash Ketchum. That explains everything."

"Even-"

"Everything," Lorenzo repeated. "That kid's been on the news."

* * *

><p>A few minutes after Brock and Lorenzo were out of sight, there was a bright flash in the main room of the museum.<p>

Two women and close to a dozen Pokémon materialized, some of them unconscious.

As the few people in the museum looked around in shock, Oakley pointed. "Get them out of here!"

Sylveon and Glaceon nodded, darting forwards. Glaceon fired a shower of Ice Shards which peppered the ground near one group, startling them and making them run for the exit, and Sylveon went the more direct route of firing a blast of weakened Fairy Wind which physically propelled the victims out the door.

One trainer, however, refused to be intimidated. "You're not going to get rid of me!" he called. "Klang, get them!"

The Steel-type materialized, fired a Flash Cannon at Sylveon, and abruptly found itself confronted by a Shedinja which absorbed the beam of focused light. The ghostly Bug's eyes glowed, and it launched a wave of flame from Will-O-Wisp at Klang.

Startled, the Klang was unable to get out of the way in time before the ghostly flames struck home, flickering on all its exposed surfaces as they washed over it.

Thus weakened, the Steel-type was easily driven out the door by Glaceon and Sylveon between them.

"Okay, Annie," Oakley went on, once the door was closed and she'd locked it. "What the heck was up with that?"

"What was up with _what?"_ Annie asked, defensively. "Ow, my shoulder..."

"That kid!" Oakley snapped. She glanced at Kirlia, noting with approval that the Psychic-type was healing up Espeon with a Wish. "I know we heard he was tough, but _thirty seconds!_ That was half our teams – and he nearly got you too!"

Espeon got back up, shaking her head, and glanced around. She took in the situation, noting the new surroundings and – with relief – the lack of Pikachu.

"Well, excuse _me_ for trying to actually fight him!" Annie said, huffing. "And if _you_ had managed to use that Mega Stone-"

"Don't blame me for your-" Oakley cut off her statement, and sighed. "Right. We've got Latias. Now, all we need is the Soul Dew."

"Where are we going to get it?" Annie asked. She glanced at the doors. "We don't exactly have long before someone comes and tries to get in, and we don't know where it is."

"_We_ don't," Oakley agreed, with a wicked grin. "But _she_ does."

"...oh," Annie said, nodding. "Right. Now?"

"Give it a few minutes," Oakley suggested. "I want to have Umbreon back and healed first, and probably Ariados too so we can take her out of Cofagrigus' wrappings.

* * *

><p>Latias blinked, twitching slightly.<p>

She could remember pain-shock-darkness, but beyond that it was... indistinct-

Latios! Latios had been... he'd died...

But... Latias could still feel him at the other end of their bond. She reached for it, and stabbing pain flashed through her as two alien presences drove into her mind.

Her half-dreaming consciousness was a whirl of images and sensations. A horrible nightmare, from when she had realized Latios was gone – sulking, because her brother wouldn't let her out to play – training, in the hope that she would be safe – long hours in the garden, painting – being told about the Soul Dew – Bianca – hearing about Ash, who trained Legendaries – how to use the D.M.A – the Soul Dew – the Soul Dew, resting in its plinth in the garden – the Soul Dew – Latios!

With a half-panicked surge of mental muscle, Latias threw the intruding minds out of her own. She began to hyperventilate, and closed her mind as much as she could. The probes came back, but this time she was awake enough to notice and resist them.

The cold feeling of Ghostly energy which had surrounded her abruptly abated. She shook her head, opening her eyes and rising from the floor, and then a Dark Pulse smashed into her from the same Umbreon as before.

Already weak, that nearly knocked her out again. A spray of web from a familiar-looking Ariados followed, and pinned her to the floor.

* * *

><p>Kirlia looked up at her trainer, and waved her hand.<p>

"Did you get the location of the Soul Dew?"

A nod.

"Great!" Annie enthused. "That's the best-"

"And how to use the D.M.A?" Oakley interrupted.

Another nod. Kirlia spoke to the other Pokémon for a moment, and they hauled the immobilized Latias into a circular incision on the ground.

"Right!" Oakley grinned. "Umbreon, Sylveon, Shedinja, keep an eye on that Latias. Come on, Annie, we're going to get that Soul Dew right now!"

* * *

><p>Ash slowed to a walk as he went through the iron-arched plant trellis, turned right, and faced a blank wall.<p>

Closing his eyes, he saw the reality. The wall was an illusion – covering the entrance into Altomare's hidden treasure, the secret garden.

"_Ash!"_ Pikachu called, panting, as he came hurrying up behind followed by the others. _"What just – why are we here?"_

"It's the entrance to the garden," Ash explained.

Pikachu blinked, and glanced back at Quilava. _"I did hear that, right? Ash just said he found the garden?"_

"_I heard,"_ Quilava agreed. She shot Ash a look. _"How!?"_

Ash blinked. "I... I'm not sure, but-"

I have a hypothesis, Dexter interjected. Ash – were you thinking about where you were going?

"Well... no?" Ash admitted.

Ah, there we go. You're overthinking things, that's part of why you get lost. If it's familiar enough you don't have to think, you're fine.

"Okay..." Ash said, turning that explanation over in his mind. "Okay, I guess."

He nodded, then stepped forwards – directly at the blank wall.

Keldeo flinched slightly, then blinked, as Ash's form was outlined by a greenish shimmer. _"Oh, that's cool! It's an illusion!"_

"_Yeah, it is pretty cool,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"Wait 'til you see what's inside..."_

"_We can save recreation for a later date,"_ Lucario suggested. _"Our main priority is finding Latios and warning him, and then finding out where Latias is so as to help her."_

* * *

><p>It wasn't the first time Ash had seen Altomare's secret garden, but it was just as amazing as when he'd first entered.<p>

The garden was set in a circular depression, ringed by an arched walkway, and – whether illusion or something else – there were trees, tall ones, visible over the walkway and blocking out the surrounding buildings.

Inside the tiered depressions, accessed by steps or by steep turfed slopes, was a dense network of trees and lawns and pools, with the occasional fountain scattered around under the cool shade. Stone walkways gave access to much of the garden, and there were statues visible in a few places.

Closing his eyes, Ash took the whole place in again in Aura sight for a moment. It was really soothing – if he didn't know better, he'd assume he was in the wilderness rather than the heart of a city.

Beautiful.

"_Amazing place, isn't it?"_ Pikachu said, coming up behind him, and Ash knelt to let his Starter get on his shoulder.

Then there was a blur of motion.

"_What are you doing here?"_ Latios shouted, speeding in with his feathers tuned to invisibility. Ash ducked aside, and the Eon Pokémon shot past him before turning in a breathtakingly tight turn to come around again.

"_Stop!"_ Pikachu called, jumping off Ash's shoulder once more to interpose himself between Ash and Latios. _"We're here to help! Latias is in trouble!"_

Latios screeched to a halt in mid-air, inches from hitting Pikachu.

"_Latias is – but – how do you know?!"_ Latios asked, startled. _"How are you even _here?"

"We ran into Latias," Ash explained. "And some Rocket agents did too, and they ambushed us. We weren't able to get through to help-"

"_So you failed-"_ Latios stopped. _"How did you just-"_

"_Latios, I understand your concerns,"_ Suicune said, startling the Dragon-type by speaking up from about two feet away. _"But Ash is a trustworthy trainer, and we should focus on how to save your sister."_

"_Where did you – Suicune?"_ Latios asked, thoroughly confused. _"Wait. You said Ash?"_ His head went back to looking at Ash. _"Are you the trainer my sister keeps going on about? I didn't know you could understand- but if you are, that means-"_ Back to Suicune. _"Are you one of his Pokémon?"_

Suicune nodded. _"I offered him the challenge, he took it up, and I was caught. It has been fun so far."_

Latios shook his head. _"Sorry, I'm a bit – Latias! Where is she?"_

"The Rocket agents got her," Ash repeated. "They managed to knock her out and then teleported – we don't know where."

Latios winced. _"Okay, I think I can try and find where she is."_

His eyes flashed, and he activated sight-sharing – extending it to Ash and his team, now all gathered around.

What Latios saw was not encouraging. The view through his sister's half-lidded eyes was of the museum from ground level, with a watchful Umbreon standing before her – and, a moment later, there was a _clunk_ and three pairs of rings rose up from the floor, carrying Latias with them.

"The D.M.A is already activating!" Ash said. "That's not good-"

Latios blinked. _"How do you know about the D.M.A?"_

"_Time travel,"_ Pikachu informed him. _"It is a very long story."_

"_I... suppose it must be,"_ Latios admitted.

"_We know where Latias is,"_ Lucario stated. _"We should hurry there, before-"_

He paused. _"Wait. They have a teleporting Kirlia, and I can't see her. Do they know where the Soul Dew is?"_

Ash paled. "Latios, end the sight-sharing! We have to-"

The psychic connection collapsed. Latios sent a brief pulse of reassurance to his sister, who seemed groggy and uncertain, then a thunderclap punished his ears.

* * *

><p>"La!" Kirlia stated, dropping her trainers and two of her fellow Pokémon in the secret garden of Altomare – right next to the location she'd extracted from Latias' memories.<p>

"There it is!" Annie said, grinning, on seeing the glittering Soul Dew under a small caged pool. "Let's grab it!"

Oakley nodded, reaching in. The gemstone seemed a little warm to the touch, and it took her considerable effort to pull it out.

"Come on, hurry up!" Annie hissed. "I don't think we're alone in here!"

With a _twik_ sound, the Soul Dew came free of its holder.

"There!" Oakley said, holding the gem up. "Got it!"

Annie took it from her hands. "This is so beautiful!"

"It's not just that which we want!" Oakley reminded her. "That gem of ours is the key to ultimate power!"

Both of them looked up at the sound of a distant shout.

"What was that?" Annie asked.

Excadrill ran forwards, claws ready – then an almighty blast of lightning cannoned into him, actually knocking him backwards and sending him skidding along the floor.

Oakley saw the Pokémon charging down the path towards her, and reacted instantly. "Kirlia, get us-"

The Fairy-type's arms spread, and they vanished about a second before an Ice Blade and a blast of high-pressure water went through the space they'd been occupying.

* * *

><p>"<em>No!"<em> Pikachu cursed. _"This is... no! I won't let it happen again!"_

His cheeks sparked emphatically as he said that, and Suicune gave him a slightly worried look.

"_Pikachu?"_ she asked. _"You realize you just hit a Ground-type with a Thunder attack?"_

Pikachu's ear twitched. _"Yeah, so? That happens."_

He turned to Ash. _"We've got to get to the museum as soon as possible! If we get there – _fast –_ then we can stop the same thing happening to Latias that happened to Latios!"_

"I know-" Ash began.

"_What happened to me?"_ Latios asked, with a horrible sinking feeling.

Ash winced. "It... wasn't good. I can show you, but... it's kind of your choice."

He took a deep breath. "You died."

"_I..."_ Latios took a moment to process that, then his expression hardened. _"Show me. If it will do _anything_ to help my sister, I'd gladly pay that price."_

Ash reached out, and touched the downy feathers on Latios' side.

There was a blur of sensation and memories.

An almost identical version of the last two or so years, though without Latias becoming interested in recent months in finding out about the trainer who travelled with Legendaries.

A different version of this meeting in the garden, with Ash coming in later and his sister being the one to vouch for the young trainer.

That night, those same women attacking Latias – he got in the way – the DMA – pain and struggle, and then a death-ride into the maw of an oncoming tsunami. Breaking it, saving Altomare.

And a couple of years of vague sensations, what was left of his spirit slumbering in the new Soul Dew.

It all took only a moment to play out.

Latios took a long, deep breath. _"Right. Let's-"_

"Ash!" called two voices, almost overlapping.

Ash's head flicked from one side of the garden to the other. "Brock? Misty?"

The two gym leaders came running over, followed respectively by Lorenzo and Bianca. "What happened?" Brock asked.

"I found Latias, but those Rockets found her at the same time!" Ash explained. "We couldn't stop them from taking her."

"Didn't they have an Ariados and an Espeon?" Misty asked.

"_They had significant reinforcement,"_ Lucario stated. _"Four other Eeveelutions, an Excadrill, a Kirlia, a Cofagrigus, a Shedinja, a Bisharp and a Beedrill."_

"...ouch," Brock said faintly.

"And they just appeared here – by Teleport – took the Soul Dew, and left before we could stop them," Ash went on. "We've got to get to the DMA as soon as we can!"

"You're all very knowledgeable about this," Lorenzo said, curiously. "How so?"

"Time travel," Ash said. "We'll explain more later – Latios, have they worked out how to operate the machine?"

Latios' eyes glowed, and he sight-shared again.

This time, it was worse. The DMA was clearly active, with the machinery whirling around to bring the control chair down to floor level, and at a request from Latios their view turned to show the Soul Dew in its slot.

The view collapsed, and Ash clenched his fist. "We'd better hurry. What's the quickest way?"

"_The quickest way I know is through the canals, but I'm the only one who can take that route,"_ Latios frowned. _"And if they could beat me last time, and now – no, I need help."_

"I know the quickest way!" Lorenzo said. "Well, it's not quite the fastest, but the city's going to be on lockdown once the DMA activates so it's the best we can do. Follow me!"

* * *

><p>"At last," Oakley said, clambering into the control seat. "That was a lot harder than it could have been, but we're all set!"<p>

"What's so great about this thing, anyway?" Annie asked. "I mean, it's the most powerful weapon in the world – what does that mean?"

Oakley chuckled, stretching out her arms to the gesture panel. "Oh, lots of things. Let's start with – this! Lockdown initiated!"

There was a grinding sound, and a dense network of steel bars closed over the doors. All over the city, similar grids of bars formed out of the stonework, startling the tourists and locals alike as they found themselves abruptly locked either inside or outside.

"Now, time to clear the streets!" Oakley went on, accessing submenus. "Hmmm... that's interesting. Did you know Altomare is built on limestone, Annie?"

"No?" Annie volunteered.

"Well, it is! Watch this!"

Oakley made a grand gesture, and Latias screeched as the DMA drew heavily on her energy.

And, all over the city, exposed bedrock trembled.

* * *

><p>The group came hurrying back out of Altomare's hidden garden, and Lorenzo pointed. "This way!"<p>

His route led them along two corners to a small dock, where a gondola was moored. As they filed down the steps, a set of steel bars ground down – separating Ash, Misty and Bianca from Brock and Lorenzo.

"_Hold on!"_ Keldeo said, lighting his Sword. A few quick slashes, and the bars collapsed.

"Good one, Keldeo," Ash grinned.

Suicune stepped onto the water. _"Would you mind if I pulled?"_

"Pardon?" Lorenzo asked, frowning. "I didn't quite catch that..."

Concentrating, Suicune repeated herself. _"Would you mind were I to pull? I suspect I'm the fastest one able to."_

"Oh – of course!" Lorenzo agreed.

"I see you got that Aura trick working," Brock complimented, as the rest of the group piled into the boat.

Suicune waited until everyone was in, then leaned forwards and began to accelerate the boat – quickly going up to about as fast as the racers had at the Tour de Altomare.

"Left here!" Lorenzo called. "It's the main canal, it leads right where we want it to!"

Suicune replied by curving into a wide left turn, following Lorenzo's instructions, and then her head snapped aside – focusing on movement overhead.

"What is-" Ash began, then saw – a large, leathery-winged Aerodactyl with glowing white eyes coming in.

"That happened last-"

Pikachu fired a blast of lightning into the sky, hitting the Aerodactyl. It wobbled in the air, steaming, but rallied.

A second blast finished it off, sending it crashing to the water in a plume of spray.

"_Was that the Aerodactyl from the museum?"_ Latios asked, skimming invisibly alongside.

"I think it was!" Lorenzo frowned. "But why would it be here?"

"The DMA can animate them!" Ash said. "There should be a Kabutops as well."

Ash had barely finished when something came bursting out of the water, swiping at Suicune with clawed arms.

Lucario fired a Flash Cannon at it, knocking it back and plunging into the water. _"Armaldo,"_ he reported – then saw the look on Ash's face. _"What's wrong?"_

"There wasn't an Armaldo last time," Ash explained. "This is bad."

Latios shot upwards into the air, producing a wash of wind. He came down a few seconds later, and decloaked – looking worried. _"There's several Fossil Pokémon in the streets,"_ he reported. _"And I saw ripples heading our way through the water – lots of them."_

Ash made a quick decision. "Suicune, we're going to need to carry on on land! It's too easy to ambush us on the water!"

Suicune nodded, slowing to bring their gondola to the nearest docking point. The impromptu team de-boated, and a moment later a white-eyed Omastar came rearing out of the water to pull the gondola apart.

It got about halfway through doing that before Keldeo fired a Sacred Sword, slicing the Gondola neatly in half and knocking the Omastar back into the canal.

"Latios!" Ash said, getting his attention. "Were the fossils just coming after us?"

"_I – no!"_ Latios realized. _"They were everywhere, and there were people running from them!"_

"Right." Ash glanced at his pocket. "Dexter, we need my entire team – everyone who's available."

Understood.

* * *

><p>Grant looked around, keeping close to the walls. "Marill – see anything?"<p>

"Mar!" his Marill replied, shaking his head.

"Great..." the trainer sighed. "The heck happened?"

Marill shrugged. "Rill..."

A roar alerted them both.

Startled, Grant looked up – hoping against hope it was another Anorith, like the one they'd beaten earlier.

It wasn't. A huge Tyrantrum was coming storming down the canalfront towards them, accelerating steadily and roaring as its white-glowing eyes fixed onto him.

Marill jumped out in front of his trainer, inhaling and readying a Bubble attack – unlikely to do anything worthwhile, but better than just waiting-

There was another roar, this one from overhead, and a big orange Charizard swept down the street. It fired a burst of orange light which split into a shower of meteors, backwinged as the Draco Meteor spread blasted the Tyrantrum in the chest, and then sped forwards again and slapped it in the face with an Iron Tail.

Roaring, the Tyrantrum snapped at the irritant, and got a face full of Dragon Breath for his trouble.

"Whoa..." Grant breathed, and then decided to run while the big dinosaur was distracted. "Come on, Marill, we're leaving!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Right-o,chaps, tallyho!"<em> Noctowl announced, his form wavering as he formed a Double Team effect. Rising, he caught the attention of an Aerodactyl and an Archeops, both of which came swooping down on him.

The Rock/Flying types passed right through their respective targets, collided with a _crash_, and dropped several hundred feet before recovering and pulling out of their dives.

"_Pity that didn't work better, but oh well,"_ Noctowl muttered to himself, spinning off another illusion – then the Archeops was hit by a wave of air which hammered it into the ground, and Pidgeot swooped past the crash site before climbing fast.

"_Lovely weather for the time of year!"_ Noctowl pointed out, rolling to one side and avoiding an Archen. _"Not that you're bothering to notice... manners, I do declare!"_

His eyes glowed, ensnaring the Archen in a bubble of psionic force, and he swept it around before releasing it on a downwards trajectory.

A couple of hundred feet below, Butterfree slipped sideways and out of the way of a shower of Rock Slide-created rocks. He spread his wings, powering up, and then launched off a Solarbeam at the Aerodactyl on his tail.

The Grass-type attack made Aerodactyl flinch slightly, but it wasn't as effective as it would be on some Fossils. Eyes flashing with a spark of rage behind the blank white, it lunged forwards and was promptly hit from below by a Fairy Wind.

"_I could have handled that,"_ Butterfree commented to Togekiss, performing a banking spiral and getting the Aerodactyl in his sight-line. A psychic bubble enveloped the Rock-type, and it went crashing into the water of a canal.

"_I'm helping, that's all..."_ Togekiss pointed out.

Pidgeot swept past them, focused air swirling under her wings, and bored in on a small flock of Archen. An Ominous Wind boomed out at them, knocking them around and making a couple of them drop towards the ground.

* * *

><p>"Nice work, Olympic!" Keiran called. "Now, over there!"<p>

"Baay!" his Bayleef nodded, and vines lashed out towards an oncoming Cranidos. They pulled on one leg, making the saurian Fossil wobble, then abruptly switched to the other and sent it tumbling into the canal.

"Great!" Keiran enthused, glancing around.

The other trainers helping keep this area safe all seemed to be doing okay. He'd never met them before, but their Pokémon – a big, burly Rhydon, a lightning-fast Floatzel and a Pokémon he'd never seen before which seemed to be a Fighting and Flying type – were working pretty well with Olympic, allowing him to concentrate on just one entrance to the square.

Then Olympic frowned, and called for Keiran's attention.

"What is it, boy?" Keiran asked, worried by the tone of voice his starter had used.

Olympic nodded to the waterfront, and Keiran looked closer.

Nothing.

Then, a series of purple tendrils appeared over the canal wall. As they rose, they revealed themselves to be attached to about a dozen Cradily, all with blank white eyes in place of the normal yellow.

"Uh oh..." Keiran muttered. "Olympic, do the best you can! Guys? Anyone here know an Ice move?"

"Floatzel has Ice Shard," one of the others volunteered. "But that's a _lot_ of Cradily-"

There was a sudden blaze of fire and flame, sweeping along one of the roads into the plaza, and then a blue sphere of brilliant light shot forwards and hit the foremost Cradily.

The firey blur slowed, skidding to a halt between the plaza and the canal, and shot a Fire Blast at the crowd of Fossils.

"...that's Entei..." Keiran heard himself say, a little numbly. "That is actually Entei."

A Fire Spin roared out, and then Entei jumped aside from a barrage of Ancientpower – except for one, which he smashed to pieces with a blow of his paw – before lunging in and hammering one of the crinoid Pokémon with a fire-based body blow of an attack.

Over the course of about twenty seconds, Entei hammered the fossils flat. He glanced around briefly once that was done, and pelted off again.

"Thanks!" Keiran heard one of the others call, and Entei shot a smiling glance before continuing.

Now there was a lull, Keiran could hear the battles going on elsewhere – the occasional crash or bang, as attacks hit home, and the roar of water from somewhere else.

Then an Archen swooped down, and it was back to the battle.

* * *

><p>"...pardon?" Ash asked, blinking.<p>

"_I said it once already!" _Squirtle complained, then sighed. _"Right. For the second time! Here is my plan. We are about a mile from the museum – we need to get there as soon as possible, and the streets are full of Fossils."_

"That bit's not a plan," Misty pointed out.

"_I was getting there, as you know!"_ Squirtle said, a bit huffily. _"Anyway. My plan is this! Bull-Dozer!"_

"That's just a word," Ash said.

"_No, it's two words, one awesome idea! Show him, guys!"_

To Ash's surprise, his quintet of Tauros trotted forwards.

"_Right!"_ Squirtle began pointing. _"You go there! You there! And you there! And you two on the outside!"_

The hyperactive turtle jumped up onto the one in the middle, and posed. _"That's five Tauros! One Squirtle! And one thousand pounds of sheer awesome!"_

"...I don't get it," Brock admitted.

"_Oh, you will,"_ Squirtle promised. _"Right! Ivysaur, right side! Totodile, come up here on the left!"_

Ivysaur glanced at Ash for confirmation.

"I guess we should see what he means," Ash decided. "Go ahead."

Nodding, Ivysaur hoisted Totodile up with his vines and then pulled himself up.

Bianca had been looking at the spectacle without speaking for some time. "I have no idea what's going on here," she said eventually.

"_The bounds of brotherhood are wide! A team, a herd, they're all the same – organized dedication and fighting-"_

"_Can you get on with it?"_ Ivysaur interrupted. _"Because I think they've seen us."_

Squirtle sighed. _"Fine, then, we'll just do it the boring way. Three! Two! One! Outrage!"_

All five Tauros reared up. _"What are we?"_ the one in the centre called.

"_Annoyed!"_ one said. His fellow Pokémon chimed in with _"Angry!", "Just plain mad!"_ and_ "A bit ticked off!"_

"_And what are we going to do about it?"_ the middle one went on.

"_Wreak havoc!"_ came the response, this time in unison, and the bulls drummed their hooves on the floor for a moment.

"_And when do we do that?"_

"_NOW!"_

And then the whole assemblage set off at a ground-trembling run.

Ash, Brock, Misty, Lorenzo, Bianca and all the Pokémon watched in shock as all five of Ash's Tauros, with supporting fire from Totodile and a resigned-looking Ivysaur, charged straight down the main thoroughfare of Altomare and sent Fossil constructs flying like poorly-made skittles.

One of them was running on the canal. This did not seem to concern him.

Lucario was the first to recover. _"I suggest we hurry after them,"_ he said.

"Right!" Ash shook his head, recovering from his surprise, and set off at a run. "Come on, guys!"

Brock and Misty exchanged a glance, then sent out the remainder of their teams. Misty helped Bianca onto Gyarados, Brock helped Lorenzo onto Steelix, and they began to hurry after Ash and his Pokémon.

* * *

><p>"<em>This way,"<em> Lorenzo's Quagsire said, gesturing. _"It's one of the important canal junctions."_

"_Good to know,"_ Seaking nodded. She noticed an oncoming Tirtouga, and lowered her head to bore forwards in a Drill Run.

The impact resonated through the water, but the Tirtouga wasn't out for the count just yet. It swiped at Seaking with a scaly arm, knocking her backwards.

"_Look out!"_ Chinchou called, flashers sparking, and launched off a bolt of electricity at the Tirtouga.

It went entirely into Seaking's horn.

"_...I really need to work on my aim,"_ Chinchou sighed.

They were interrupted by a half-dozen Omanyte, which jetted over and began firing Spike Cannons at them. Quagsire fired a Water Pulse, ducked a blundering rush by the Tirtouga, and barely avoided being hit by a Relicanth which shot through their formation.

Corsola returned fire with her own Spike Cannons, supplementing it with a Bubblebeam, and then used Mirror Coat to deflect a sudden Ancientpower from one of the Omanyte. As she did, the Tirtouga came in again, and Chinchou charged forwards to deliver a physical Spark attack to the revivified turtle.

There was a crackle-_bang_ through the water as the two Water-types collided.

Kingdra came charging around the corner, glowing a faint green from his Dragon Dances, and bounced from Fossil to Fossil delivering slamming blows with his tail. Most of the Omanyte went down, as well as the Relicanth, and Kingdra then engaged a Carracosta which had reared up out of the mud.

Quagsire hit a Kabuto with an Earth Power, turned, and raised an eyebrow slightly. _"That's a new trick, there."_

"_Thanks! Now – oh, right, Shock Wave!"_

Two bolts of electricity snapped off Chinchou's flashers. One of them came too close to Seaking and was drawn into her Lightningrod, but the other steered clear enough and wove unerringly around Kingdra to hit his burly opponent.

Corsola turned frantically back and forth, trying to keep track of everything at once. _"Seaking, behind you – a Kabuto! And-"_

She swam upwards, ramming her head into a second Relicanth and making it slow down suddenly.

"_Zap it, Chinchou!"_ she called.

Chinchou nodded, and fired another Shock Wave.

* * *

><p>"<em>This is not ideal,"<em> Ivysaur muttered, vines wrapped firmly around the Tauros he was riding.

"_Hup, two, three, SMASH!"_ the Tauros chanted, in unison with the others. _"Five, six, seven, BASH!"_

Ivysaur looked around, spotting one of the kind of targets he was after. A big Bastiodon, snorting and lowering its head to get in the way of the quintet of Tauros.

His flower opened slightly, pulling in energy from the sky, and he then shot a Solarbeam forwards – aiming it just a bit off-centre, so the dazzle didn't make anyone in Ash's team lose focus.

It hit the Bastiodon hard, making it take a step back, and then Ivysaur followed that up with a shower of Magical Leaves.

Ivysaur wasn't actually doing all that much damage, not to such a tough Pokémon – apart from anything else, a lot of his coverage moves were melee-only. But he was making it unable to set itself for the charge, making it tilt its head back-

Then two Tauros ran up its face and down the other side.

"_That was quite impressive,"_ Ivysaur said, then saw an incoming Aerodactyl and fired an Ancientpower at it – hammering it to the ground in a tangle of limbs and wing membrane. It shook its head, eyes glowing white as it stood, and then it got run over by the herd of Tauros too.

"_This is fun!"_ Totodile announced, shooting a Hydro Pump at the nearest Armaldo. _"Whee!"_

"_Speak for yourself..."_ Ivysaur said, teeth clicking together as the vibration shook him. _"Squirtle, what exactly gave you this idea?"_

"_I've been working on it for ten months!"_ Squirtle replied, grinning. _"Why else do you think I've been riding all the Tauros at once?"_

"_You are a scary person to be friends with..."_ Ivysaur sighed. _"At least it's better than the alternative."_

"_Hey, look!"_ Totodile said, pointing. _"Birds!"_

"_Those are Archen,"_ Ivysaur corrected him. _"...wait. Why are they flying?"_

Totodile shrugged. _"I just guess it makes sense! I mean, they were skeletons in a rock until twenty minutes ago, why shouldn't they be able to fly?"_

He frowned, and fired an Ice Beam at one. It hit the ground with a _crash._ _"Problem solved!"_

Ivysaur declined to comment, and began looking instead for a better target.

Was that a Tyrunt coming out of that alleyway? Excellent.

"_Totodile, to your left!"_ he called, and indicated the target with a barrage of Razor Leaves.

* * *

><p>"Is it always this chaotic?" Lorenzo asked, clinging to one of Steelix' spines.<p>

Brock shrugged, as his big Steel-type powered up the landward side of the thoroughfare. "Sometimes it's this bad, sometimes it's a lot quieter."

"_Never been boring yet, though,"_ Ninetales said, noticing a Lileep approaching. Flames curled off her tail and lanced forwards, knocking the Grass/Rock type Fossil to the flagstones and scorching its protrusions.

Stantler jumped off, galloping alongside for a moment, then pulled a little ahead. _"Jump Kick!"_ he announced, and rammed his hooves into the shield on a Shieldon.

Pushing off again, he landed on Steelix' neck and panted for a moment.

"_Big wave coming from here!"_ Crobat called, circling an alleyway ahead. Geodude peered forwards, then cracked his knuckles.

"_Okay, let's see if this works! Stone Edge!"_

The paving slabs just by the entrance to that alleyway heaved up, and then crashed aside. A mound of earth formed, making a barrier several feet high, and Geodude gestured once more to send it rumbling back down the alley.

"_Looks good!"_ Crobat reported. _"Oh – look out, a Cranidos got past-"_

Ninetales' Energy Ball and Forretress' Flash Cannon hit at the same moment, sending the Cranidos flying backwards faster than it had been charging forwards.

"_Boys,"_ Ninetales chuckled, and Forretress did what was as close as she could come to a shrug. The Bug-type then swivelled, and fired another Flash Cannon – skywards, this time, and knocking an Archeops low enough that it hit a building and slumped to the ground.

* * *

><p>Pinatubo sent up another blast of flame, which knocked the oncoming Anorith backwards and flipped one of them over.<p>

"Now, Chompy!" Rosalind called, and her Aron pounced forwards to hit the immobilized fossil with an Iron Head attack that sent it bouncing away and against a wall.

"Good!" the young trainer said, glancing back and forth. "Now – Pinatubo, there!"

The Typhlosion hunched down, neck-ruff blazing, and launched an Ember forwards to block off the next few fossils.

Then there was a roar, and something big and bipedal and with a hardened, spiked head came around the corner at speed.

"Uh – Chompy, can you-" Rosalind asked, glancing at Pinatubo. Her Fire-type didn't have any good moves to handle a Rampardos, and Chompy was still young...

Chompy gave a determined nod, and jumped forwards. His Iron Head attack collided with a BANG with the Head Smash coming the other way, and the Aron hit the floor in a painful-sounding clatter of metal on stone.

The Rampardos roared again, head coming up for long enough for Rosalind to see its blank white eyes, then charged forwards once more.

There was a sudden flash of blue behind the Rampardos-

And then a wave of water came from Rosalind's right, hitting the Rampardos in the side and carrying it bodily into the nearest wall.

Startled, Rosalind and Pinatubo turned to their saviour.

It was – _Suicune._ Standing there, calm as could be, before firing a volley of Bubblebeam at the Rampardos to keep it out for the count.

"_You should try to find others who can help,"_ Suicune said, and somehow Rosalind understood. _"There are many fossils, and your Typhlosion will not be capable of stopping them all."_

Rosalind nodded, numbly, and then Suicune ran off – jumping out onto the water, and crossing it as easily as if it were dry land.

As she shook her head, recovering her equilibrium, she heard a loud voice.

"**Attention! All those trapped in buildings, stay calm and remain inside for now. Those outside, try to group together under the protection of trainers."**

The loudspeakers paused for a moment. **"The nearest safe place is the junction between the Verde canal and the Fourth Street."**

Deciding to take the advice, Rosalind rummaged for her map. So, she was near the Bridge of Birds...

* * *

><p>Skimming along behind the friends, Latios was only half-concentrating on the outside world.<p>

_Latias, we're coming!_ _Just hold on!_

_Brother? I-_ Latias seemed to shake herself. _I'm scared, Latios. I don't want to-_

_Don't think about it,_ he told her. _Use my eyes. Focus on that – we're coming to save you, sis._

He felt Latias reaching out, so she experienced what he did.

There was a moment of silence in their bond.

_What the... what's going on out there, Latios? Who's that riding a Keldeo? What are all the Tauros doing? Where did the Steelix come from?_

She sounded confused and startled by the scale of what she was seeing. That was good, in Latios' opinion – better that than scared.

_Ash is coming, that's what. Him and his friends._ Latios waved his wings left and right slightly, and then ducked under a crashing Aerodactyl. _And he's got a _lot_ more firepower than last time._

_You remember last time?_ Latias asked. _How?_

_Ash did it – he did it to you, too. That's how you remember._ Latios paused. _Sis, I'm sorry for leaving you before._

_It _wasn't_ your fault!_ Latias snapped back, then recoiled. _Sorry, Latios, I'm just – all the time, I was so... and then..._

_Latias..._ Latios paused. _I was wrong too. Neither of us are strong enough to keep ourselves safe, let alone Altomare – we should have been learning. I should have taken Rayquaza's offer – I should have done _something_ to make sure we couldn't be..._

He shook his head, invisibly. _It doesn't matter. We're coming to save you, sis._

A mental caress. _Thanks, brother._

Latios felt Latias relax away from him a bit, breaking the sight sharing. _I'll fight as hard as I can to make sure they can't stop you,_ she promised.

_Stay safe, sis,_ Latios told her.

Then he noticed something, and blinked.

"_...what's that coming in towards the museum?"_

Lucario glanced up, then looked towards the building. _"It looks a lot like a pair of parachute canopies..."_

* * *

><p>Annie frowned, a bit worried by how her sister was acting.<p>

She didn't seem to be very interested in making sure the jewel was alright. She was tapping away at her keyboard, saying things about revivification and enhancement that Annie was having trouble following.

Well, in between the bouts of maniacal laughter, that is. Those were a bit worrying too.

"Oh, this is outrageous!" Oakley said, making a fist-clenching motion. "Absolutely... gah! Attack, you stupid fossils!"

"What's wrong, Oakley?" Annie called up.

"Those stupid brats! No matter how many reinforcements I throw at them, they're just coming through them!"

She pointed at something on the screen. "And how does _that_ make sense? They're running _on_ the water!"

"Well-"

Annie's comment was interrupted by a loud _crash_ from overhead. Both looked up, startled, as chunks of lead and glass rained down from a shattered window.

Two shapes landed on a catwalk up near the roof.

"Prepare for trouble, because this isn't a game!" one of the silhouettes announced.

"And make it double, because you're ruining our good name!" the other said – a male, this one.

"Annie?" Oakley asked, quietly. "Who are they?"

The duo overhead didn't seem to notice. "To protect this city from devastation!"

"To help us save our reputation!"

"To denounce the evils of idiots in our way!"

"To extend out our strength and help save the day!"

"Oakley... I have no idea," Annie admitted.

"Jessie!" the woman overhead called, seemingly in answer.

"And James!" her compatriot added.

"Oh, right!" Annie said suddenly. "These are those guys who did all those boring lectures."

"Team Rocket will blast _you_ off at the speed of light!" Jessie said, sounding annoyed.

"Surrender now!" James agreed. "Or prepare to lose this fight!"

There was a pause. Then one of Jessie's Pokéballs opened.

"Wobuffet!" the Pokémon inside reported.

"...I've never seen anything so stupid," Oakley said slowly.

"Okay, now it's personal!" James said. "Growlie, get them!"

Growlie materialized and pounced straight off the catwalk, fire lashing from his fur. A Fairy Wind hit him as he fell from the Sylveon, but he more-or-less ignored it and hammered home a Flare Blitz into Annie's Leafeon as the nearest target.

The Grass-type bounced off the wall and collapsed to the floor, and James' Arcanine looked around for the next target. Cofagrigus' spectral hands reached for him, and he dodged aside before ducking under a Psybeam from Espeon and barraging Shedinja with Embers.

While that was going on, James released Weezing as well. The Poison-type floated skywards and began firing attacks down, making Espeon switch from trying to catch Growlie to focus instead on keeping Weezing from getting off too many Sludge Bombs.

Jessie's own contribution to the battle was just as significant. She sent her Arbok out, and it darted down to shower Cofagrigus with poisonous stings before chomping home with a nasty Crunch. The Dark-type attack connected with Cofagrigus, making the Ghost shudder and phase partly solid again, and Arbok stabbed his tail in to inflict some poison while it was possible.

"Annie!" Oakley called. "Stop them!"

Ariados went down in flames from a Fire Blast, and then Espeon managed to get a grip on her Poison-type opponent. She hit him with Extrasensory twice, and he crumpled to the floor before fainting and being returned.

That was about the point Growlie's luck ran out, too. He overextended going after Bisharp, and Kirlia caught him in a psionic bubble. Frowning, she did the same to Arbok, holding the two of them in the air.

Sylveon fired a Moonblast at Jessie and James, which Wobuffet blocked and returned via Mirror Coat. The attack hit Glaceon in the side, not knocking her out but severely injuring her, and for a moment there was an uneasy silence.

"Umbreon!" Annie said. "Dark Pulse, he can't Mirror Coat you!"

Umbreon nodded, firing. Wobbuffet grinned, blocking it, and was just about to use Mirror Coat aimed at the Sylveon when Growlie and Arbok cannoned into him from a psionic shove. Their momentum carried all three Pokémon and their masters back out the window.

"And that takes care of-" Annie began, and then there was a huge flash outside the window.

To their shock, a _Moltres_ climbed past the window, James on her back and Jessie safely held by her shoulders, and a thundering roar began to shake the building.

"Why do they have a Moltres?" Annie asked. "What's that noise?"

Scowling, Oakley glanced at the monitors. "They've got a cargo plane! With hover jets! That's – where did they _get_ that?"

She watched as Moltres deposited her cargo inside the open door, then came flying back out and speared flame down into the museum. Espeon and Kirlia established Light Screens over the window, blocking most of it, but the temperature got uncomfortably warm.

Oakley clapped her hands and made a grand gesture, pulling up a great wave of water from the nearby lake and hurling it at Moltres in the form of a waterspout.

Latias screeched in pain, ignored by both the sisters, as the DMA drew out more of her energy to fuel itself.

The fire-type dodged, but she and the aircraft both had to gain height to avoid it, and Oakley capitalized on that by sending every Flying-type she had access to at them to keep them busy.

* * *

><p>A dozen Anorith fountained up out of the water.<p>

Snorlax picked one, wound up, and punched it so hard it hit a building opposite.

"_Good,"_ he declared. _"Next please."_

"_I'm trying,"_ came Kingler's muffled voice. _"It's a bit hard to aim these – whoa, big one!"_

Another blast of water from a Crabhammer, and this time there was a Carracosta. Snorlax hit it with a pair of blazing orange beams from his eyes, but the shelled Pokémon endured the attack fairly easy and hauled itself up onto the road.

Muk used Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Shockwave, Focus Blast and Thunderbolt, and Carracosta fell limply back into the water. In a different canal.

"_Good,"_ Snorlax said solemnly. _"We are a good team."_

"_Next one's coming up!"_

* * *

><p>Primeape exploded around the corner, volleying in powerful punches to the five Fossils trying to break through a barricade. Two of them collapsed, and the remaining three – a Rampardos, an Armaldo and a heavily-armoured Kabutops – turned, white eyes glowing blankly as they regarded Primeape.<p>

"_Fire, left!"_ he called. _"Ground right!"_

Quilava made a screeching turn around the same corner, nearly hitting the wall as she turned, and rammed home a Flame Wheel into the Armaldo. It staggered backwards, and Quilava hit it again – focusing her attacks on the one she was most able to harm.

Donphan followed a moment later, driving _his_ attack into the Rampardos to Primeape's right and knocking it over. He bounced off, rolled back into a ball in the air, and hit it with a Magnitude attack which shook the street.

The Kabutops, however, seemed made of sterner (or possibly just more durable) stuff. It slashed out at Primeape, and he retaliated by punching up under the scythe blade aimed at him – knocking it off course and up into the air.

Barely had that happened when another blade came whistling in from the other direction. Primeape handled this one by the simpler and more satisfying expedient of punching the Kabutops directly in the face, knocking it over backwards and making the scythe miss.

Not letting the fossil get its feet under it, Primeape exploded forwards and delivered another blow – this time to the chest of the Fossil Pokémon. He grabbed one of the ones he'd knocked out before, a Shieldon, and began using it as an implement to pound away – alternating between hitting the chest, and hitting one or another of the arms to keep them from attacking.

"_Now!"_ Quilava called, and Primeape jumped free a moment before her Solarbeam hit the stalled Kabutops.

Landing with feet apart and one arm down, the primate Pokémon launched himself forwards in another sprint to the next turning.

Quilava and Donphan spun up and followed, only marginally slower.

* * *

><p>"Get the Ice-type, Nile!" Ingrid called, and her Feraligatr ducked a blast of ice from an Amaura. The big Water-type growled defiance, before grabbing the Amaura in her jaws and giving the fossil a rattata-killing flick over her head.<p>

There was a faint _crash_ as it hit something the other side of the square, and Ingrid winced. "And watch out for the buildings!"

Nile glanced back at her and shrugged, before lunging forwards and chomping down with an Ice Fang on a Tyrunt.

She glanced up at the sound of a roar, and paled slightly. A whole group of bigger fossils were headed for her team – more than Nile could handle alone.

"Look out!" she called, and Nile kicked the Tyrunt out of her way before launching forwards a Hydro Pump. The attack went off course, drawn into the Storm Drain of a Cradily, and she hissed. "That's not good..."

There was a crackling _BANG_.

She blinked, as an Omastar came flying into the square followed by a trail of crackling lightning. "Wait, what's-"

A purple-yellow blur bounded over a fallen food stand, slowed briefly, and hit a Bastiodon with an electrical globe that sparkled like starlight. Bastiodon staggered, and the blur pounced forwards – hitting the Bastiodon again with a _BANG_ before kicking off its face to crash into the side of an Aurorus.

"Is that Raikou!?" she asked, glancing at Nile, and the Water-type shrugged.

Booming laughter echoed around the square as Raikou hit the Aurorus with an Electrical attack, before unlimbering something from his back and smacking it in the face with what appeared to be a large bundle of signs.

Glancing over at them for a moment as the Aurorus crashed to the ground, he threw one of the signs to the floor. It hit with a clatter, and Raikou pushed off to knock a Kabutops to the ground with another of those huge blasts of electricity.

Ingrid could read the sign from where it had landed. "'I've got this under control'?" she read. "Eh?"

Another booming laugh, and Raikou hit an Armaldo with his shimmering-iron tail. It folded over, hitting the ground hard, and Nile contributed by blasting it with a Hydro Pump.

Screeching, an Archeops shook itself out of a pile of rubble near the middle of the square – apparently having revived itself after being shot down earlier. It ran four steps with an ungainly gait, took off and turned towards the direction of the main square of Altomare, and an enormous bolt of lightning from Raikou hit it.

It promptly crashed into the canals.

Sparks snapping from his fur, Raikou glanced around one more time. He hit the Cradily with a Rock Smash, taking it out of the battle, and then pelted off to help someone else.

"...that happened," Ingrid said faintly, looking at the pile of neutralized fossils.

Nile grinned.

* * *

><p>"Not much further to go," Misty said, as Mega Gyarados swam towards the museum at high speed – covering the seaward flank.<p>

He'd already flattened at least four Pokémon she was sure were supposed to be Sturdy in a single blow... which was interesting, but probably something to concentrate on later. For now, she was trying to make sure she was giving good cover for Ash.

She'd already noticed he was keeping several Pokémon out of the fighting – Lucario and Pikachu were the most obvious ones... well, apart from Keldeo, who he seemed to be riding... but she hadn't seen a few others, so she guessed he was making sure he had a full team ready for the fight in the museum.

"How common are Mega Stones?" Bianca asked.

"I don't think they're very common," Misty hedged – she'd of course had to explain what the heck was going on when Gyarados went Mega - "but we've run into a couple, so I guess they're not too rare either. Somewhere middling, I suppose."

Bianca nodded. "Got it."

"Oh – over there!" Misty added, pointing. "There's a big Omastar!"

Barely had she spoken when Kabutops dove off Mega Gyarados' back, plunging into the water with a _crash_. He swam over to the Omastar with swift strokes, and brought his twin scythes down in a cross-cut Leaf Blade which knocked it out in one devastating blow.

"_I've never liked Omastar,"_ Psyduck muttered. _"Too many sharp bits."_

Politoed shrugged. _"I'm sure they're nice if you get to know them."_

Kabutops jumped back up onto Mega Gyarados' scaly back, looked around for a moment, and plunged off after a Relicanth headed for them with blank white eyes.

"Make sure not to get too far from us!" Misty called after him. "You look like just another fossil to anyone overhead!"

"_I'd bally well say not!"_ Noctowl said, curving into a spiral around them for a moment. _"'scuse me, just recuperating for a moment – all the flying ones are going after that hovering aircraft, the bounders."_

That said, he swooped up. _"So we're going after them! Tallyho!"_

Politoed frowned briefly, then blasted a Hydro Pump at an incoming Armaldo which knocked it back under the water. _"Starmie, can you-"_

Starmie spun once. "Hiyoh!"

As the Armaldo came up for a second run, the starfish engulfed it in a bubble of psychic force which kept it from escaping. The Water/Psychic type then electrocuted it with a Thunderbolt before hitting it with a Water Pulse to finish the job.

Psyduck wobbled as Mega Gyarados shifted. _"Careful, we're on the-"_

He glanced up, and blanched. One of those Archeops from the snarling aerial battle overhead had been knocked out – and it was coming directly for them.

Reaching into his mental reserves, he pulled his headache back to the fore – drastically increasing his psychic powers, at the cost of an enormous and painful headache. His eyes flashed, and he shoved at the Archeops to try to deflect it.

For a moment, he had it under control. Then the Archeops' eyes snapped back open, and it beat its wings to force itself down faster – slipping his control for a moment, as it moved far faster than he was expecting.

The Fossil bird came diving down on a genuine attack run, now. A violet and yellow aura began to build around it, as it used Giga Impact, and the task of stopping it got exponentially more difficult.

Psyduck pushed harder, determined not to let Archeops hit them.

He didn't care how much it hurt. He didn't even care just how hard it was to push past the energy of the Giga Impact to get at the Pokémon underneath.

All that mattered was making sure Misty – and Gyarados, and Politoed, and all his friends – were _safe._

There was a timeless moment of crystal clarity-

And the Archeops went flying back into the air, hit an Ice Beam from Totodile, and splashed into the water some distance away.

"What just-" Misty began, then stopped. "Uh... do you feel okay?"

_I feel.. fine, actually. Better than-_

Starmie floated down, using its gem as an impromptu mirror.

_...huh,_ Golduck blinked. _That's new._

"_Congratulations!"_ Politoed grinned.

_These seem very peculiar,_ Golduck muttered mentally, inspecting his webbed hands and feet. _What are they for?_

"Swimming!" Misty informed him. "Now you've got no excuse not to learn!"

_Just watch me..._

* * *

><p>The quintet of Tauros came thundering up to the doors of the museum, trampling a final line of Shieldon underhoof, and slowed – panting, as the fatigue from their charge began to bite.<p>

Squirtle jumped off. _"Okay, nice work guys! That was awesome!"_

"_I'm sure it was,"_ the lead Tauros nodded, flanks heaving. _"But next time we train, we do it with big, beefy weights so we build up more stamina!"_

"_No complaint here!"_

"_Thank goodness..."_ Ivysaur muttered, jumping hastily to the ground. _"It's over."_

Ash and Keldeo arrived in a clatter of hooves, Lucario skidding to a halt a few paces behind with Pikachu on his shoulder. As soon as they were stopped, Pikachu transferred himself to Ash. _"Phew. Are we ready?"_

"I don't know..." Ash muttered, looking at the doors. "These weren't sealed last time – look out!"

A wave of water came crashing over the side of the museum plaza, and then abruptly halted in place.

There was a sudden feeling of pressure, and the wave thundered back into the sea.

_I can handle the waves,_ announced a mental voice that was almost but not quite like that of Psyduck. _I might need help with the Fossils, though._

Ash blinked, on seeing who'd been speaking. "Psy – no, Golduck! You evolved?"

_I'm as surprised as you are. But – look!_

Everyone looked, the humans dismounting as their rides reached the steps.

There were a _lot_ of Fossil Pokémon coming towards them. By the looks of things, in fact, most of the remaining fossils in the city were headed their way.

"Ash, you and Latios go save Latias!" Misty told him. "We can handle ourselves out here – right, Brock?"

Brock nodded firmly. "Right, Misty. Let's do this!"

The sound of engines grew briefly louder, and a Victreebel landed next to them with a slightly mushy sound. That was followed by a familiar-looking Scratch Cat, who nodded to them. "Jessie an' James said we was surplus ta requirements," he explained. "Jessie's flyin' da plane, an' James is directin' everyone else firin' out the doors an' stuff. Well, an' flyin' escort."

"Oh, so that Moltres _was_ yours," Ash nodded. "I did wonder – cool, we can use the help!"

Victreebel saluted with his lash-whip spike. _"Glad to help."_

He lumbered down the steps, placing himself ready. It didn't take long for the help to be needed, as a large number of Kabuto, Omanyte and Anorith came scuttling over the lip of the plaza – with a Tyrantrum in the distance just one of the visible reinforcements on the way.

Keldeo, for his part, was facing away from the oncoming hordes. _"Right!"_ he said firmly, flashing over to Resolute Form and taking a swing. _"Secret Sword!"_

The armour behind the wooden doors flashed sparks as Keldeo cut into it, but he managed to cut a line through it on the second swing. Two more cuts, and he had a rough outline of a door.

Ash sent out his full team for the fight inside. "Okay, everyone ready?"

Nods all round.

"Right. Go for it, Keldeo!"

Keldeo spun on his forehooves, and lashed out with a kick at the weakened section. It resisted only for a moment, then blew inwards with a _BANG_.

* * *

><p>"Oakley, what's going on out there?" Annie asked. "I thought this thing was-"<p>

"I'm _trying!_" Oakley snapped, gesturing frantically. "But this is just... gah!"

She looked down through her control panel at Oakley. "Not only are there all _three_ Legendary Beasts out there, but that Ketchum kid and his friends just fought their way to the museum!"

Annie blinked. "But that means-"

A triangular section of the museum door exploded inwards.

"Why doesn't this thing have close in defences?" Oakley asked, annoyed. "You'll have to stop them, Annie!"

"Right!" Annie nodded, glancing around.

Kirlia had finished healing Umbreon and Sylveon from the hits they'd taken, but at least three Pokémon were still unconscious.

Well, that would have to do. "Get him!" she said, pointing at the boy – Ash. "Stop them!"

There was a brilliant flash of orange light from that side of the room, and Annie threw up her arm for a moment.

When she lowered it, Ash's Heracross was – different. More muscular arms, different horn, all kinds of minor differences. And he looked a _lot_ tougher.

"What the-" Oakley spluttered. "That's not fair! _Our _one didn't work!"

"You were just using it wrong-" Annie began, and then things got loud.

* * *

><p>Lucario crouched briefly and launched himself forwards, aiming a punch for the startled Bisharp. He got about halfway before there was a flash to his right, and the Kirlia materialized before hitting him with a Fire Punch.<p>

Rolling with the blow, Lucario spun and braked his momentum with a forepaw as he slid along the tiled floor. There was an earsplitting BANG as Pikachu opened fire, and then Lucario was concentrated wholly on the battle with the Kirlia as she teleported over and attempted another Fire Punch.

Lucario dodged swiftly to his right, evading the attack aimed for his shoulder, and punched up with his right fist under his supporting left arm. His opponent flickered away from that one as well, appearing behind him, and got in a hit before he sprang back to his feet and lashed out with a kick.

That blow connected, but only for a moment before Kirlia flashed away again.

For a fraction of a second there was no sign of Kirlia, then she materialized behind Lucario and fired a Dazzling Gleam at him.

The sound of her feet on the floor was just enough for Lucario to get warning. He spun on one foot, paw already glowing for a Flash Cannon attack, and fired just before the Dazzling Gleam hit.

Both combatants were knocked backwards by the attacks hitting them. Lucario went over sideways from the blast of the Fairy-type attack, flinging out his free arm to brace himself, and slid along the floor for a moment before coming back to his feet.

For her part, Kirlia was too concentrated on her attack to manage a teleport. The intense light of the Flash Cannon hit her a little off-centre, spinning her around once and knocking her back into the wall.

She shook her head for a moment, looked up, and teleported out just before Lucario hit her with a pair of Metal Claws.

Using the momentum of his swipe, Lucario spun and put his back against the wall to avoid her teleporting behind him again. He scanned the room, absently assessing the situations his allies were in, then looked up and had his answer.

Kirlia was using the overhead catwalks as a place to recover and plan. He charged a pair of Aura Spheres, one in each paw, and fired them upwards to break the one she was on in two places.

Unfortunately for him, the Psychic-type noticed. She flashed out just before the Spheres hit, and Lucario turned his attention back to the floor just in time to catch an incoming Fire Punch.

This time, his retaliatory kick connected, and Kirlia was sent flying backwards before recovering and using a Light Screen to block his Flash Cannon.

Fortunately for Lucario, the overhead catwalk made a grinding sound just before its weakened section finally snapped off. He had enough time to reach up, blocking the heavy steel material, and throw it off to one side to avoid it getting in the way. He blinked, as – by sheer luck – the metallic object landed right on top of an exhausted-looking Umbreon, which had picked a terrible place to hide in the shadows.

Kirlia used the distraction to wind up and fire a Psychic pulse at him. Wincing, Lucario endured the attack and turned back towards her, before lunging forwards with both sets of Metal Claws forming from his hand-spikes.

She teleported out again, and Lucario dove forwards to arrest his movement with both palms against the floor. He coiled up like a spring, then uncoiled and pushed backwards – unbalancing it, so his right arm pushed more than his left.

The unorthodox move let him hit Kirlia with an Iron Tail as he spun, knocking her to the floor, and she got up a little slower than she had been as he landed with his back to the wall.

Scowling, she disappeared once more.

Lucario's paw went out to his right, catching her incoming Fire Punch.

He smirked, and Kirlia had just enough time to realize what was going on before the Dark Pulse he'd been charging fired. That scrambled her teleportation for a crucial moment, and he followed up with a paralyzing Thunderpunch and a final Flash Cannon.

As his opponent hit the floor, clearly out for the count, Lucario glanced up to check on the rest of the battle.

* * *

><p>Pikachu's first big Thunder attack was blocked by the same Excadrill from before, this time keeping his right set of claws firmly on the ground to channel the electricity away from him.<p>

Deciding to sort the Ground-type out first, Pikachu ran forwards. His paws shimmered with blue as he readied a Force Palm, and the Excadrill went from nervous to alarmed as he realized just how _un_conventional an Electric-type Pikachu really was.

Excadrill brought up both sets of claws in a blocking position, managing to intercept Pikachu's Force Palm, and slammed his feet into the ground for a Bulldoze.

Pikachu's response to this was to jump over it, keeping in the air for the moment the attack was actually firing, and he fired another Electric attack as he came down – a Thunderbolt, this time, which skirled over Excadrill's claws and headspike without doing anything damaging.

That seemed to reassure Excadrill slightly, and he launched forwards into a Drill Run which took him out of the way of the descending Pikachu before curling around in a tight circle and boring in directly on his opponent.

Pikachu dodged aside from the first Drill Run attack run, charging and firing a small Aura Sphere, and hissed as Excadrill drove underground and the Sphere burst on the surface.

A moment later, Excadrill came boring up out of the ground, barely missing Pikachu with his Dig attack, and swiped out with his claws a couple of times. Pikachu stepped back, giving ground, and was about to retaliate when a burst of bluish energy scythed along the ground nearby.

"_Careful, Keldeo!"_ Pikachu called, getting a _"Sorry!"_ in return, and his Force Palm was just a moment too late to catch Excadrill. The mole burrowed underground again, and Pikachu focused.

Aura Sight was enough for him to see the speeding Ground-type, who emerged a few metres away before spinning into another Drill Run and coming in on the attack.

This time, Pikachu hit him with another Thunderbolt.

This time, it worked. The shocked Excadrill wobbled, losing track of his spin, and drilled a furrow in the floor of the museum that missed Pikachu by at least a foot. He braked with a horrible screeching of claws on stone, swiped at Pikachu's speculative Zap Cannon and managed to block that one, then lunged close-in with his claws flashing.

Pikachu was unable to quite dodge all of them. One swipe scored thin red lines down his side, and another came close enough to trim his fur but didn't quite draw blood.

Cheeks sparking, Pikachu gave ground once more and rammed a pair of Aura Spheres together. The cloud of small blue seeker spheres which resulted barraged Excadrill from all sides, halting his forwards rush and making him stagger.

Pikachu nailed him with another Thunder, sending him collapsing to the ground, and panted – then looked up, confused, as something clattered to the floor from the main DMA mechanisms.

* * *

><p>Keldeo galloped forwards, and fired a scything Ice Blade from his horn as he ran at the Espeon in his way.<p>

Her tail snapped across, producing an intense Light Screen, and the Ice-typed attack splashed off. Her eyes glowed, and she fired a beam of multicoloured energy from the gem on her forehead.

Keldeo swung his Secret Sword down to block, wincing as the attack connected – then a sparkling ball of energy hit him in the flank, making him stagger sideways as the Sylveon joined the fight.

"_Take this!"_ Houndour called from behind, and Beat Up duplicates descended on Sylveon and Espeon. The Fairy-type popped them with a quick Dazzling Gleam, but her ally seemed to be having more trouble.

Trying not to let the Sylveon have time to help her friend, Keldeo launched forwards another Ice Blade – aimed at her this time. Unfortunately, the Sylveon was quick-witted enough to get out of the way, and avoided being hit by the Ice attack – though it did hit Ariados as it started to recover, quite firmly returning it to unconsciousness.

"_What's the plan?"_ Houndour asked, glancing up at Keldeo. As he did, the Sylveon finished off getting rid of his Beat Up duplicates for the Espeon.

"_Go for the Espeon!"_ Keldeo instructed. He reared back, and fired a blast of water from his hoof at Sylveon – knocking her backwards, before the Espeon formed a shield to protect her.

Shaking the water from her fur, Sylveon launched a shower of Swift stars at Keldeo. The Water-type blocked them with his blade, eyes flicking from one star to the next to make sure he got all of them, then yelped as a Moonblast followed the Swift attacks.

Ducking down low, Keldeo evaded the powerful Fairy-type attack – not noticing as it blew the lurking Umbreon backwards towards the DMA machinery – and swung his horn to fire off an Ice Blade at Sylveon. She dodged, running around to his side, and he was forced to turn to follow.

Meanwhile, Houndour focused mainly on keeping the Espeon occupied. He Snarled at her, the pulse of Dark-type energy battering her Light Screen, then interposed himself to stop a Psybeam hitting Keldeo and formed more Beat Up copies – this time of Meganium, Keldeo himself, Pikachu and Lucario.

The quartet of Dark-type spectres got in a hit each, with the copy of Lucario managing two, before Espeon swept a Signal Beam around herself to clear the doubles out.

Grinning, Houndour pounced forwards while the feline Psychic-type was occupied. He feinted left, then right, and managed to slip in under her guard to bowl her over with a powerful kick.

Rolling back upright, the Espeon fired a Signal Beam at him. He jumped to one side, wincing as the Signal Beam hit one of his white bones before he got clear, and hit her in return with a burst of flame she couldn't fully shield against in time.

She began to charge another attack, and he slipped in quickly to headbutt her in the jaw before she could finish the process.

"_Sucker..."_ he chuckled, dodging out of the way of a retaliatory paw swipe.

As he did, Keldeo was trying to hit the dodging Sylveon. He fired off two more Ice Blades, one of which clipped her tail and the second of which went uncomfortably close to Pikachu.

"_Sorry!"_ he called, wincing, and evaded a second Moonblast before closing the distance on Sylveon and switching to physical attacks. He scored a hit with his hooves, catching Sylveon in the side and rolling her over once, but she came quickly to her feet and managed to evade the Scald that Keldeo sent her way.

Glancing over at Houndour's fight, Keldeo saw an opening. He spun, kicking out at Sylveon – who jumped back, her Moonblast fizzling – and fired a blast of water at her from his rear hooves. That sent her further backwards, spluttering, but the important bit was that it sent Keldeo jetting forwards.

He launched an Ice Blade at Espeon as he approached, hitting her in the side as she focused on preventing Houndour's Inferno from reaching her, and the shock of the impact left her unable to get out of the way of a follow-up Dark Pulse from Houndour.

"_Thanks!"_ Houndour yapped, and returned the favour by hurrying over towards Sylveon. He ducked a Fairy Wind attack which only managed to clip his tail, feinted right, and hit her with a hasty Overheat.

Finally pushed beyond endurance, Sylveon collapsed.

* * *

><p>Meganium hung back, trying to keep an eye on the whole fight.<p>

She'd jump in if one of her friends was in too much trouble, but her main role here was something else entirely. As the Pokémon who could heal out of Ash's team, it was her job above all to revive Latias once she was freed from the DMA.

Shivering, Meganium remembered what Ash had said about it. Latios, much the stronger of the two Eon Pokémon, had been so drained by his long spell in the DMA last time around that the effort of stopping the tsunami had killed him – and Latias had survived.

This time, it was the weaker – Latias – who was in the machine. And that was scary.

The ground shook as someone outside used something powerful, and the roar of a Tyrantrum was abruptly cut off by what sounded like a yelp. Meganium itched to go out and help – but that wasn't her job. She was _needed_ here.

Looking back over to the DMA, she winced again at the sight of Latias contorted in pain. There was a metal-rending crash from inside the museum, and her eyes flicked to the source – that was Lucario, but he was alright. Good.

Then a shower of icy shards came at her from her right, impacting on her skin almost before she noticed them. Crying out in shock and pain, Meganium turned – vines lashing out – and saw the Glaceon from earlier.

It hadn't been knocked out, like she'd assumed. A blast of cold air washed out from the Ice-type, battering her vines aside, and it fired an Ice Beam at her.

Meganium fired a blast of petals, which managed to mostly intercept and interrupt the Ice Beam, and stepped back warily looking for an opening.

The vulpine Glaceon didn't seem inclined to give her one. Building up a storm of ice, it readied an all-up Blizzard to throw at Meganium.

* * *

><p>Dexter's projected form flickered as he tried to interface with the ancient technology in the DMA.<p>

It was dizzyingly complex, but more importantly it was almost completely different to the computing structure he was used to. There were hints of something familiar – and it was, at least, Turing-complete – but apart from that it was frustratingly hard to make much headway. He was having to essentially perform digital first contact, writing new interface protocols from the ground up.

Wait...

Now _that_ was familiar. He'd last run into it over a year ago on J's floating battleship, but the structure was familiar. And that had interfaced into much more modern systems... like... so!

Dexter glanced up briefly as something exploded. Seeing it was only Heracross, he returned his attention to the DMA.

Ah! The interface protocol he'd run into back on J's battleship _did_ work. That let him use it to convert commands in his own machine language to whatever this used, which was very helpful.

A few more seconds, and he was past a layer of rather rudimentary ICE and into the system.

Unfortunately, it looked like most of the power feed measures were _mechanical._ Who came up with this thing?

This is an affront to proper systems design... Dexter muttered out loud. A battered-looking Umbreon pounced on him, and he fired a quick Signal Beam to knock her away towards the back of the museum before returning to his task.

It looked like the system which interpreted the gesture commands was _very_ complex and _very_ easy to shut down. That would, at least, prevent any more power draw.

Dexter didn't exactly need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of doing it. He deleted a line in the parser software, and Oakley started screaming and banging on the controls as they hashed and began to show gibberish.

Now, could he shut down the mechanism animating all those Fossils?

Dexter dove back into the code, looking for whatever it was sending that on.

* * *

><p>Mega Heracross found himself facing two opponents at once, who both charged him as soon as he was halfway to the DMA.<p>

The Beedrill came in first, spikes ready, and made to hit with a Poison Jab from all three at once – then buzzed in shock, and dove out of the way of a stream of Pin Missiles fired from Mega Heracross' left arm.

Recovering, the Beedrill tried to come in again from a different angle, and Mega Heracross discouraged him with a large rock from the other arm.

"_Okay, how does that even make sense!?"_ Beedrill asked, exasperated.

Bisharp didn't have any useful insights to volunteer. He decided to contribute instead by attacking directly – bringing his bladed arms up and bringing them down in a Dual Chop.

Mega Heracross punched the arms as they came down, knocking them back and ruining the attack, before kicking the Bisharp unceremoniously in the chest and firing another Rock Blast at Beedrill as he tried to exploit any distraction.

This Rock Blast exploded on contact, knocking Beedrill back and some distance into the air.

Breathing space thus gained, Mega Heracross proceeded to hit Bisharp again as he got up. The blow sent the Steel-type skidding backwards a few paces, and he gave a steely-faced frown before swiping at Mega Heracross with a Guillotine.

Mega Heracross stepped back, firing a few Pin Missiles at Bisharp as he did so, and successfully avoided the Guillotine. He had a bit less luck with the abrupt Psycho Cut, which extended from Bisharp's arm blades and hit his chest-plate.

"_Take this!"_ Mega Heracross announced, pulling back his right fist. It clunked, the chunky forearm section spinning around once, and then Mega Heracross delivered a devastating Focus Punch which knocked Bisharp against the far wall and clearly out for the count.

Beedrill buzzed in again, and got hit by another Rock Blast which took him out too.

On the whole, Mega Heracross thought, that hadn't gone too badly. He glanced around for somewhere else he might be needed.

* * *

><p>"<em>That's not nice!"<em>

Glaceon's Blizzard fizzled out, as both she and Meganium looked in bafflement towards the speaker.

Mawile stomped forwards, hands on hips and looking very cross. _"Miss Meganium is lovely and nice! And she wasn't fighting you or doing anything wrong, so you shouldn't attack her!"_

Glaceon blinked. _"But... this _is_ a battle..."_

"_And Miss Meganium wasn't taking part!"_ Mawile scolded. _"You're being very naughty!"_

Shaking her head, Glaceon seemed to recover her equilibrium a bit. She looked down her nose at Mawile, and rolled her eyes. _"Right, I'll handle you first."_

Ice began to gather around her muzzle as she charged an Ice Beam.

"_Mawile, look-"_

Mawile's false-jaw swung forwards, glowed white, and headbutted Glaceon hard enough to knock her into the wall.

"_...out?"_ Meganium finished, more uncertainly, as Glaceon slumped into unconsciousness. _"Was that Iron Head?"_

Mawile shook her head. _"I said you were being naughty, naughty Glaceon. You should have listened!"_

"_Where'd you learn that, Mawile?"_ Meganium asked curiously.

"_Mister Scizor was doing it at Professor Oak's place!"_ Mawile explained brightly. _"And Mister Raikou helped explain how it was done!"_

"_...I'm not sure if that counts as a good influence or a bad..."_ Meganium said with a frown.

* * *

><p>Latios skimmed invisibly through the room, coming to a halt just in front of the sphere which had held him in another timeline – and which now contained Latias.<p>

_Sis, we're here!_ Latios called, gaining her attention. _Don't worry, we'll get you out of that thing!_

Latias nodded, weakly, then her eyes widened. _Latios, look out! Behind-!_

Latios whirled around, and a pair of ghostly hands clawed at him. He pulled at them, struggling free of the Cofagrigus' first attack, and it hissed menacingly at him.

The Ghost-type didn't look very healthy, actually – the sarcophagus-shaped central body was battered and damaged, and purple lightning shot across the surface every so often. It looked like it was afflicted by some quite nasty poison, actually.

But, poisoned or not, it was still quite capable of fighting. Ghostly arms whipped out at Latios again, and he backed out of the way – since the Ghost could clearly tell where he was, he dropped his invisibility to focus more fully on the battle.

Flames shot from the Ghost's eyes as it used Will-o-Wisp, and Latios dodged to one side. He considered diving forwards in a Tackle, but realized that the Ghost-type was immune to attacks like that.

_What does this Pokémon do, Latias?_ Latios asked, looking for advice.

_It grabbed me and paralyzed me!_ Latias replied. _It kind of... drained my energy, and knocked me out._

_Right!_ Latios said, frowning. _We'll see about that!_

He feinted left and dodged right, avoiding the grabbing hands again, and heard a shout of rage from the woman operating the DMA. It sounded like the systems controlling it had gone a bit haywire, actually, and the whole structure shivered a bit.

Latios darted out of the way as Cofagrigus nearly managed to grab him, skimming right next to the Ghost and avoiding a burst of flame, and blocked the next attack with Safeguard. As he did, he racked his brains – what was that move he'd worked out once?

It was something about...

_Latios!_ Latias called, as his distraction cost him. Cofagrigus grabbed Latios' left wing with a long arm snaking around the entire structure of the DMA, and hauled him in close.

Closing his eyes, Latios really hoped he'd remembered this right.

He opened them again, and two rings of multicoloured energy pulsed out from them. One went wide, hitting the DMA machinery, but the other one connected with Cofagrigus – apparently _finally_ enough to knock the Ghost-type out.

_What was that?_ Latias asked, sounding a little better now.

_Psywave,_ Latios answered. _I've only used it once before – that was decades ago. It took so long to remember how to..._

He shook his head. _How are you feeling?_

_Better, a bit,_ Latias confirmed. _It's stopped-_

She cut off mid-sentence, and winced as a new pulse of energy ran from her to the machine.

_Latias!_

Latios glanced back and forth between his sister and the DMA, and noticed something strange.

Part of the machinery, up where he'd hit it with Psywave, was rattling. Loose.

He floated a bit closer, keeping one eye on his exhausted sister, and as he did a stuck hatch opened fully and two small spheres clattered to the ground.

* * *

><p>"Okay, seriously, what's up with this kid?" Annie asked, mostly to herself, as she evaded a kick from Ash and grabbed her remaining net gun from her belt.<p>

Ash swung his staff in an arc, intercepting her arm as she brought the weapon up. It hit her in the elbow, and the net gun fell from nerveless fingers to clatter on the floor. Wincing, Annie gave ground and shifted her guard to her other arm.

"Oakley, can't you help over here?" Annie called. "Doesn't that machine have some kind of setting to – whoa!"

Ash feinted low, then rapped her shoulder with the brightly-glowing head of his staff.

"Ow!" Annie snapped. "You brat!"

"Annie, there's no setting to-" Oakley began, then there was a shattering sound from her control panel. "What? What just happened – where'd the controls go!? Work, you stupid-"

She hit the projectors with her fists, enraged, and something went _clunk_.

Annie wasn't having a much better time of it. Ash pressed her harder and harder, using his staff to extend his reach, and knocked away her grapple when she tried to get at it.

Finally annoyed beyond endurance, Annie overextended – just slightly. The punch she'd overcommitted to went a little wide, and Ash helped it on its way with an elbow strike before hitting her in the vulnerable knee with the butt of his staff.

"Argh!" Annie shouted. "You little-"

Ash punched her in the face.

"That felt _way_ too satisfying," he said, shaking his head. "Guys?"

He glanced around, seeing that just about everyone else was finished. Even as he watched, Heracross transitioned back down from Mega and Pikachu blasted the Excadrill into unconsciousness about halfway back to the door.

There was a clattering sound from the DMA. "What was that?" Ash asked, surprised. "Dexter, did you-"

Not me, Dexter reported. Though the power reserves just stopped growing.

"_Ash, we need to get my sister out of there!"_ Latios reminded him. _"If you think that'll help, then fine, but remember what happened to-"_

He stopped, thrown, and did a double-take at the base of the DMA.

"_Why is that sphere glowing?"_

Lucario hurried over. _"I handled the Kirlia – Ash, why is your staff glowing?"_

Ash glanced down, noticing that the capstone on his staff hadn't gone quiescent when Heracross had reverted. Instead, it was glowing more and more brightly – gold, then silver, then fusing into the familiar blazing orange light of-

* * *

><p>-the flash of orange light died down.<p>

"_What was that?"_ Latios asked. _"There was a bright light, but where did it come from?"_

Latias gasped. _Brother! You're- look!_

Latios shared his sister's sight for a moment, and his jaw dropped.

His entire shape had changed.

The fins from his upper back had moved, or fused to his arms – he wasn't sure which – and he now found himself with a pair of broad, streamlined fins on the outer edges of his arms. If he held them right, which would mean his claws pointing behind him, they seemed like they would form a kind of wing surface.

A pair of fins like he'd had before were still there, but on the base of his body instead of the top, and there were minor changes to his head as well – the horn-tufts slightly different, two small spikes on his cheeks.

Most peculiar, though, was his colour. He was _purple._

"_What just happened?"_ he asked, out loud.

"You Mega Evolved!" Ash said, looking from his blazing staff to Latios. "But that must mean – and where's the Mega Stone?"

"_Look,"_ Lucario said, pointing. _"One of the spheres that fell out of the DMA is gone."_

"That must be it," Ash nodded. He blinked. "Wait – this means we can break down that forcefield! Latios – uh, I mean, Mega Latios-"

"_What is Mega Evolving?"_ Mega Latios asked. _"I've never heard of – wait, is that what your Heracross was doing? What Misty's Gyarados did?"_

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "It means you're a lot more powerful now, but it's temporary. Usually it requires a strong bond between the trainer and the Pokémon, but..."

Mega Latios blinked, then frowned. _"We can discuss it later. You said we could break down the forcefield?"_

"Right!" Ash nodded. "There's a really powerful move Latios learn – I saw it in Sinnoh, it's called Luster Purge. If you use that, you should be able to break down the field!"

"_Luster Purge..."_ Mega Latios repeated. _"It sounds..."_

The name seemed to speak to him. To something deep inside his psyche, something which was so deep it seemed _inherited._

He inhaled, and the power seemed to come to him as he did. Energy, a deep purple like his current form, flowed towards him as he turned and took aim.

_Latias, get to the bottom of the bubble,_ he said softly through their bond. _I don't know how big this is going to be._

Latias did so without complaint.

Then the Luster Purge fired.

A beam of intense pink-white-purple energy erupted out from his mouth, and tore through the shield like a soap bubble. Two of the three rings clattered to the floor, a hole melted in one side of their metal, and the third one fell a moment later.

Ash caught Latias as she slumped to the floor. "Meganium, can you heal her?"

"_I'll certainly try,"_ Meganium said, hurrying over. She exhaled softly, a sparkling pink pollen building up in her flower, and then shook it towards Latias.

As her brother watched anxiously, Latias inhaled the glowing pollen. She coughed weakly, then her colour improved and she seemed to become more animated.

"_Thanks,"_ she said, taking another breath and rising slightly off the floor. _"I feel a bit-"_

Then there was another bright flash of orange light.

When it faded, it was Mega Latias hovering there.

She looked a lot like her brother, right down to the purple colour of her highlights. About the only difference was the colour of her eyes, which were a bright yellow-orange rather than Mega Latios' deep near-red.

"_Latias – are you okay?"_ Mega Latios asked, concerned.

She smiled – and it seemed much more certain than before. _"I feel great – better than I have since all this started! Better than-"_

Mega Latias paused, not wanting to say it. _Better than since you died._

"_Why were there two Mega Stones in the DMA?"_ Lucario asked, curiously. _"I mean, obviously Ash's staff is acting as the keystone here, but where did the Mega Stones-"_

I can answer that one, Dexter said from his position over in a corner. The DMA, at least this time, was built to reverse the normal process of gaining energy for a Pokémon via Mega Evolution. As far as I can tell, the more affection the operator feels for the Pokémon used as a power source – the better the whole thing works, and the less pain and suffering it causes.

He paused. Speaking of which, I think I may have tripped an ICE program.

"A what?" Ash asked.

Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics. It realized I was hacking it, which is... bad.

"_How bad?"_ Mega Latios asked, not happy at the sound of this new threat.

It's going into an emergency lock down mode. That means it's going to try to destroy the DMA – and the Soul Dew – to prevent it from being captured.

"That's terrible! How do we stop it?" Ash asked.

The main calculation mechanism's about twenty feet down through solid rock, Dexter told them. I'm not sure if-

"_I know!"_ Mega Latias interrupted. _"Brother – can you do that Luster Purge again?"_

Mega Latios nodded. _"Why?"_

"_Uh – Porygon? Where's the mechanism, exactly?"_

Dexter floated quickly over to a point a little off-centre on the main floor. Directly under – here.

"_Right!"_ Mega Latias grabbed her brother's finned arm. _"Fire your attack straight down there, where the Porygon just showed us!"_

I have a designation, you know... Dexter muttered.

"_Right!"_ Mega Latios said, understanding. Dexter got out of the way, and Mega Latios charged up his Luster Purge a second time.

He spotted his sister doing something similar. _"What are you doing, Latias? A Luster Purge as well?"_

"_Nope!"_ she told him, teasingly, sounding more like herself than ever, and he smiled with relief.

Then he fired – straight down.

The blast of purple and pink energy went straight through the museum floor. It smashed through the underfloor crawlspace, then burned through foot after foot of rock layered with ancient armour before finally petering out.

Then Mega Latias fired.

Unlike her brother's Luster Purge, Mist Ball was an altogether more subtle attack. There was no ravening blast of energy, just a globe of misty, compacted material which travelled at a comparatively leisurely velocity.

It then exploded, making the whole building shake on its foundations and sending a fountain of pulverized rock dust back up through the irregular hole Mega Latios had made.

The DMA seized up, twitched, and went quiescent.

_We did it,_ Latias said, transitioning back down. Her brother did the same, exhausted, and the two of them floated limply to the floor.

* * *

><p>The sound of movement made Ash look around.<p>

Oakley's control pod had opened out, and she was leaning out – groggy, probably because the DMA had been flailing wildly around for the last couple of minutes and giving her a wild ride.

"Ow..." she muttered. "Hey, what's with the-"

As she reached for the dimming Soul Dew, Pikachu blasted her with a Thundershock.

"_Not. Happening,"_ he said, firmly.

Ash hurried over to inspect the battered gemstone. "Ouch..."

"_How is it?"_ Latios asked, nervously. _"That does not look-"_

"I think it was pretty close to giving up," Ash said, kneeling in front of the holder. "Hold on, I think I..."

"_Ash... what are you doing?"_ asked Pikachu, worried. _"That looks familiar..."_

"That's because it is," Ash replied, still concentrating. "It's what I did at Cameran Castle, to heal the Tree of Beginning."

He managed a grin, nodding to his worried Starter. "Don't worry, I know when to stop..."

As he spoke, the Soul Dew's glow began to brighten. It started out a deep, flickering purple, then as Ash poured Aura into it the purple lightened and cleared to become a modest, ocean-blue.

It was nowhere near the brilliant, shifting sky-blue it had been earlier that day, but it was certainly an improvement.

Ash finished his careful nourishing of the gemstone. "Good," he said, standing up – and wobbled, nearly falling over again.

Lucario was there in a moment, and supported some of his weight. _"Careful, Ash – you put a lot of your own strength into that."_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I guess..."

He double-checked his gloves were on, then picked the Soul Dew up – careful to make sure he wasn't accidentally touching it with his skin, in case that was bad for it.

"Let's get this home."

He looked around, ignoring the damage done to the museum – that didn't matter at the moment. "Uh – hold on a moment. Pikachu? I think the one in the control pod mentioned that she had a Mega Stone? Can you look?"

"_Sure,"_ Pikachu said, scurrying over and hopping up into the control chair. A few seconds of rummaging, and he had a Mega Stone – and a Key Stone – secured.

Ash took them. "Thanks – guess we could have a use for these sometime. And – hey, Latias, Latios? Maybe you should grab those Mega Stones you were using. I know they were part of the DMA, but you could probably use them better."

"_That sounds better than leaving them lying around,"_ Latios agreed, picking up the blue-marked Latiosite. His sister's Latiasite was almost the same – both had greyish-purple main stones with purple flecks, but the centre of her Mega fleck was a bright pinkish-red which matched her feathers.

"Let's go," Ash added, stepping away from Lucario now he felt a bit more steady on his feet.

* * *

><p>Emerging from the museum, they found what looked a lot like a small warzone.<p>

The fossils had disappeared with the shutting down of the DMA, but the evidence of battle remained – scorch marks, cracked stone, scored or melted pathways through the plaza tiles, water and mud all over the place, and one of the big pillars fallen and shattered.

"_Hey, that's my one!"_ Latias said, feeling vaguely hurt, and that got everyone's attention.

"Ash! You're okay!" Brock called, a grin lighting his face. "And Latias, and – everyone's fine!"

"_We are indeed,"_ Latios said, with a smile. _"Rather better than I was when this happened before."_

He frowned, reminded. _"Before – the sea! Is it going to-"_

_No, it's not._

The mental voice was one quite familiar to most of those present.

_I handled the wave for you,_ Mewtwo said, floating down to a landing a little way in front of Ash. _I also made sure that all the buildings with people in were unbreached by the fossils, that trainers knew where to go to link up with other trainers, and incidentally that the number three hover-jet on Jessie and James' new aircraft survived ingesting an Archen._

"Wow, thanks!" Meowth said, blinking. "Ya know, dat's a really nice-"

Abra materialized, picked up Meowth and Victreebel, and vanished.

_I think I can guess what he was going to say to finish that,_ Mewtwo mused. _Right, let's go somewhere more private._

There was a bright flash-

And the plaza was empty.

* * *

><p>In Altomare's secret garden, everyone appeared in a bright flash on one of the larger lawns. Several Water-types landed with a <em>splash<em> in the lake.

_There we go,_ Mewtwo said, dusting his hands off. _Piece of cake._

"How'd you teleport Houndour and I?" Ash asked, curiously. "For that matter, how am I hearing you?"

_Miracle Eye,_ Mewtwo explained. _It's really quite simple. Anyway, I believe you have-_

"Right," Ash agreed. He took the Soul Dew, walked over to the metal cage with Latias and Latios hovering around him, and placed it carefully in the water.

It flashed, then began to glow more brightly. The fountains started to let out water again, flowing into the canals, and Altomare somehow felt _right_ again.

"Phew," Ash added, slumping back to sit down. "I think we need a bit of a rest, after that..."

_Not surprised,_ Mewtwo agreed. _I'll be over here if you need me._

There was another flash, and Mew appeared.

_Hello, Mew,_ he added, a little warily. _Nice of you to join us._

Mew ignored him. _Hello!_ The playful Legendary said, waving cheerfully at Mawile. _You're new!_

"_I'm only young!"_ Mawile nodded. _"So that makes sense. What's your name?"_

_I am Mew, only young one,_ Mew informed her, and got a giggle in return.

Mew floated up a few inches, and faced Ash. _She is adorable!_

Ash chuckled. "Yeah, I'm glad to have her."

* * *

><p>"<em>Uh... Meganium?"<em>

The Grass-type looked up from where she was soaking up the sun's rays. _"Yes?"_

Latias looked nervous, rubbing her hands together. _"Um... Pikachu told me I should talk to you about... something..."_

Meganium looked Latias over for a moment, then sighed. _"Sit down,_" she suggested, using her vines to tap the slope next to her.

Latias nodded, a quick, jerking motion, and settled to the grass.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

"_Uh... thank you for healing me,"_ Latias said.

"_It was no problem,"_ Meganium told her. _"Really. But I don't think that's what you wanted to talk about, is it..."_

"_No,"_ Latias admitted. She swallowed. _"Pikachu told me..."_

Latias gathered her courage for a moment, then took the plunge._ "He said you'd had a crush on Ash."_

Meganium nodded, slowly. _"I did. And – I guess you did. Or do."_

"_I-"_ Latias frowned. _"It's hard to tell _what_ I think. I've got... two sets of memories, and they're all confusing. I have one set where I saw Ash walking in the street, and... and I _was_ attracted to him, a bit. And then he saved my brother, and I was so _grateful_ to him. But... I guess I..."_

She shook her head. _"And then there's a second set, where I'd heard about Ash before he got here. He'd been in the news, as a skilled and famous trainer, and..."_

Meganium waited a few seconds. _"And what?"_ she asked, gently.

"_And... I guess he meant freedom,"_ Latias explained simply. _"He's had Suicune for months now, other Legendary Pokémon for some time – at least, that's what I understand – and... I've never been allowed to be _visible_ in Altomare, let alone leave, so..."_

"_...so you were a bit attracted to him, and you liked the idea of leaving – for a while, at least,"_ Meganium filled in.

Latias nodded. _"And then... this."_ She gestured around the garden, and Meganium took her meaning. _"He saved my life. He literally rode to the rescue on a legendary Pokémon... and now I don't know _what_ I think."_

A moment later, Latias felt a pair of vines encircle her. Gently, just enough to let her know they were there.

"_I know the feeling, Latias,"_ Meganium told her, giving Latias a hug. _"You want my advice? Talk to him about it. Maybe not now, but soon."_

Latias nodded. _"Thanks,"_ she said, voice a little raw. _"I think I will."_

* * *

><p>"You okay, Ash?" Misty asked.<p>

Ash looked up, a tired grin on his face. "Yeah," he said, with a nod. "Yeah, I feel... great, really."

"I can see why you would," Misty agreed. "I mean, not only is it your birthday-"

"Did Brock ever tell you what I did for my birthday when I was fighting the Battle Frontier?" Ash interrupted.

Misty blinked, thrown. "Uh... not really, no."

"I didn't do anything," Ash explained. "Didn't really do much in Sinnoh, either. And... well, Altomare was why."

He sighed. "Last time... Latios died. I mean, I know the Entei in Greenfield died last time, but... it was my birthday, and I couldn't save him, and..."

"Ash..." Misty began, worried.

Ash rubbed at his eyes. "I'm alright," he said. "Really, I'm alright – I mean... Misty, have you noticed that things seem... harder, this time around? Ever since Shamouti, at least."

"Yeah, now you mention it," Misty nodded. "There were three Beasts at Greenfield, not one, and the Marauder had a lot more firepower."

"Right!" Ash nodded. "And – this time, it was harder than last time... and we won. We did _better_."

He sat back. "That's why I feel great."

"I can see that, I guess," Misty agreed.

She glanced over, and poked Ash. "Hey, get up, Ash!"

"I wasn't asleep..."

"Latias and Latios are coming over," she said, nodding.

As Ash sat up again, Latias reached them. _"Uh, Ash?"_

"Yeah, Latias?" Ash asked.

"_I... thank you, for saving me,"_ she said. _"And... can we come with you?"_

Ash blinked. He was about to reply, but Latios spoke up first.

"_Latias – I appreciate that you want to leave Altomare. I won't stop you – it wouldn't be right, you have a chance to leave safely and do what you've dreamed of. But... this is our home, and our purpose is to protect the city. If you leave, I'll stay to keep it safe."_

Latias shook her head. _"No! Latios, I want you to come with me! I – don't want to lose you again."_

The male Eon twin blinked. _"Again – oh. Oh. Sorry, Latias, I didn't-"_

"_I know you're alive, now,"_ Latias said, hugging him. _"But – I feel so afraid. I didn't really appreciate you enough, and now – and – I'm afraid that if I go alone, you won't be here when I come back-"_

Her voice caught for a moment.

"Latias..." Ash said, wincing.

"_And-"_ Latias went on, swallowing. _"I – how can you protect the city? How can either of us? We just got shown that neither of us is strong enough! We should be stronger, strong enough to protect _ourselves_ or we're just a liability to Altomare!"_

"_I know, Latias,"_ Latios agreed, bowing his head. _"I was a complete fool. I should have agreed to Rayquaza's offer of training when he made it, decades ago. But... I didn't want to be away so long, and I wanted your childhood to last a little longer. I had to grow up too fast, sis... I wanted you to have the time to play."_

"_Exactly!"_ Latias said. _"But Ash – even Pokémon like... have you seen what Pikachu can do? What Lucario can do? We'd be safest with him – and he could help us learn to defend ourselves!"_

Ash frowned. "Hold on... I _think_ I've got an idea. Misty, can you get Bianca?"

Misty blinked, unsure what Ash was going for, but nodded. "Sure."

She looked around for the aspiring artist, and saw her having a talk with Mewtwo on the other side of the garden. "Be back in a few minutes," she informed them.

"Right. Do you know what Mega Evolution is?" Ash asked, addressing the Eon twins directly.

"_I... have some idea,"_ Latios said, slowly. _"It's what happened to us in the museum?"_

"Right," Ash confirmed. "Heracross can do it, Misty's Gyarados can do it, and my friend Gary has a Blastoise which can do it. It's a big powerup for the Pokémon which gets it."

He indicated the staff on his back. "This is my Key Stone – a trainer needs three things for their Pokémon to Mega Evolve. A Key Stone which they have, a Mega Stone which the Pokémon has – a different one for each Pokémon..."

Latias glanced over at where they'd put the two stones from the museum, and Ash nodded. "Right. And the third thing is – a strong bond between trainer and Pokémon. That's it."

"_Right,"_ Latios said, nodding.

"_Wait – you said trainer,"_ Latias frowned. _"How did it work with us?"_

"_Well, clearly the Pokémon doesn't actually need to be _caught_ by the person using the Key Stone,"_ Latios mused. _"And as for the bond – yes, I can see how that would work. Ash saved both our lives, sister – I remember the effort and sacrifices he went through to save me."_

Latias considered that, then nodded. _"Right."_

"So, my idea was-" Ash began, then noticed Misty returning with Bianca. "Right. Latias, Latios, can you get the stones from the museum?"

Latias nodded, zooming over to where she'd left hers and picking it up. Latios was a little slower, but they were both back by the time Bianca got there.

"Hi – Misty said you wanted a chat?" Bianca asked. "What's this?"

"Okay," Ash said, rummaging in his pocket and laying his staff on the grass. "Bianca, can you hold this?"

Bianca took the gemmed earring with some confusion. "Sure... uh, why?"

"Oh, I see where this is going," Misty smiled.

"Bianca – just think about Latios," Ash told her. "I know you've grown up knowing him, so I'm sure there's some good memories-"

"Right," Bianca said, still a little uncertain, and closed her eyes – thinking of the time she'd shared with the Eon Pokémon.

The first time she'd done a picture of him, with crayons and scrap paper, and he'd made squeaky noises of delight over it – one of the times he'd been as exuberant as his sibling.

The time she'd fallen into a canal, and Latios had been there almost before she'd hit the water – pulling her out, invisibly, and placing her back on the canalside as gently as a breeze.

And – the indescribable relief, when she saw both Eon twins emerging from the museum. Tired, but hale and whole.

There was a flash of orange light. Startled, Bianca opened her eyes – and saw the earring in her hand shimmering with light.

And Latios was... purple.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"It's Mega Evolution," Misty told her. "It's a way a Pokémon can become much more powerful by working with someone who cares for them. Ash, that's a great idea!"

Ash nodded. "Right. So – Latias, would you feel leaving Latios was safe for him if he was able to do that?"

Latias blinked. _"I... actually, yeah,"_ she admitted, as Latios shifted back down from Mega. She thought about it a bit longer. _"I mean, I guess I'd feel he was safe if Latios was able to transform – but Bianca had better not let him out of her sight!"_

"Bianca, what do you think?" Ash asked her.

She just looked a bit confused.

"...Ash, she didn't understand what Latias said!" Misty reminded him.

"Oh, right!" Ash chuckled nervously. "If you had that earring on you, and Latios or Latias was with you with their Mega Stones, then they'd be safe. Would you be willing to do that?"

"If it would keep Latias and Latios safe – then yes," Bianca nodded, understanding. "Wait, does this mean that you might be taking Latias away? I guess she's always wanted to – but she _is_ my friend, and-"

"_I may have a suggestion,"_ Suicune volunteered, moving closer. _"Sorry to interrupt, but – for we three of Ecruteak, Ash already has the system that we may leave whenever we wish. Perhaps one of you at most should be with him at any one time – but perhaps, if training is the intent, you should both spend some time with him."_

"So Latias and Latios kind of commute?" Bianca asked.

Latias frowned. _"I... guess that sounds fine,"_ she admitted. _"Latios?"_

"_It does sound sensible,"_ Latios nodded. _"It would ensure we were both safe, better able to protect Altomare – and had the chance to train, to become stronger."_

"_Great!"_ his sister beamed. _"That's settled, then!"_

She blinked. _"Wait. Does this mean Ash has to catch us in Pokéballs?"_

"That's a tough one..." Misty said. "If we left one of Dexter's transceivers here, then you two could swap places whenever you wanted to – if you were both caught."

"It's really your choice, though," Ash added. "I've made really sure with all the Legendaries who I've-"

"_All_ the – how many do you have?" Bianca asked, then shook her head. "Never mind. I don't think I can handle many more shocks..."

* * *

><p>"So, how are you getting along with Electrike?" Norman asked his son.<p>

"Pretty well!" Max replied, stroking the stiff fur of his Electric-type. "I kind of think I should give him a nickname, though... any ideas?"

"Nicknames are a pretty personal thing," Norman said, frowning. "I wonder if-"

There was a clatter on the stairs as May came running down.

"Ethan just spotted – you have to see this!" she said, scooping up the remote control and turning their TV on.

"_...the situation in Altomare seems to have largely stabilized. The marauding Fossil Pokémon from earlier have now vanished, and thus far all indications are that there were no serious casualties from the incident._

_All indications are that this unexpected good news is due to the efforts of trainers – both local and those in town due to the Altomare festival – who fought off the strange invasion with great dedication._

_In particular, all three of the Beasts of Johto were seen roaming the streets, rescuing those trainers or groups of trainers who were in trouble. Since Suicune and Entei have previously been confirmed to be caught by a trainer, the indications are that Raikou was present for the same reason."_

"Wait..." Norman said. "Didn't you say _Ash_ had caught Suicune?"

"Hang on, they're going to show it again," May told him. "Look!"

Jaws dropped as the shaky camera-footage was played. Taken from the second floor of a building looking towards the museum, it showed the friends' charge in with the Bull-Dozer, Mega Gyarados, the sheer number of fossils, someone who seemed to be Ash _riding Keldeo_ towards the museum, and then there was a flash towards the right of shot.

The camera moved to show a Moltres materializing from a Pokéball, a hovering aircraft under attack by Aerodactyl and Archeops, and then a Pidgeot boomed past barely below the sound barrier and launched in a Sky Attack to clear the air around the hovering plane.

"...the heck?" Norman asked weakly.

May frowned. "Huh, more spectacular than usual... "

The footage wound on for several more minutes, capturing a huge battle around the museum, and then the fossils abruptly vanished.

There was a momentary shot of Mewtwo, and then everyone vanished.

"...when you get a chance, can you call Ash?" Norman asked. "I'd kind of like to know what the heck was going on there."

* * *

><p>"Do you think that went alright?" Jessie asked, as their transport aircraft headed east towards a pre-arranged airstrip.<p>

"Well, I don't know," James replied, steering them up a little to avoid some turbulence. "I guess we didn't manage to stop Annie and Oakley, but the Boss mainly wanted us to be seen – and we certainly were."

"Do you think we helped?" Meowth asked. "I mean, I kinda did a bit, an' Victreebel knocked out dis whole line o' Carracosta, but what about you guys in da museum?"

"Probably," Jessie nodded. "Growlie did a lot of damage – knocked out their Leafeon and Shedinja, I saw that – and I'm pretty sure Arbok managed to poison the Cofagrigus. He couldn't get through to the Sylveon, though."

"Growlie hit the Glaceon," James reported. He frowned, and increased the pitch on their piston engines a little. "Didn't knock her out, though, which might be a problem."

"What _were_ Annie and Oakley tryin' ta do, anyway?" Meowth asked.

"Take over the world?" Jessie guessed. "That's the usual."

James frowned. "Wonder what's going to happen to them..."

* * *

><p>Giovanni walked into the room, and sat down. For a long moment, all he did was look at the two humiliated agents.<p>

"Can you give me one good reason why I should not have you both _killed_?"

"Sir, we-" Annie began.

"Do you have any idea how much you have cost us? How much your little scheme would have cost us if it went through?" Giovanni shook his head. "You've managed to single-handedly undo two years of patient PR work. Two years. I suppose I would be impressed, if I thought you meant to do anything like this."

"I-"

He continued talking over them, not deigning to notice that they were speaking. "As it stands, I have to convince several highly placed people that supporting Team Rocket initiatives is in their best interests. The legal ones, at that. It is only because you failed that I can salvage anything from this. That and that one of my top teams was visible in the area helping to stop you."

He fell silent for a second. Annie and Oakley didn't speak.

"Yubitsume. All of it. Both of you. You're not allowed Pokémon any more, you're assigned to grunt work, and if you make anything _approaching_ a slip one more time then you will consider that _merciful."_

He stood, leaving the room without a word.

* * *

><p>Gary came down to breakfast, squinting in the morning light. "Thanks for letting me use the spare bedroom, Professor Sycamore..."<p>

His fellow researcher nodded, pushing a cup of coffee across the table. "I heard you getting up – here."

"Thanks." Gary took a swig, sighing. "Ah, that's nice."

"You'll like this, too," Sycamore winked, putting a magazine down on the table in front of him.

Gary glanced up at the title. "_Pokémon_ journal? I mean, I do read it – everyone does – but-"

He paused mid-sip, eyes widening, as he spotted the cover splash.

_Mega Evolution – examples and details_

Below that was a big picture of a Mega Lucario, with smaller images all around the edges.

"What!? Did we get pre-empted?" he asked, shocked.

Sycamore shook his head. "I know a couple of guys who work at the journal, I showed them the paper early. We got the news late yesterday it passed peer review, and they managed to get it into this month's issue. Nice work, right?"

Gary put his coffee down a bit hard and opened the journal, glancing at the contents before leafing through to page 53.

_Mega Evolutions – observations, conclusions, mysteries and further directions of research_

_Oak, Sycamore et al_

"...I mean, wow..." he said, blinking. "This is... well, this is huge."

"I know, right?" Sycamore chuckled. "It's out there, now – enjoy it, Mr. Oak! _I've_ only been in _Pokémon_ a few times... but anyway, this means there's lots more research to be done. There could be whole papers on _individual_ Mega Evolutions, now... and we're at the forefront!"

He waved his empty mug around, punctuating his sentences. "It's wonderful, isn't it! All that research to be done!"

"And I can use Mega Blastoise openly, now," Gary nodded. "It's pretty... huge?"

Sycamore looked up at the abrupt change in tone. "What is it, Mr. Oak?"

Gary nodded to the muted TV. "I think my friend Ash just got in trouble again."

Reaching for his pocket, he took out Dee's main body. "Can you call Ash?"

Placing call. Dee paused. Line busy. I think it's Ethan – that means May saw the news first.

"What have you done _this_ time, Ash?" Gary sighed, rubbing his temples.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>Phew!<p>

There were a few experimental bits in there, and the whole "One big chapter" thing is experimental too. Let me know how I did – with the film as a whole and with this format in particular.

The idea of it being Ash's 13th birthday was because it fit with the timescale I've been using – and because of how it also explains why his other birthdays weren't celebrated afterwards. (Kind of a traumatic event.)

Jet-powered Keldeo is something I worked out a while ago. Given the amount of power he clearly uses in the Kyurem and Keldeo film, his minimum over-water speed with Ash is something like 70 mph—nothing to sneeze at – and that's a lower estimate!

The sisters, Annie and Oakley – they kind of brought reinforcements.

Pikachu's ground-type thing... yeah, that's an ongoing issue. I'll explain later.

I tried to fit in everyone in the teams of all three – Ash, Brock and Misty – except for a few unreachable at this time, like Lugia, Ho-Oh or Lapras.

Motto credit to Leonite.

And – yep, of course I had to have Mega-Eons. Not long until Hoenn...


	101. Johto 42

"How about... Watt?"

A considering look, and a head shake.

"Come on!" Max said, with a sigh. "Watt was cool. James Watt invented the steam engine, he developed the concept of measurable power, and the Watt is a unit of power – as in _electrical_ power."

Electrike cocked his head, then shook it.

I think that's a no, Kris vocalized.

"Fine." Max scrunched up the paper, and threw it at the bin. It missed, and there was a little crackle of sparks as Electrike pounced on it and brought it back over.

Smiling, the little Electric-type deposited the paper at Max's feet. _"Got it! Let's do this instead of a name!"_

Max glanced at Kris, who dutifully supplied a translation on her main screen.

"Sorry, boy," he said, shaking his head. "I want to get this sorted out now."

"_Awww..."_

"Right," Max said, looking at the next sheet. "Hey, what about Volta?"

Noticing Electrike's frown, he elaborated. "Not Volt, Volta. Alessandro Volta invented the battery, after studying the cheek pouches of a Pikachu."

Electrike did not seem particularly impressed.

"Ah well. Coulomb?"

Another no.

"Not even going to give it a think?" Max asked. "Coulomb developed the definition of electro... electrostatic force."

"_What's electrostatic force?"_ Electrike asked.

"It's kind of... you know, when your fur all stands on end?" Max tried, reading the translation off again. "When you're charged up. That's electrostatic. It's why your fur needs to be kept nice and even, because that way you can charge up more electricity at once."

Electrike nodded, slowly. _"I don't think I like that name, though."_

"Come on..." Max wheedled. "We've already done ten... what about Amp? Ampere was really important in working out how electricity works."

Electrike yawned. _"I'm bored. Can we go for a walk?"_

Max shrugged. "Guess so. I'm nearly out of ideas anyway..."

He got up off his bed, pulled his jacket on, and picked up Electrike's Pokéball.

That still surprised him, sometimes – that he had a Pokémon.

And, at the same time, he couldn't wait until Ash was done with the Silver Conference. He wanted to meet his other friends, and see if they wanted to travel with him.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Electrike..." Max called. "Ready?"<p>

Electrike nodded, jumping back and forth.

Max threw the stick. "Fetch!"

The Electric-type coiled up for a moment, and launched himself forwards. Eyes on the stick as it fell, he picked it up a moment after it landed and came running back over.

"Right," Max nodded, patting him and taking the stick back. "Good. Now – catch!"

Electrike jumped, a faint _bzzzrt_ coming from his rear legs as he pushed off from the ground, and his jaws snapped closed on the length of wood.

Which promptly broke.

The slightly startled canine landed, looked at the bits, then spat the remainder out. _"Pfah! Whoops... sorry..."_

"It's fine!" Max reassured him, crouching down. "Really. I guess we just used that one a bit too much... is there another one?"

"_Uh..."_

"Wait, here's one," Max added, finding one within arm's reach. "...huh, this looks like it was broken deliberately."

Electrike cocked his head on one side, sniffing it, then shrugged.

"_No idea-"_

There was a bright flash of green light from a little way into the forest, and several more sticks came raining down.

"...I guess we know where they came from," Max said. He reached into his pocket, and took the bronze octagon of Kris' projector. "Ready?"

Stand by... ready. Set up.

Kris materialized, and Max moved cautiously forwards with Electrike just ahead of him.

There was another bright flash, this one closer. Max peered through a bush, and saw what was going on.

* * *

><p>"Good!" May said, nodding. "Now, let's try it a bit faster!"<p>

Blaziken stood up straight, arms by his sides.

"Go!"

On her command, the Fire-type jumped backwards. He skidded along the floor, shedding momentum as he did, and crouched with his clawed hands together by his right side.

A green light flashed into being, cradled between them, and he brought them up before making as if to fling the globe of energy towards an imagined foe.

Intense yellow-green light blasted out, hitting a tree trunk, and made it creak ominously.

"Great! You're really getting the hang of Solarbeam, Blaziken!" May said, satisfied. "That'll surprise any Water-types!"

"May?"

May turned, and blinked. "Max? What are you doing-"

"I saw the light," Max explained. "Pretty cool, Blaziken."

Blaziken stood straight again, and inclined his head in a respectful nod.

"The idea's supposed to be that we can throw it into a routine no matter which way it's moving," May told him. "It looks good, and it's useful too – especially because, if it's weaker, I'm pretty sure I can have Wartortle's water stream or even Beautifly's scales shimmer in it. Should look nice."

"I guess you have to think about that," Max nodded. "I'm mainly working on speed and jumping with Electrike, at the moment."

"Weren't you going to nickname him?" May asked, bending down to scratch Max's starter.

"I've been trying... no matter what I come up with, he just doesn't like it." Max sighed.

"Ah, I know what's been going on!" May winked at her brother. "You're overthinking it!"

"Overthinking it?" Max repeated.

"Yeah, I bet you're trying to come up with some big, meaningful nickname," May said. "And that's fine! But I'd guess he's just not all that interested in that kind of thing."

"That would explain a lot..." Frowning, Max considered Electrike. "Is that what's been going on?"

Electrike nodded, looking a bit ashamed.

"No, it's fine!" Max hastened to reassure him. "It's just... yeah, okay, I'll try and think of something simpler. Unless you've got any ideas?"

"_Hmmm..."_ Blaziken murmured. _"Arc."_

Electrike hummed. _"...not sure... but I like it a bit. Better than all the other boring names, anyway."_

Max glanced at Kris for translation, and snorted. "Thanks..."

"Rai?" May suggested. "Or maybe something like Shocker?"

Electrike's ears perked up. _"Ooh, I like that one!"_

"Shocker? Really?" Max asked, blinking. "It seems kind of... generic?"

"_But I'm shocking!"_ Electrike insisted. _"I shocked you when I appeared, and I shock enemies!"_

He frowned._ "Or maybe Arc would be best. I don't know... can I think about it some more?"_

"Guess so..." Max agreed with a nod.

"If you two are finished," May said, a little tartly. "Blaziken and I were practising."

Blaziken nodded, considering, and stood. He brushed off his hands, and walked to the centre of the clearing.

"Okay, this time let's try coming out of a spin kick," May suggested. "Oh, and try not to hit my brother, I've only got one... thank goodness."

"Hey!" Max called.

* * *

><p>"That looks good," Tracey said, pencil flying over the paper. "Lovely... right, can you turn left a smidge?"<p>

The shiny Entei complied, shifting his angle so the spikes on his back were differently lit.

"Lovely." Tracey frowned slightly, pencil slowing, and shaded in one of the spikes a bit more. "Right, I think that's done!"

"_May I see?"_ the Legendary asked, and Tracey flipped the sketchbook around.

"_I like it,"_ he said after a moment. _"Interesting you did my mask in colour – it does stand out."_

"Well, it's one of the ways to make you distinct in sketch from your doppelgänger," Tracey agreed readily. "I mean, a lot of the colouring differences are subtle."

Entei nodded. _"All three of us are a bit more subtle than most. Well, Suicune and I – Raikou is a little more striking."_

"It's the lack of the purple bit," Tracey agreed. "He's the easiest to do in pencil sketch, actually..."

He stood. "Well, thanks for your time."

"_The pleasure is mine, really,"_ Entei informed him. _"It's partly a case of... wanting to leave mementoes behind, for when we go off to do our duties."_

Tracey nodded. "I can understand that, yeah. I mean, I don't travel much any more – keeping the mob under control is a full time job..."

"_Possibly several,"_ Entei noted, deadpan.

"Fair," Tracey agreed. "I was actually thinking of making sure I've got sketches of everyone who comes here, you know... well, and Pokémon like Umbreon and Pikachu who never seem to be here at all."

"_That sounds great!"_

Tracey looked up at the voice. "Oh, hi Marill. Have a nice swim?"

"_I did,"_ Marill nodded. _"There's a nice group of Buizel and Floatzel offshore, I had a play around with them. They're a bit excitable, but really nice!"_

"Floatzel? Really?" Tracey looked interested. "I wonder... where are they?"

Marill pointed. _"Just over there."_

Tracey flipped his sketchbook open again, and opened a fresh page. "Okay, the rock they're on is shaped like... _that_..."

As he drew, he smiled. "I know Ash is going to get a Buizel at _some_ point, but Floatzel's one I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to draw from life."

"_You like drawing a lot, I can tell,"_ Entei murmured.

"It's relaxing," Tracey agreed. "It's kind of... well, I guess it started as a joke. You know – sketch it!"

"_No, I had managed to completely miss that,"_ the Fire-type informed him sardonically. _"Really? A joke? Perish the thought."_

A smile tugged at Tracey's lips. "Yeah, yeah. But... I don't know, it just seems like it's possible to really connect with a Pokémon when you draw them. The best pieces of art aren't like photos – art, like a painting or a sketch, shows the _essence_ of the subject."

He frowned a little, erased a line and started to redraw the Floatzel's tails. "And... yeah, I kind of go back and forth between drawing and studying Pokémon anatomy, but drawing's the thing I _love_ the most."

Entei looked closer at the drawing taking shape. _"You've put an interesting expression on his face."_

"Her,"Tracey informed Entei casually, shading the arm-fins.

"_...okay, how did you tell that exactly? We've not seen the back."_

The artist shrugged. "Couldn't tell you, but she is. It's the kind of thing I'm talking about – you get to know the tiny little differences."

"_I'll take your word for it."_

Finishing his rough sketch, Tracey drew in the ripples of the sea state and closed the book again. "I'll tighten that up later. What's the time..."

He glanced at his watch, and blinked. "Whoa, we took longer than I was expecting."

* * *

><p>"Sorry I'm a bit late back, Professor," Tracey said, as he came through the door to the main building.<p>

"Eh?" Oak looked up. "Oh, don't worry about it, Tracey. Most of Ash's team is resting at the moment – the battle in Altomare was quite tiring, as I understand it. Have you seen this?"

He passed a magazine over to the confused Tracey.

"No, actually..." Tracey admitted, taking it. "What's... wait a minute. Isn't this the stuff Gary's been working on?"

His eyes flicked to the title, and widened. "This is _Pokémon_ journal?"

Professor Oak sat back, blinking at his eyes. "I... I'm so proud..."

"Gary got published in-"

"Even counting the time travel, he's so young it's really impressive," the Professor continued. "Back before... well, before Ash straightened him out – I suppose I can say that – I was a little bit worried, but since then... I'm very impressed with him, I really am."

Tracey smiled. "I guess that's a great reason to be proud. Have you told him?"

"Oh, I have," Oak said. "I think he was a bit embarrassed, but I'm sure he was happy for it."

He shrugged. "I'm not sure when I'm going to tell him what Ash said about Mega Latias and Mega Latios, though."

"What's – oh, right, the bit about them looking basically identical." Tracey shrugged. "Whenever you want, I guess. It's not like Latias and Latios look all that different."

"A fair point, Tracey, a fair point." Oak made to continue, but there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get that," Tracey volunteered.

He opened it, and was greeted by Molly and her Eevee.

"Oh, good afternoon, Molly!" he said, smiling. "I guess you're coming around for your usual lesson?"

"Yep!" Molly nodded. "What's today?"

Tracey frowned. "Let's see... I think it was Water-types. Does that sound right?"

Eevee turned into a Vaporeon, tail wagging, and Molly nodded. "That sounds about right!"

"Let's head over, then – I'll go pick up Marill from wherever she's gone, and then we can see how Ash's Squirtle and Gary's Poliwrath and Cloyster are doing."

Another nod. "That sounds good. Thanks, Mr. Sketchit!"

* * *

><p>"...so the important thing for just about all Water-types is to pay attention to how hydrated they are," Tracey said, playing the hose over Cloyster. "Most of them can do alright out of the water – though some like Finneon and Goldeen do need to stay wet all the time – but they do need to keep damp."<p>

Molly absorbed the information. "And Squirtle?"

"He has his own rules," Tracey sighed. "Anyway. Most Water-types can keep themselves a bit wet, but they can end up dehydrated if they rely on themselves for too long."

Vaporeon briefly dissolved into a puddle, then reformed with a giggle and flirted her tail. _"I don't!"_

"I think you _might_, you've just never been a Vaporeon for long enough that it matters," Tracey replied. "Oh, the other thing is that Pokéballs keep the Pokémon in the same condition as they went in, for this. So a Pokémon won't dry out in the Pokéball."

"I see," Molly frowned. "And I guess that's for hot or cold weather, too? So... a Pokémon which didn't like being hot could be in their Pokéball?"

"That's right!" Tracey nodded. "You're catching on!"

* * *

><p>Charizard's wings beat steadily, as he climbed a little to get over the ridge and turned south for the Valley.<p>

Not far to go now.

Of course, it wasn't as if he'd be staying particularly long. The Silver Conference was only a week or two away, and he'd most certainly be participating – the question was how much.

The big Fire-type had certain opinions on that. So what if Ash didn't want to flatten less experienced trainers? Surely there'd be _someone_ worth the battle. (Preferably three and the entire Elite Four.)

An orange shape leapt from the rim of the ridge as he approached, and he followed it as it climbed steadily to meet him.

"_Hail the conquering hero,"_ Charla said with a chuckle, turning and pulling up into formation with him. _"So, how was your latest trip?"_

"_Not bad,"_ Charizard replied. _"Sorry about the timing."_

Charla nodded critically – it really hadn't been a good time, they'd been out on another of what were technically not dates when Dexter's emergency summons had come in.

If anyone asked, Charizard would deny taking it out on the Tyrantrum.

"_We saw what was going on,"_ Charla volunteered. _"On the news. Well, not you except for the bit at the end, but your trainer and his friends – fighting through the horde of fossils. That looked pretty amazing."_

"_I was somewhere else,"_ Charizard shrugged, waggling his wings a little and shedding speed. _"Punching Tyrantrum in the face, mainly."_

Charla snorted in amusement. _"You know, that sounds kind of cool."_

"_It was..."_ Charizard admitted. They came over the valley wall into the Charific Valley itself, and he blinked.

Most of the Valley population was turned out to greet him. Again.

"_Didn't you say I mostly wasn't on television?"_

"_Mostly,"_ Charla stressed. The two flared, dropping down to land, and touched down in the middle of the Charizard.

"_What did you do this time?"_ one asked.

"_Did you use your special Blast Burn?"_

"_Did you do that cool transforming thing again?"_

"_I didn't use Blast Burn or Mega Evolve, no,"_ Charizard said, to a couple of disappointed sighs. _"But I _did_ beat a super-powered Tyrantrum in single combat."_

Most of the other Charizard contemplated fighting a super-powered Fossil Rock/Dragon type three times their mass.

"_Okay, nice,"_ one admitted.

"_In a narrow city street,"_ Charizard went on. _"In under two minutes."_

"_Steady there, Pyroar,"_ Charla coughed, to general laughter.

"_What else happened?"_ one of the younger Valley members asked.

"_My trainer rescued a Legendary,"_ Charizard hinted. _"Again."_

"_Okay, you're telling us_ all_ about this now,"_ one of the elders decided. _"Start with why the Fossil Apocalypse was happening."_

"_I might need to go back a bit for it to make sense..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Congratulations,"<em> Charla said to him, some time later once the crowd had finally dispersed. _"You managed to get through all of that without mentioning the time travel thing."_

Charizard sighed, relieved._ "Good, I was wondering... it's hard to remember to, sometimes."_

Charla nodded sympathetically. _"I think I understand."_

After a moment, she looked up. _"Who's that?"_

A middle-aged Charizard approached, a little hesitantly. _"Sorry to be a bother – what did you say your trainer's name was?"_

"_Ash,"_ Charizard supplied.

"_Right..."_

The other Charizard looked a little preoccupied, for some reason.

"_What is it?"_ Charizard asked.

"_I just... okay, there was this thing about forty years ago. I don't remember seeing a Charizard there, but... seeing that boy and his team on TV just then..."_

A deep breath. _"Have you heard of Celebi?"_

"_Pardon?"_ Charla said, a little thrown by the topic switch.

"_...wait. Was your original trainer Professor Oak?"_ Charizard asked. _"Ash said he had a Charmeleon during the-"_

"_-the time jump, yes,"_ Sammy's Charizard went on. _"I've not been back to my trainer's house in years... I should go, some time. Sorry for-"_

"_No, it's fine-"_

"_Boys!"_ Charla said, tail blazing up slightly. _"Can you stop apologizing to one another and just have a proper conversation?"_

"_...yes'm,"_ Ash's Charizard said meekly.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey!"<em> Terrakion called, looking up the scree slope at his fellow Swords. _"Did you guys see the news last night?"_

"_I'm afraid I didn't,"_ Virizion shrugged. _"I was busy – there were some Petilil who wanted me to choose who got a Sun Stone they'd found."_

She shrugged._"Fortunately I knew where to get two more. So that was nice."_

"_A very even, just approach,"_ Cobalion complimened her. _"And no, Terrakion, I didn't see it either."_

"_I'm gonna have to show you two this,"_ Terrakion said firmly. _"Keldeo was on it."_

"_He was?"_ Virizion asked, and Cobalion looked about as interested as she was. _"Great – hold on a moment."_

She stepped forwards, controlled her skid down the scree slope as fragments of hard shale avalanched to the bottom around her, and stepped off next to her comrade. _"What was he doing?"_

"_You know that Ash kid?"_ Terrakion asked. _"The one who helped Keldeo? Well, he was riding Keldeo to the rescue. Literally."_

"_I'm surprised Keldeo would be alright with that,"_ Cobalion admitted, halting himself next to the others. _"It sounds a little... well, I'm surprised."_

"_Lighten up, Cobalion!"_ Terrakion chuckled. _"Keldeo was fine with it – hey, _I'd_ be fine with it if it was someone I respected! And it looked pretty cool."_

He shook his head. _"Anyway, they saved a Latias and a city full of people and Pokémon, that's what I can tell. And there was a huge fight against loads of Fossils."_

Virizion nodded. _"He is doing us all proud, then. A Sword of Justice, pure and true."_

"_Indeed,"_ Cobalion agreed. _"Perhaps we should ask about it in the next letter?"_

"_That does sound a good idea,"_ Virizion smiled. _"We can tell him about that unpleasantness with the Klinklang."_

"_Do we have to?"_ Terrakion asked, ruefully. _"I hate Metal Burst..."_

* * *

><p>Lance walked, slowly, to the end of his office.<p>

He turned, and walked slowly back.

Glancing up, he saw Dragonite looking at him.

"What?"

Dragonite shrugged.

"I'm not worried, of course I'm not," Lance said, then shook his head. "Okay, maybe a bit. We saw the news, but... what _happened_ in Altomare? What went _wrong?"_

The Dragon-type shook his head, raising his arms.

Lance glanced up, then returned to his pacing. "Okay, I get your point... but still. We should have had someone there in time."

Dragonite had barely begun to speak before Lance interrupted him. "I know! We're stretched thin as it is... I can't ask more of my riders. This is why I'm so glad Lorelei agreed to help run patrols..."

He frowned. "Actually, we should consider... hm. Perhaps-"

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Lance called, and the door clicked open.

A young woman in thick riding clothes came through. "Sir? I've got the report."

"Ah, good," Lance smiled. "I was wondering... let's hear it."

"Right." The dragonrider took off her overcoat, and wiped her brow. "Hotter here than it is at altitude... right. You were right, that was the Indigo Champion from last year leading the charge – and his companions were Brock of Pewter and Misty of Cerulean."

She paused for a moment on seeing Lance's interest. "Sir? Any questions?"

"Not for now, Lola," Lance told her. "Keep going."

"Right." Lola nodded. "It took a while, but I managed to get some information beyond what was on the news. First off – Raikou was confirmed to be in the city, alongside Entei and Suicune."

"So, he's got all three..." Lance nodded to himself. "Very impressive. Well, that's good to know. Let's remain on the topic of Mr. Ketchum for now."

"Yes, sir." Lola frowned. "Well, it seems a lot like he had _all_ his Pokémon in the city – I counted well over a dozen, and I could match his entire Indigo team to observed sightings."

"Right," Lance said. "It sounds a lot like we were lucky they were there."

Lola nodded. She took her riding gloves off, putting them on the chair on top of her overcoat. "We don't know much about what happened in the museum, but the place was a wreck. The DMA was clearly missing some parts, there was one window gone and a giant melted hole in the floor – we don't know what did that."

"Right." Lance frowned. "Did you see the Eon Pokémon?"

"I'm afraid not," Lola said, shaking her head. "I did hear that they were seen coming out of the museum with Mr. Ketchum, though."

"I see..."

After a moment, the Grand Champion sat down and tapped his fingers on the table. "You mentioned the Beasts. Can you confirm what they were doing?"

"Roaming the streets, along with a lot of other Pokémon, and knocking out Fossils wherever the two groups intersected." Lola shrugged. "The streets are a bit of a mess, battle scars everywhere, but the museum plaza where that big battle took place is the worst."

She switched topics. "There was a confirmed Mega-Evolution out in the open – Mega Gyarados – but fortunately _Pokémon_ journal broke the silence before then so it's not too much of an issue...?"

Lance nodded a confirmation of her interpolation. "That was fully approved, we had news that Rocket agents had gained access to a Mega Stone and Key Stone combination, so it was hardly giving _much _away._._. right, my other question. The Moltres?"

"Several people said the Moltres was working with people wearing Rocket uniforms," Lola told him. "I'm not sure why-"

"No, it _does_ make a kind of sense," Lance sighed. "Especially if this was some kind of rogue Rocket operation, whoever's in charge would want to make it clear they were rogue – and what better way than sending a team with a _Legendary_? It's excellent PR for them, actually..."

He shrugged. "Well, never mind that. Perhaps... no, that's for later. Thank you for your time, rider Lola."

After she left, he drummed his fingers on the table.

"It keeps coming back to Ash, doesn't it..." he mused. "Gringey City. New Island. Shamouti. Greenfield, Arborville, the Whirl Islands, the Lake of Rage... and now Altomare."

He glanced over at Dragonite, reading his expression. "I know, but it's a heck of a string of coincidences. I think... hmmm."

Lance reached out, and picked up the phone. He dialled a number, waited a minute, then smiled. "Ah, Lorelei! Good. I was wondering if we'd be able to hold the discussion about our candidates _before_ the Silver Conference... I know it's short notice, but I've got an item to add to the agenda... oh, and someone extra to invite."

There was a pause.

"How would you feel about going out with a bang?"

* * *

><p>"Hey, doc!" Akiyama called, banging on the door. "Doc!"<p>

"He'll notice eventually," his friend Noguchi sighed. "You should know what he's like by now."

"Yeah, but Fraxure and I are getting cold out here. Open up, doc!"

Katou rolled her eyes. "You'd think we'd never done this before."

"I'm sure he's doing something worthwhile," Tachikawa volunteered. "Or he'd better be, at any rate."

"I'm not so sure..." Akiyama muttered. He made to bang on the door again, and it opened. "Whoa!"

His Fraxure picked him up and set him back down on his feet.

"Thanks..." the young trainer said, wincing. "What was that for, doc?"

"What was what for?" Doctor Akihabara asked, frowning. "I heard you knocking, I opened the door..."

"We've been out here for twenty minutes," Tachikawa said, tapping her foot. "In the wind. My hair looks-"

"It's fine," the eccentric genius waved her off. "I was working on the Up-Grade project. I'm nearly there!"

"You've been nearly there since you formed our team," Akiyama muttered. "Okay, what's it today?"

"Ah!" Akihabara raised a finger. "I hope you're ready for an urgent mission!"

"How urgent was it before you kept us outside for-" Katou began.

"No time!" Akihabara interrupted her. "Right! Through here, quickly – there was a cyber attack on Silph corporation, it's your job to go sort it out!"

Akiyama gaped for a moment longer, then sighed. "Okay, whatever. Let's get going. Guys?"

"Ahem?" Katou coughed pointedly.

"And girls. Let's get ready!" His Fraxure moved up behind him, ready to go.

Tachikawa sent her own Lilligant out, and the elegant Grass-type bowed slightly.

"We really need a bigger room, Doctor..." Noguchi sighed. "Since Rufflet evolved."

"This is the room the transfer device is in," Akihabara replied, with a shrug.

"Fine." Noguchi released Braviary, and the room got a great deal more cramped. When Katou sent out her own Pyroar, the Fire-type found himself with barely enough floor space to sit – somewhat uncomfortably.

"Ready?" Akihabara asked.

"Just get on with it!" Akiyama implored.

"Your elbow's in my face..."

"Okay!" Akihabara tapped a few controls. "It's Porygon number five this time! Off you go!"

The transfer device flashed, digitizing the quartet of trainers and sending them on their way.

* * *

><p>Bianca leaned back on her chair, glancing between the window and the easel, and steadily applied stroke after stroke of paint.<p>

It was a glorious May day in Altomare. A bit breezy, the white clouds scudding across the sky, and with the sun shining steadily down on the city of canals.

Rebuilding and repair work was already going on on the damage sustained the previous day, which was nice as well. No-one had been much more than bruised – amazingly – and so everyone was surprisingly optimistic for the recent site of a horde of rampaging Fossil Pokémon.

There was a squeaky sound from beside her, and Bianca glanced up. "Latios?"

Feathers shimmering, Latios decloaked and nodded. He gave another quiet, hooting call, and Bianca got the rough gist.

"Yeah, I know Ash said Latias told you to stay right next to me at all times. I guess I'm not used to it..."

She looked at the Latiosite glittering on the dresser, and swallowed – one arm reaching up to touch the Key Stone she'd gained the previous day. "I'm not much used to _this_, either."

Latios nodded silently.

There was some shouting outside. By the sounds of it a couple of workers had accidentally knocked a cement mixer another group was working with into the canal.

Bianca sighed, and got back to painting. "Sorry, Latios, I'm being a bit melancholy. I'll try to paint something nice and sunny..."

She paused, looking at what she'd already done – mainly the skyscape – and blinked. "Wait, I've got an idea. What about if I pack this up, we head to the grotto, and then I paint _you – _just overhead."

Latios tilted his head, cooing a question.

"Well, I was thinking I could add Latias to it, and you'd both be on there," Bianca explained. She sighed. "I miss Latias already."

Another coo from Latios. The Dragon-type made an expansive shrug, then waved over at the window – indicating the sky.

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I guess she is happier. I mean... yeah. I'm glad she's getting her chance."

Latios nodded.

"Do you think you're going to enjoy it?"

That produced a more uncertain shrug – she got the impression Latios just plain wasn't sure.

"I guess it does matter what it turns out to be like..." Bianca shrugged. "Well, anyway, I'll pack the easel up. Don't forget the stone."

Latios nodded, and picked it off the dresser. He concentrated, and light bent around his form to make him invisible again – as well as the stone, which seemed to have the same properties.

"Good," Bianca said, bundling up her paints. "Okay, let's get going. Hey, maybe we could try out that transformation, too, I could paint that..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>Another chapter of Ashes Nowhere To Be Seen, to cool down a bit after Pokémon Heroes.<p>

I've still not decided what nickname to give the Electrike.

Tracey and Bianca are both artists of slightly different stripes, here. As for the CyberMon lab – well, there's a few shoutouts there.

And Lance is starting to realize just how much help it is having Ash around.


	102. Johto 43

"Ah, I love this part of the trip," Ash said, breathing in the sea air.

"The bits where we're by a beach?" Misty asked.

"No, not that-"

"The bits where we've just saved the world?" Brock suggested.

"Well, kind of, but I mean..." Ash shook his head. "Where it's not long to go until the League. I mean, I love arriving in a new region, and going out to battle a gym, and meeting new friends... about the only bit I don't like is after the League, when everything seems to be leading towards leaving friends behind."

Misty frowned. "Well-"

"No, no, don't worry!" Ash hastened to say. "I know my friends are still there, and I'll make sure to stay in touch. It's just... one of those things."

He shrugged. "Sorry. Okay, where now... back to New Bark, right?"

"I think so," Brock agreed. "We're a bit ahead of schedule, though."

Ash nodded. "Well, I guess we should sort one thing out..."

He took an unusual red Pokéball from his belt, and opened it.

"How was that?" he asked, looking Latias over carefully. She'd been in the 'ball since they left Altomare – it had taken Ash a while to find a good one to use, but one of the marts had been doing a special on gorgeously-coloured Cherish Balls and he'd bought two.

Latios' one was blue – he hadn't been able to resist how closely the colours matched their feathers.

Latias shook her head, a little dizzy. _"Is it like that every time?"_

"_Yes,"_ Pikachu said firmly.

"Don't listen to Pikachu," Ash advised the Dragon-type. "He just really dislikes Pokéballs generally. Everyone else says it's fine once you're used to it."

"_Not convinced..."_ Pikachu muttered.

"_Right. I'll take your word for it,"_ Latias decided.

She looked around, brightening. _"Apart from that – this is lovely! Very different to Altomare – even the sea breeze, I've never felt this much breeze in the grotto!"_

"No, I suppose you wouldn't," Brock mused. "The buildings would be in the way."

Latias nodded, then floated a little way into the air. She bent her wings back, then shot off – looping, whirling, spiralling in the sky. Exulting in being able to fly free – and openly.

Ash and his friends watched, shading their eyes occasionally when Latias flew in front of the sun.

After several minutes, reluctantly, Latias floated back down to the humans. _"I suppose we have to do the boring bit now,"_ she said, sighing.

"_Oh, you'd be surprised. Boring is not the word..."_ Pikachu told her.

"_Really?"_ she asked, surprised.

"I try to..." Ash paused. "Actually, maybe you could see how I do it with the others first. I do need to work out training for Raikou and Mawile. It's been a bit hectic the last couple of days."

"_Looking for me,"_ Latias nodded, deflating a bit.

"It's not your fault!" Ash hastened to reassure her. "Really, it's not – you staying undercover was the most sensible thing to do."

The Eon Pokémon absorbed that, but didn't look convinced.

Ash sent out Raikou first. "Okay, Raikou – you already heard from Suicune and Entei what I said to them. If you've got some reason to leave urgently, leave and let me know later."

He looked up at the hovering Latias. "That goes for you, too, Latias. If you need to head back to Altomare, the only reason I'd stop you is if I _knew_ it was dangerous to go – and if it was, only so I could come with you to help."

"_Thank you, Ash,"_ she said, nodding.

"_Oh, don't worry!"_ Raikou chuckled. _"I'll be sure to do what I can to keep everything above board. Now, can we get onto the training schedule?"_

He emitted a crackling rumble-purr. _"I've already been waiting long enough..."_

Ash shook his head. "Alright, I get it... okay. The obvious one's Volt Crash, you've been after that one for months. But!" he added, seeing Raikou's expression. "Not _just_ that. There's other things I'd like to see you learn too – the counter shield, for one, you've got a good element for it."

Raikou nodded, considering that. _"Go on..."_

"How are your coverage moves?" Ash went on. "Do you have something for dragons?"

"_Now you mention it... hm, Ice fang?"_ Raikou mused. _"Questions, questions..."_

"And the other one is Shock Wave. Pikachu knows... what? Twenty? Thirty?"

"_Thirty-four,"_ Pikachu supplied.

"-different kinds of Shock Wave," Ash picked the explanation back up. "None of them are perfect, but they mean he's got a lot of different options to get past a Pokémon's ability to dodge."

Raikou frowned. _"Hm. I see."_

"But I guess Volt Crash should be first. Pikachu, do you mind starting that?" Ash requested, and got a nod. "Good."

He glanced up at Latias. "Any thoughts so far?"

"_I... think so,"_ Latias said slowly. _"You're trying to work on the areas the Pokémon's weak?"_

"Not just that," Ash told her. "I'm also trying to use their strengths. You notice half of what I gave him was Electric-type?"

She nodded.

"That's because of how powerful Raikou's electricity is. It's usually going to be a good option for him, so long as he's got other ones for enemies strong against it."

Latias took that in, thinking.

* * *

><p><em>I already told you, I don't want to learn to swim.<em>

"Though an explanation was kind of obviously absent..." Misty muttered, then shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Let's look at the other stuff first. What Golduck are known for."

She frowned, tapping her foot. "Well, firstly, Golduck are often mistaken for Kappa."

"_What's a Kappa?"_ Togekiss asked.

"...actually, I don't know," Misty admitted. "Any ideas?"

Golduck shrugged. _Is it Unovan?_

"I don't think so," his trainer frowned. "Hmmm... no, I can't think of what it might be..."

She shrugged. "Oh well. Anyway, that's not the only thing. You're also a more powerful telepath and telekinetic – as if you hadn't noticed."

_Yes, it is a bit obvious._ Golduck shrugged. _It's a lot like my headache boost, but it's not painful and always on. Very peculiar._

"It'll be interesting getting used to you not having to use the headache," Misty admitted.

_It'll be much more pleasant on this end, I assure you... anything else?"_

"Yes," Misty said, sounding positively gleeful. "The most widely reported thing about Golduck is that it's one of the fastest swimmers of _all_ Pokémon."

_Really?_ Golduck blinked. _What about... you know. Sharpedo. Or Buizel._

"Nope, it's you," she repeated. "Golduck, you seriously do need to learn to swim _sometime_ – having a Water-type who can't is just getting ridiculous."

_I beg to differ!_ Golduck pointed over at Ash, now talking with Mawile. _I've never seen Suicune go swimming._

"That doesn't mean she can't, it just means running on the water is easier for her," Misty sighed. "Okay, we'll leave that for now... the other thing is that that forehead gem of yours is quite a good focus."

_I think I've heard of what you mean._

"Yeah, I've seen Golduck using moves like Hyper Beam, Signal Beam, Focus Blast or even electrical attacks from it – as well as it being a good amplifier for psychic powers." Tapping her foot, Misty clicked her fingers. "And that means you're good for handling Grass-types, especially ones who have a good counter to Ice Beam."

_Huh._ Golduck looked interested. _That is interesting. So I could be the-_

Starmie picked him up with Psychic. Startled, he was slow to react, and the Psychic-type dropped him unceremoniously in the water.

_What the heck!?_ Golduck snapped, flailing. _What was that for?_

"Sorry!" Misty said, not sounding very sorry. "But you're in about two feet of water, you know, you _could_ just stand up."

_...I knew that,_ Golduck muttered unconvincingly. He stood up, shaking the water off, and shuddered. _Ghastly stuff. Why do people swim, again?_

"It's fun, as you'd know if you gave it more than about three seconds before panicking," Misty informed him. "Fun, relaxing, a good way to get fit, and... okay, you know what?"

_What?_ Golduck asked, worried.

"I'm going to ask Dexter if your species can breathe underwater. After I get the result, either I'm going to see about getting you a rebreather or just get Corsola to open your Pokéball at the bottom of a suitable lake..."

_A scuba tank would help..._ the Water-type admitted. _But I'm just... okay._ He took a deep breath.

_I'll give it a go, Misty. I might be no good, but I'll at least try._

Misty smiled, sighing. "Thanks, Golduck."

_I can't promise I'll be able to do it without floats, though..._

* * *

><p>"Okay, Mawile," Ash said, sitting on the crisp grass to put himself more on Mawile's level. "I was wondering – do you want to take part in battles?"<p>

Mawile frowned, one hand going to her chin as she thought. _"Would it be hard?"_ she asked.

"Well, it really depends," Ash told her. "Some opponents are a lot tougher than others, you see – if we're facing a _really_ tough opponent, even Pikachu finds it hard."

The Steel-type considered that, then nodded. _"Okay, I see."_

She pursed her lips, moving one foot in a small circle. _"I think – yes,"_ she decided, seriously. _"I'd like to do something fun, and if everyone else thinks it's fun then I should do it!"_

"Makes sense to me," Ash said with a grin. "Okay, you already know Ice Fang and Iron Head... oh, I'll just explain a bit about battling," he decided. "First off, most Pokémon use mainly moves in battle – like your Ice Fang, that's a move."

"_Right."_Mawile nodded, still serious, then giggled and chomped her horn-jaws together with a faint _crash_ of ice. _"That always feels funny!"_

Her trainer smiled too. "Right. Moves have Types, and so do Pokémon – so Ice Fang is Ice type, and you're Steel and Fairy type."

"_Does that mean it's wrong for me to use it?"_ Mawile asked, concerned.

"No, it's fine!" Ash assured her. "It's just that it won't be quite as powerful as if an Ice-type Pokémon used it, they have better control and power when using Ice."

The young Pokémon absorbed that. _"Does that mean I'm better at... uh... Steel and Fairy attacks?"_

"That's right!" Ash nodded. "You're catching on fast."

Mawile beamed.

"One of the important things in a fight is to make sure you're in the right place – that matters more for Pokémon like you, who have close-ranged attacks a lot. You have to make sure you can attack your opponent and avoid being hit yourself."

"_Can I ask a question?"_ Latias asked.

"Sure," Ash nodded.

"_Uh – am I more one of those or one of the other kind?"_

"I fought a Lati_os_ once, up in Sinnoh – I've no idea where the trainer got him," Ash began. "He was good at both... I've got some ideas. But for Pokémon who use ranged attacks, they have to try to avoid being somewhere their opponent can hit."

"_So they kind of have to dodge?"_ Mawile asked, nodding seriously. _"I see!"_

"That's it exactly!" Ash told her, smiling. "So – we can probably leave working on moves for a bit. First I'd like you to get a bit of practice at moving – it'll get you fit, as well."

He reached to his belt. "Totodile?"

"_Yes?"_ Totodile asked, jumping from foot to foot. _"Oh, I know what's coming! It's going to be a game!"_

"That's right," Ash nodded. "Okay, Mawile – I think you've met Totodile?"

"_Yep!"_ Mawile nodded. _"I've met mister Totodile! He's funny!"_

"_I'm funny?"_ Totodile beamed. _"That's nice of you!"_

Latias couldn't restrain a happy giggle.

Ash glanced up at her, then back to the two smaller Pokémon. "Okay, Totodile, here's what I want you to do. You and Mawile are going to be playing tag – but you're allowed to keep her away with your water blasts. Go easy on her at first and don't use too much water. Got that?"

"_I got that!"_ Totodile assured him.

"_I'm it!"_ Mawile announced. _"When do we go?"_

"Three, two, one... now!" Ash counted down, and the two Pokémon jumped into action.

Water went everywhere.

* * *

><p>"<em>Okay, so – first, can you sustain a single layer of electricity across your whole body?"<em> Pikachu asked.

Raikou shrugged, rolling his body back and forth. _"That's easy!"_

Putting action to words, electricity snapped between his fangs before spreading in a great crackling curtain across the whole of his body – from mask to mane to jagged tail.

"_What now?"_ he demanded, prancing back and forth. _"It can't be much effort, you-"_

"_Don't finish that sentence,"_ Pikachu warned. _"Anyway. Can you collapse that layer down to a single ring?"_

Raikou blinked. _"You what?"_

Pikachu demonstrated, forming a crackling layer of electricity before drawing it together into a single ring. _"It's important because of the resultant magnetic fields – they're much stronger, and that in turn amplifies what we're going to do next with it."_

"_...right."_ Raikou frowned, concentrating, and the curtain of electricity surrounding him quivered – then it shot off and blew a divot out of the grass.

"_Whoops!"_ he said, wincing. _"This is a lot more bothersome than I was expecting..."_

"_Good luck, you're going to need three of those at once,"_ Pikachu advised him. _"This wasn't exactly easy."_

"_Three of-"_ Raikou's question choked off into spluttering. _"HOW many?"_

"_Three,"_ Pikachu repeated.

"_Can't I do it with two?"_

"_Impossible, sorry,"_ Pikachu assured him, not sounding very sorry. _"The whole idea is that independently rotating and crossing the three rings ties the magnetic eddies up in knots, and if there's only two then when the rings cross there's two routes for the blast to discharge straight off – the third ring's needed to make sure it doesn't fire until it's ready."_

Raikou stared.

"_Ash and I sat down with Dexter, a copy of Maxwell's equations, and a nice colourful visualization package,"_ Pikachu added. _"Ash is surprisingly good at understanding things explained to him with colourful visualizations."_

"_...right,"_ Raikou muttered. _"That's me told, all right..."_

He sat back, and started to try to create an electric ring again.

Pikachu? Dexter asked. Do you have a moment?

"_Sure, I think Raikou's occupied for now. What is it?"_

I was going back over my records. You electrocuted that Excadrill several times in Altomare.

"_So?"_ Pikachu asked. _"That happens occasionally, right?"_

Very occasionally. From you, and you alone.

Pikachu blinked._ "...I wasn't... but... how?"_

I see you take my point. Dexter's form briefly shattered, before reforming itself from vectors. It's not something about the Electric type, at least as far as I can tell... Trace.

Dexter's highlights changed, becoming yellow-tinted. Hm, no, that's not it... that's Lightningrod.

"_You think it might be an Ability?" _Pikachu asked, as behind him Raikou started cursing overly delicate techniques. _"I've never... wait, there _is_ that one that Pokémon like Miltank have, isn't there? Scrappy?"_

Exactly, Dexter agreed, highlights going back to the initial colour. Trace.

This time the highlighting was slightly different, a bit more orange and less yellow. I think this is Static.

"_Should I get someone to test it?"_

No, I'm pretty sure... hm. Ash does have Donphan, though – can you get him? I think we might need to look into this more.

Pikachu nodded, and headed over to his trainer. Halfway there, he got hit by a wet _slap_ of water from Totodile, who apologized hastily before jumping out of the way of a giggling Mawile.

* * *

><p>"Right," Ash said, frowning. "I'm afraid there <em>is<em> quite a lot to work on, for you."

Latias nodded slowly. _"I guess there would be – I've never really had formal training."_

"_Formal_ training's boring," Ash shrugged. "Training as a whole, though... okay, let's start with what you already know."

"_I've used... well, I have... a couple of Psychic attacks. I know Dragon Pulse, too, but I'm not very good at it, and I can do Safeguard."_

Ash waited a moment, then grinned. "That's not all you know – you can go invisible and disguise yourself, as well as fly. Those are just as useful."

"_Oh, right."_ Latias blushed. _"Sorry, I'm not used to thinking of those as... okay."_

"It's fine, this is the kind of stuff everyone has to learn," Ash assured her. "Okay, so you know how to tackle, how to..."

He frowned for a moment.

"First, there's attacks with your two Types. I think it would help if you learned Psychic, if you don't already have it-"

"_I don't,"_ Latias informed him.

"Right." Ash nodded. "That's a good one... so is Dragonbreath, that can be quite good for a counter shield because you could use your Psychic to shape it as a shield."

Seeing her bafflement, he elaborated. "Counter shield is a trick I worked out in Sinnoh, last time. It's not easy, but it basically uses an attack for a combined defence and offence – forming a shield of the attack, so that it can be used to counterattack."

"_Oh, I get it,"_ Latias squeaked. _"That sounds neat."_

"Thanks," Ash chuckled. "Okay, the other thing I was thinking of, move-wise, was things like Light Screen – the Latios I fought up in Sinnoh did that."

Latias nodded. _"Right. That would be helpful – Safeguard isn't always enough, I – yeah."_

Ash shrugged. "It certainly worked on me... without that, Pikachu would probably have knocked him out earlier, though I've no idea what the rest of Tobias' team must have looked like. With a Latios _and_ a Darkrai..." he shook his head.

Latias giggled, glancing over at Raikou trying to do something Electric-type and failing. _"You're one to talk..."_

"Good point," Ash admitted. "I'm going to try not to use Legendaries _much_ in the Silver Conference, though."

Another nod. _"What else was there?"_

"Staying on moves for now... you need to be able to handle Dark, Fairy, Bug, Ice, Ghost and Dragon types. Your Dragon Pulse is good against Dragons, but you need something for the rest..."

Ash thought for a bit. "Okay, there's a few moves I think would work to help you out. There's Shadow Ball, I know that one and I think I can teach you... Pidgeot and Quilava are just two of the Pokémon I have who know Aerial Ace, you're a natural for it with how fast and manoeuvrable you are-"

"_Thanks!"_ Latias said, beaming, and prompted a chuckle.

"It's only the truth," Ash assured her. "Right, on top of those there's also Steel Wing – that's good for handling Ice-types and Fairy-types – and I think you could learn Aura Sphere as well, which is a good move to use while invisible because it can be made to home in."

Latias looked a bit lost. _"That's a lot of moves to learn..."_

"I'm keeping track, don't worry."

Ash was about to continue when a slightly wet Pikachu came over. _"Ash?"_

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked, glancing down at the bedraggled Electric-type. "Did you get in the way of Totodile and Mawile practicing?"

"_Gotcha!"_ Mawile announced, managing to touch Totodile's tail. _"Now you're it! Come and get me!"_

Totodile frowned, then used Aqua Jet to shoot after Mawile. She jumped to the side, giggling, and he hit the ground with a splash of mud.

"_Yes, I did,"_ Pikachu reported. _"But that's not the important bit. The important bit is-"_

The next words were drowned out by a loud shout of triumph. _"HA!"_ Raikou announced. _"Done it! Now-"_

There was a BANG.

"_Don't make the second ring on top of the first, especially not going the other way!"_ Pikachu snapped, exasperated, as Raikou blinked wide eyes and felt to make sure he still had a mane. _"Honestly..."_

He turned back to Ash. _"Can we borrow Donphan?"_

"I don't have a problem with it," Ash shrugged. "Donphan?"

Donphan emerged. _"Hi, Pikachu – no, I don't have a problem either. What's it for?"_

"_We want to test how I keep electrocuting Ground-types,"_ Pikachu told him.

"_...can I change my mind, please?"_

Once Donphan was assured they'd only be trying out _low_-powered electrical attacks and the two had headed back over to Raikou and Dexter, Ash resumed. "Right. I mentioned invisibility – that's a huge advantage, since your opponent has to know you're there to hit you at all. You'll have to stay out of the way, stay invisible, and keep them guessing... but there's another thing you could do, too. I saw a Pokémon do this in... uh... I think Sinnoh first."

"_What's that, then?"_ Latias asked.

"There's these Pokémon called Zorua and Zoroark. They disguise themselves as humans, like you do, but they also disguise themselves as other Pokémon. It makes them able to pretend to _be_ that Pokémon, at least until they make a mistake." Ash shrugged. "I think maybe if you could learn a few attacks that, say, Lucario or Pikachu know, then you'd be able to pretend to be them for a bit – and that might be really helpful."

Latias blinked. _"That sounds pretty useful, yeah, but it sounds like a lot of work... and my disguise has a bit of a problem, because I can't speak."_

"That's the other thing I was thinking of," Ash told her. "Other Psychic-types I've met – some of them – can use telepathy, which could fool people into thinking you're another kind of Pokémon."

Nod. _"That's clever! And it would mean I can speak to Bianca, too – great idea!"_

Ash pushed himself up. "Okay, let's start with-"

"_Ash,"_ Latias interrupted. _"There was... something I wanted to speak to you about. I talked about it with Meganium, but..."_

Ash looked worried. "What is it?"

The Dragon swallowed, taking the plunge. _"I... think I _might... _possibly... have a sort of... crush on you,"_ she managed, blushing gradually as she spoke until she was the same red colour as her Cherish Ball.

The boy blinked. "...does that mean it _was_ you who gave me that sketch, last time?"

"_Yes,"_ Latias confirmed. _"I kind of wish I'd done it again – oh, blast!"_

She shook her head, trying to hold back tears. _"It sounds so..."_

"Latias."

Latias looked up at Ash, swallowing again.

"I don't know what to... right," Ash began. "I know why Meganium was probably a good choice to talk to you about it. She... never mind."

He took a deep breath. "I don't think that I'm old enough to know _what _to think about this. I'm... It's flattering, of course, but I don't..."

Ash gave a helpless shrug.

Latias nodded. _"I see. And... yeah, I guess that's about..."_

She trailed off.

"_Thanks,"_ she added, after a moment. _"For helping me in general, I mean – and for handling that well."_

Ash smiled, a little uncertainly. "Okay, I guess."

He snapped his fingers. "Right – let's see... oh, perhaps we can start with stealth and illusions. Noctowl, do you have the time to work on that with Latias?"

Noctowl shimmered into existence on Ash's shoulder. _"Should have known you'd notice me."_

"You do weigh a bit," Ash told him, as Latias blinked in surprise.

"_Ash – how are you doing that? He weighs forty kilos!"_

Ash shrugged, and Noctowl used the momentum to take off with a clap of his wings. "I think it's Aura or something."

* * *

><p><span>Okay, so I think I've got it this time.<span> Dexter's form shimmered and changed, unfolding into a four-petalled flower with his glowing projector in the centre. Please hold still.

"_I don't like this experiment,"_ Donphan said.

Charge Beam.

The bolt of electricity hit Donphan, and skirled off – then, as Dexter sustained it, Donphan frowned.

"_That's actually starting to hurt."_

Dexter ended the blast, reforming back to normal. Interesting. The voltage seemed to be part of it, but not all of it...

"_Sorry?"_ Pikachu asked.

Charge Beam ups the voltage and current going through it as it goes on. The attack didn't work at first, but it started to affect Donphan later on.

Dexter hummed, then spoke up again.

Okay, I think I have a theory.

Graphs and plots appeared, including one marking voltage and resistance.

Firstly – the _how_. No insulator is perfect, just as no conductor is perfect. You're able to cause electrical breakdown, meaning that what's normally an insulator becomes able to take current – and, so, you're able to shock Ground-types.

Pikachu nodded, frowning. _"Right. So that's _how_ it's happening – but that doesn't explain everything else."_

Yes, the _why_ is the trickier question. I've checked my records, and it shows that the first time you did this you'd been overcharged by a power station.

"_He was what!?"_ Raikou asked, blinking.

"_Back to work!"_ Pikachu told him. _"Your mane has stopped smouldering, you should be doing the next attempt!"_

Muttering about rodent slavedrivers, Raikou got back to trying to produce more than one electrical ring at once.

As I said, Dexter resumed. Overcharged by a power station. That meant your voltage output was higher than normal, and you were able to reach the breakdown voltage of Geodude.

"_But a lot of Pokémon have Lightningrod, and a lot of them are just more _powerful_ than I was at the time,"_ Pikachu said uncertainly.

That's just it. It's not Lightningrod that was the key – it's this other ability. It would seem Pikachu have _three_ possible abilities, not two.

Dexter shattered briefly and reformed himself again. Pokémon without this ability – which lowers breakdown voltage to something attainable – will almost never get this effect, no matter how powerful they may be.

As if to punctuate that, Raikou's latest attempt exploded. This time the grass caught fire, and he stamped it out hurriedly before it spread.

"_But – so that means that you'd need to be a Pikachu – or otherwise have this ability – _and_ be really powerful, or this would never even come up."_

Correct, Dexter confirmed. This must be how abilities are discovered – something just doesn't make _sense._

He paused. I'm thinking we should call it Zappy.

"_Call it what?"_ Pikachu repeated, blinking.

Zappy. Like Scrappy, but with a Z.

"_That name's stupid,"_ Pikachu stated bluntly.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, everyone reconvened.<p>

"How'd it go, Misty?" Ash asked.

"Oh, alright," Misty said with a shrug. "Golduck's not exactly taken to water like, uh... a Ducklett, but he's certainly better with psychic powers."

"Neat," Ash said with a nod.

"And he's actually quite good at lifting huge amounts of water into the air. I'm thinking that we could work out a way to have Kingdra or Seaking fight in a big water bubble..." Misty raised her hands. "Worth a try..."

"Sounds cool!" Brock said, sitting down. "Main thing we were doing was trying to teach Steelix how to use Aqua Tail. It could be quite useful."

"I'll say," Ash agreed. "How about you two?"

Pikachu rolled his eyes. _"Well, there's been less explosions now..."_

"_This is much harder than I was expecting,"_ Raikou informed them all. _"Still, it's going to be worth it, by thunder!"_

"_I caught Totodile lots!"_ Mawile said, tired but happy. _"He caught me lots too, though..."_

"Yeah, I saw – looked like you were really starting to get the hang of it, though," Ash nodded. "And Latias – I saw how you were doing. You're definitely getting faster at vanishing, and at moving without making quite so much sound – which helps. Have you decided on a move to practice first?"

"_Well, Noctowl was starting to show me Aerial Ace,"_ Latias said, frowning. _"I think we should just keep working on that, though I'll practice Dragon Pulse and Psybeam as well since I've already got those working."_

"Okay, that sounds like it worked fairly well." Ash frowned. "Oh – I was going to try to make sure everyone got at least one go at the Silver Conference. Mawile, do you want to give it a to?"

"_That sounds fun!"_ Mawile agreed with a nod. _"If I'm able to, then I'll give it a go!"_

"Atta girl," Ash smiled. "Now-"

Ring ring, Dexter interrupted.

"Who's calling?" Ash asked, as he picked the 'dex up and flipped his main body open.

"Ah, Ash!" Professor Elm said, appearing on the screen. "Good, I was hoping you were available. There's a Marine Pokémon Research Centre not far down the coast from Altomare – between there and New Bark Town. I understand you're near there right now, could you go and pick something up for me?"

"Sure," Ash replied quickly. "Where is it?"

"I'll send the location to your Pokédex," Elm told him. "Sorry, I'm a bit busy, I can't spare time to chat – thanks for doing this for me!"

For a moment before the call cut out, there was a voice in the background shouting.

"_What was that?"_ Latias asked, a little startled.

The other voice said, and I quote, 'no, Typhlosion, that's flammable!'

Ash, Brock, Misty and the Pokémon exchanged glances, and decided there was probably an explanation.

"Ash, remember, that's where Larvitar's egg came from," Misty said. "That means his mother still got poached."

"_Poachers?"_ Raikou asked, shaking his mane out. _"Well, I think we all know the appropriate response to that!"_

"Actually, the appropriate response depends on if Larvitar's one of the Pokémon I can remind," Ash said. "If he is, then we can sort this all out pretty quickly – and early – but otherwise it's going to mean giving him therapy first. I mean, I can _do_ it, but we have to wait until he hatches."

The two Legendaries nodded, understanding.

"Well, let's get going!" Misty said, after a moment. "Dexter, how far is it?"

A few hours' walk.

"Let's go, then!" Ash decided, jumping to his feet.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>One of those chapters which shows how there's training going on – just that usually it's relatively behind the scenes.<p>

Pikachu's thing is a thing which I think - hope - makes vague sense.

And, incidentally, I came up with the Volt Crash visual effects years before I came up with what they _meant_. It's pleasing that there's an explanation that works as much as there is.


	103. Johto 44

The Marine Pokémon Laboratory was not exactly inspiring.

"...this is just a house on the edge of a small cliff," Misty said, after a moment.

"I don't know," Brock hedged, leaning out over the cliff. "I think that's a small pier down there too."

"Do you need much, for it to be a lab?" Ash asked.

"Not really, no," Misty admitted. "I guess I'd expect a _bit_ more, though..."

"Professor Oak's lab isn't much bigger than this," Ash pointed out. "Though his ranch is huge. I guess Marine Pokémon don't need – hey, look!" he said, interrupting himself. "Out there!"

They squinted.

"_What is it?"_ Latias asked, hovering invisibly at about head height. _"Wait, I can see.. something. Very faint."_

"It's Lapras!" Ash grinned. "He was busy during the Altomare thing, he's not met you yet... ah, here we go!"

He sent out Pidgeot, jumped off the cliff onto her back, and they shot off towards Lapras and his pod.

Latias blinked, unseen. _"...should I follow him?"_

Misty shrugged. "I honestly think it's your choice."

"Excuse me?" a voice called, and the two gym leaders turned to see a woman waving at them. "Hi? Do either of you know why that boy's going out to that Lapras pod? I've been trying to call them over for hours, he's going to ruin my work!"

"I doubt Ash is going to do that," Brock said. "One of his Pokémon is the pod leader."

"...really?" The researcher blinked. "How?"

"He sort of released his Lapras, back when we found them in the Orange Islands," Misty explained. "I say sort of because Lapras still gets called on for battles occasionally."

"Okay, well then." Shaking her head, the woman sighed – then blinked, looking closer at Brock. "Oh, I recognize you now!"

"Really?" Brock asked, a little surprised.

"Yes, Professor Ivy has a picture of you on her desk... oh, dear, where are my manners? I'm Naomi, I'm the head researcher here." Naomi shrugged. "Also the only researcher..."

"Low budget?" Brock asked.

"Pretty much," Naomi confirmed. "I'm researching communication between Water-type Pokémon, specifically Lapras and others who use ultrasound and infrasound."

She shrugged. "I put in a budget application for a month's worth of Wailord food, that's like asking to be allowed to open a restaurant. I got denied."

"Ouch," Brock winced. "Philena's mostly managed to succeed on her applications, but she's never very calm about them..."

"You research communication between Water-types?" Misty asked. "Interesting. I'm a Water specialist myself."

"You know, Misty..." Brock said, slowly. "We could help her a lot."

"Oh?" Naomi looked interested. "How could you help me?"

In reply, Misty sent out Golduck. "Hey, Golduck?"

_What?_ Golduck asked, glancing down at the water below. _You don't have another scheme to teach me to swim, do you?_

"Not at the moment, no," Misty assured him. "It's mainly to see if you can help this lady with her research."

_Ah, I see. Providing subtitles._ Golduck nodded. _I suppose I could._

Naomi stared for a moment, then sighed. "Well, I never considered a Psychic-type... well, Golduck isn't one, but you know what I mean."

"I'd suggest Slowking," Brock volunteered.

"Hey!" Ash called, as Pidgeot swept back over. "They're on the way over for a chat! Lapras is looking good – he said there's a Lanturn over here?"

"A Lanturn?" Misty asked, interested. "Maybe he and Chinchou could have a talk, too..."

"This looks like it'll be better than if I'd just got my grant in the first place," Naomi said with a chuckle.

* * *

><p>"<em>This all seems very peculiar,"<em> one of the Lapras said, as they floated just offshore.

"_Well, you know how it is..."_ replied the pod leader, shrugging. _"My trainer's not one to do things by halves."_

"_I still remember when he dropped you off,"_ another admitted. _"That was ridiculous and amazing."_

Ash's Lapras tilted his head, shrugging. _"Oh, well... thanks?"_

"_Uh..."_ his mother began, frowning. _"Is there something invisible in the air just over there? Or is it just me?"_

"_Now you mention it..."_ Lapras admitted, frowning. _"It does look like there's something."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Ash?"<em> Latias asked, quietly. _"Can I-"_

"Lapras and his pod are good," Ash assured her, just as quietly. "The researcher I'm less sure of, but it should be fine."

"_Okay,"_ she said, trusting him. She took a deep breath, and slowly shimmered into existence.

"_Cool!"_ several of the Lapras chorused.

"_You're pretty,"_ one of the younger ones added. _"Are you one of my brother's friends?"_

"_We've not met yet,"_ Latias told her. _"Speaking of which – hello!"_

"_Hello to you too! Latias, right... I see you got another Legendary, Ash,"_ the pod leader said with a smile. _"Nice to meet you, Latias. That's a neat trick you have there."_

"_Thanks,"_ Latias replied, bobbing up and down a little.

"I've got some food," Naomi reported, coming out of her lab. "It's a thanks to everyone for helping out... oh, I've not seen that Pokémon before. What is it?"

"She's Latias," Ash explained. "She's from Altomare."

"Altomare... interesting," Naomi said. She looked closer. "Is she a water Pokémon?"

"No, Psychic and Dragon."

"Oh, okay." Naomi nodded to herself. "Now, I was wondering – I know that these Lapras are from the Orange Islands, mainly, but how far do they migrate?"

"_We've been up to Sinnoh once before, my mother says,"_ Ash's Lapras said. _"We usually go down a little further south than the Orange Islands – once or twice to Oblivia – and west to the mouth of the Long River or east to the Deepest Trench."_

Golduck translated helpfully, adjusting his rubber ring a bit.

"Ah, interesting!" Naomi nodded to herself. "And is that normal?"

"_Fairly normal,"_ one of the older Lapras spoke up this time. _"Other pods have about the same range, some have longer if they have access to good currents. We're comfortable in just about any temperature so long as the sea's there."_

"Wonderful!" the researcher said, taking notes. "There's so much to ask – oh, I must ask about how far you tend to travel in a day..."

* * *

><p>Some hours later, Naomi finally ran out of questions.<p>

"That was amazing," she said, putting down her third full notebook. "Just.. wonderful, to get that much first-hand information. Thank you _so_ much for your time and effort."

"_It's no problem,"_ Lapras told her. _"My sister enjoyed it, and you paid us well."_

"Yes, though it took quite a lot of my supplies of..." Naomi shook her head. "Oh, who cares! I'm going to write this all up, and publish some papers about it, and then I should be able to get one of my more ambitious projects going!"

She turned to the friends, who had been discussing how Mawile could best use her jaw-horns in battle. "Oh, and thank you three as well for being so patient! Sorry about that, I got a bit-"

"It's no problem!" Ash said, grinning.

"It's nice of you to say so," Naomi smiled. "Oh – sorry, I nearly forgot! Elm said you'd be coming to pick up the egg!"

"Is there a reason he couldn't get it himself?" Brock asked, curious. "I mean – when we heard him on the phone he seemed a bit... preoccupied..."

"He said something about a trainer with a recently-evolved Typhlosion without much control of his flames," Naomi reported. "The lab seemed to be pretty much all either wet or smouldering."

"Ouch," Misty winced.

"Anyway, just give me a moment-" the scientist said, collecting her notebooks and hurrying up the stairs towards the lab doors.

"_She's a bit excitable,"_ her Lanturn said, by way of apology. _"By the way, I hope I wasn't being a nuisance earlier."_

"_You mean the Supersonic?"_ Lapras asked. _"No, it was okay. Bit off-tune, but not as bad as some of the other Pokémon we've met."_

"_I'll work on that, then,"_ Lanturn said firmly. He glanced to one side. _"So, what do you think?"_

Misty's Chinchou shrugged. _"I'm still deciding about whether I want to evolve. You're certainly a lot bigger than me!"_

"_That happens,"_ Lanturn agreed.

"_What's the back light for?"_

The larger Pokémon blinked. _"...good question."_

"Here we are!" Naomi said, coming back down the stairs with an egg container. "The poor thing was stolen from the Pokémon preserve at Mount Silver by poachers, but they were forced to leave it behind in a police raid."

"_Poor thing!"_ Latias said, wincing. _"That can't have been pleasant..."_

"We'll get him sorted out," Ash said, taking the container. "I guess we'd better get going, though, it's still mid-afternoon and there's plenty of time before nightfall."

"Right," Naomi agreed. "Well, thanks again for your help!"

"Oh, it's okay," Misty assured her. "Golduck needed some time getting used to the concept of water – even if he is still using that rubber ring..."

_It makes me feel safe,_ Golduck said firmly.

* * *

><p>A mile or so down the road, with Latias back to invisibility, the friends sat down in a clearing.<p>

"Well, let's get this sorted out," Brock said. "You checked, right?"

"Yep," Ash confirmed. He unscrewed the top of the case, and took the egg out – then added the little touch of Aura which reminded the recipient.

Responding quickly, the greyish egg began to glow. It intensified, then – as the glow died down – a Larvitar, slightly curled up, stood there.

Larvitar blinked. _"What just happened?"_ he asked, uncurling a little and looking around. _"Last I remember I was – and now – what?"_

"This could take a while to explain," Ash told him. "The basic version is – we're now back in time. It's a day or so before you hatched last time."

"_That explains why Brock and Misty are there,"_ Larvitar admitted. _"Hi, Pikachu."_

"_Hi!"_ Pikachu grinned. _"You're a lot more sociable than last time."_

"_Not much worse I could be,"_ Larvitar admitted ruefully. He blinked. _"Wait – if it's the past, that means... those poachers! My mother-"_

"I was worried about that," Ash admitted. "We can sort that out now, if you want – or very soon, anyway."

"_How soon?"_ Larvitar asked.

"Pidgeot flies really fast, so – today, probably," Ash said, trying to remember how far it was to Mount Silver. "If we find them, anyway."

"Ash, you're not thinking of heading off and leaving us _again_, are you?" Misty asked.

"Kind of?" Ash tried. "Uh – who do we have... Charizard said he'd be busy for the next few days... maybe Suicune and Entei again?"

"I'm not riding Entei _again,_" Brock said quickly. "Not until he learns a way to keep the wind out of my eyes."

Larvitar did a double take. _"Wait. Entei? Suicune? Those are _available_ to you?"_

Pikachu chuckled. _"Ash has Legendaries. Plural."_

Hearing a good cue, Latias switched to visible. _"Hi!"_ she said brightly, then started giggling at the expression on Larvitar's face.

"_We're getting off topic,"_ Togekiss said. _"I _might_ be able to carry Misty, but I'll be a lot slower than Pidgeot is... I don't think I could keep up with Suicune, either."_

Latias cleared her throat. _"I could try,"_ she said.

"What?" Ash asked, blinking. "I mean, I know you can lift me, but... you're sure?"

"_It solves this problem,"_ Latias said, more firmly. _"And – well, I think it might be a good time to try out the – what did you call it? Latias...ite?"_

"Oh, right, the Mega Stone," Ash nodded. "Yeah, I guess that might be a good thing."

"_What's a Mega Stone?"_ Larvitar asked.

Pikachu chuckled. _"Oh, you've got so much to catch up on..."_

Ash unlimbered the staff, reaching around in his bag. "We've got to get you something to keep this on," he said, retrieving the Latiasite – then frowned. "Actually, that might mess with your stealth. Tricky one..."

He passed it to Latias, who took it, and adjusted his grip on the staff.

_Latias_.

Ash's mind couldn't help but remember the two parallel approaches to the museum, from different timelines – once when he was racing to rescue Latios with Latias' help, and once the reverse.

There was a flash of orange light, and he blinked.

"Huh."

"_What?"_ Mega Latias asked, as her transformation finished.

"That took a _lot_ less time than usual to trigger... strange." Ash shrugged. "Oh well..."

"_What just happened?"_ Larvitar asked plaintively. _"Is that a Form change?"_

"_No, something else,"_ Pikachu told him. _"It's kind of... yeah, we were surprised too."_

"_Right,"_ Mega Latias nodded. _"Let's see how fast I can fly like this. Climb on!"_

Ash had a moment of uncertainty, looking for the best place to use as a grip, but ultimately used her upper 'arms' to help him climb on. Her back was broad enough to fit him quite easily, and she bobbed there for a moment before rotating her arms to face backwards.

"So... how are we going to do this?" Ash asked, crouching down a bit.

"_Give me a few minutes to see how I fly, okay?"_ Mega Latias asked. _"If you fall off, it's better if you have Pidgeot to catch you."_

Ash winced. "Good point..."

Mega Latias took a breath, then-

"Whoa!" Ash called, startled, as she shot forwards. Almost as soon as she had, though, she braked again – and Ash was glad he was using Aura to hold on tight, because otherwise he'd have gone flying forwards off her back and ended up in the sea.

"_It's okay!"_ Mega Latias said, arms coming back to a more normal angle. _"It's okay, I just wasn't expecting to be _that_ fast..."_

She frowned. _"Okay, I should probably be really careful_ not_ to break the sound barrier, that might be quite a bad idea with someone on my back..."_

"I agree!" Ash said ruefully. "Pidgeot uses wind shaping to make that easier, though, I think it means that we're in a kind of air bubble?"

"_Maybe I could try that with psychic... hm,"_ Mega Latias frowned. _"I'll certainly try that later... let's see if I can go slower this time."_

She zoomed forwards again – still accelerating too hard, but less so than before this time.

* * *

><p>"<em>Okay, I'm pretty sure we've got the hang of it now,"<em> Mega Latias said, drifting back down to the others some minutes later. _"And we only lost your hat twice."_

Ash winced, remembering the dives to catch his hat. "I'm keeping it in my bag for now."

"_Probably a good idea,"_ she agreed. _"Okay, who's going with who?"_

Pidgeot flashed out of her Pokéball, wings spreading, and came down to land the other side of the small clearing. _"You know, if Togekiss can _lift_ Misty, then I can probably use Tailwind to keep her at the same speed as the rest of us."_

"...that makes sense," Misty admitted. "Whoops..."

"_Let's go, then!"_ Larvitar said. _"I want to help my mother!"_

"Right!" Brock nodded. He glanced over at Pidgeot. "I guess I'm riding her?"

"_If you ask nicely, yes,"_ Pidgeot twitted him.

Ash got down off Mega Latias, hoisted up Pikachu to his shoulder, then lifted Larvitar and started to get back on.

"_Okay, that's even more ridiculous than Noctowl!"_ Mega Latias said, head curved around a little to watch. _"Larvitar weigh as much as a full grown human!"_

"Really?" Ash asked, glancing down at Larvitar. "Huh."

The Dragon-type didn't really have a sensible reply to that.

* * *

><p>"How's that feeling?" Misty called, the slight windrush pulling at her words as she spoke.<p>

"_It's okay..."_ Togekiss replied. _"It's a lot faster than I've ever gone before, but at least keeping you in the air isn't too hard."_

Misty looked down, seeing the land unfolding beneath them. Then to her side, where Pidgeot flew with lazy-looking flaps of her huge white wings of air, incidentally sustaining a tailwind blowing the two Flying-types along at three hundred miles an hour.

She was shielding them from the wind, too. Special bonus.

A few hundred metres ahead, Ash's staff shone a bright orange-gold as it sustained Mega Latias' transformation.

The Psychic-type seemed to be enjoying herself, if the occasional whoop was anything to go by.

"Hey, look – there's Mount Silver in the distance," Misty said, squinting, as they climbed a little to clear a ridge. "Just there!"

"_I see it,"_ Togekiss agreed. _"We're really covering the distance fast!"_

"Hey, Misty!" Brock called.

She looked over. "Yeah?"

"Below us!"

Misty leaned as gently as she could to look over the edge of Togekiss' wing, and frowned. "Hey, you're right – that looks like a Flying-type climbing up to meet us!"

For several seconds, they watched as the Pokémon approached. It fairly soon became clear it was a Pidgeot, and one with a rider at that.

"I hope we're not about to have trouble with Rangers like Ash did!" Misty called over to Brock. "Are we in the Silver reserve yet?"

"Don't think so!" Brock called back. "We could be, though!"

With surprising suddenness, the Pidgeot grew from a stick-figure shape to a large, obviously real Pokémon. It approached, slowing slightly as it levelled off, and then came alongside.

"Oh, it's Casey!" Brock said, smiling. "Hi!"

"Hi yourselves!" Casey replied, waving from the back of her Flying-type. "What brings you here?"

"We're helping a Pokémon – a Larvitar," Misty explained. "Ash has got him – he's just ahead!"

"I wondered whether that was him," Casey admitted. "Especially after seeing who it was on his Pidgeot. What are you helping the Larvitar with?"

"He was stolen as an egg from his mother by poachers," Brock told her, and the usually easygoing Casey scowled.

"Poachers... yeah, we had trouble with some yesterday. Bunch of idiots with a giant robot, they nearly got Riolu. Pichu and Elekid together managed to drive their robot off, though – watch out, it's tougher than it looks."

"Oh, you got an Elekid?" Misty asked. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Casey replied, grinning. She glanced ahead, and saw Mega Latias turning into a broad descending spiral. "Guess this is where we head down, right?"

"Suppose so," Brock nodded.

* * *

><p>"<em>Well spotted,"<em> Mega Latias said, as she descended. _"I can see it more clearly now – that's a Tyranitar alright."_

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Even if it's not the right one, we can ask whether they know Larvitar's mother."

Larvitar peered down. _"I can't see the- wait, there we go! It's her!"_

"Lucky us," Ash smiled. "Latias, can you land a little way clear of her? We don't want to startle her."

"_Got it."_

Arms up so her fins were perpendicular to their direction of travel, Mega Latias bled off the rest of her speed. She hovered down to about two feet off the ground, some distance from the curious Rock-type, and Ash slid off her back before lifting Larvitar down.

"Remember, she's not gone back," Ash reminded Larvitar in a low voice. He put the young Rock/Ground type down, and stepped back to let her see him.

"_Mother?"_ Larvitar asked, raising his voice.

The Tyranitar looked thoroughly shocked. _"What did you just say?"_

"_Mother,"_ Larvitar repeated. _"I'm your son – from the egg that got stolen."_

"_Oh, right,"_ she said, nodding. _"I see what you mean. I'd thought you wouldn't..."_

She trailed off, looking up. _"What was that? I heard wings!"_

"They're just my friends," Ash said. He squinted into the sky, and frowned. "Oh, hey, two Pidgeot. That's unusual – hey, is that Casey?"

The trio of Flying-types swept over the branches of a low tree, and alighted near the still-transformed Mega Latias.

"_Ash,"_ Larvitar said slowly. _"Did you just answer my mother's... wait, why am I-"_

He paused.

"_Would you believe I was so startled by everything else that I didn't notice you _speak Pokémon _now?"_

"_I'd believe it,"_ Pikachu said. _"Mainly because everyone else seems so surprised by it."_

Brock strode over. "Thanks for the ride, Pidgeot!" he called behind him, getting a smile and a wing-wave in reply, and turned to face Tyranitar. "She's a big one."

"_I may be a little bit lost, here,"_ Tyranitar said. _"Who are all these other people?"_

"_They're Ash's friends," _her son told her._ "Ash helped me get back to you after I hatched."_

"_About half an hour ago,"_ Pikachu supplied helpfully.

"_Yes, it was all a bit quick..."_

"Excuse me?" Casey asked. "I was wondering – do you have any idea where the poachers are? We had a run in with them yesterday, and I want to make sure they don't steal any more Pokémon!"

"_I don't know,"_ the Tyranitar admitted. _"Sorry."_

Ash translated, looking a bit downcast. "That could be a problem..."

"Sounds like we're quite popular!" a voice said, distorted by the loudspeaker it was being said through.

Everyone turned. "What was that?" Misty asked.

A loud stomping began to echo through the forest. It got closer and closer, until the source came into view as it pushed a tree over.

Casey blinked. "...that's a giant robot Tyranitar."

"_Could do with being a bit bigger,"_ Pikachu said critically. _"And the joints are kind of poorly made."_

"It's very good of you to bring that Larvitar!" another voice said through the loudspeaker. "We can use this to catch it - _and_ Tyranitar!"

"...you're a moron," Brock said, sighing. "Didn't you notice the four Pokémon trainers?"

"They're the morons, Braggo!" said the third voice. "Look, there's only three trainers!"

Brock glanced to his side, and blinked. "Uh, three?"

Tyranitar blinked. _"Actually, now you – where did my son go? Where did the other trainer go?"_

There was a shimmer over the Tyranitar-bot.

* * *

><p>"Here goes," Ash said. "Now, Noctowl!"<p>

The Flying-type flapped his wings, dispelling the cloaking illusion. As he did, Ash jumped off Mega Latias' back, landing with a _thud_ on the big robot's head.

"_Thanks for the lift,"_ Larvitar said, clinging on with one arm and using the other to volley blows in on the saurian machine's head.

"Ash!" Brock called up at him. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Breaking the robot?" Ash replied, puzzled. "Why?"

"Oh, whatever..."

"Hey!" the loudspeaker blared. "Stop that! That's expensive armour up there!"

A flash down below heralded the materialization of Casey's Riolu. The young Pokémon took in the situation, drew back a foot, and formed a sphere of glowing energy between her palms.

"Look, guys!" the third voice – _Blurt_, that was it – said. "Boss, they're trying to break our robot from the front too!"

There was a crackle from where Larvitar was steadily hammering his way into the machine.

"Quick!" said the second voice, firmly. "Get the brat! Squash them both flat!"

One of the machine's arms reached up to swat at Ash and Larvitar, up on the head of the machine. The other reached for Riolu, aiming to knock both her and Casey out of the fight.

Ash saw the big metal arm coming, and summoned Aura into his palms. They flashed blue, and he drove a palm-strike into the artificial claws with a splintering _crash_.

The other arm didn't have much better luck either. Casey sent out her Meganium, who used her big, powerful Vines to snarl the arm mechanism up before it reached Riolu.

* * *

><p>Tyranitar blinked. <em>"Who exactly has my son made friends with!?"<em>

"Ash, for starters," Brock told her, focusing on the fight. "Okay, Steelix, stop it from moving!"

His Iron Snake burst into existence, charged forwards – evading the kicking of a metal foot – and twined around the mecha-Tyranitar, weighing it down and trapping its feet.

About at that point, Riolu's Aura Sphere finished charging. She threw it at the metallic machine, blowing a hole in the armour at about chest height and revealing a maze of circuitry.

"Zap the hole in the armour!" Misty said as she opened a Lure Ball, aiming her instruction at both Pikachu and her just-released Chinchou.

"_Got it!"_ Pikachu said, grinning, and electricity snapped and crackled around him before lancing forwards in a Thunder. Chinchou gave him a slightly disgruntled look, then added a much-less-impressive Shock Wave.

The whole robot lit up like a Christmas tree, and there was the sound of an argument over the loudspeakers.

"...told you, it can't take any more than this!" Chico snapped. "Get them to stop!"

"That sounds good to me!" Casey grinned. "Elekid, Pichu, zap it!"

The two Electric-types joined hands and lanced forwards a Thunderbolt, and then the whole machine exploded.

"_Larvitar!"_ Tyranitar called, as smoke hid the wreckage. _"Did he-"_

Ash landed about halfway between her and the ex-robot, one arm down to break his fall and the other firmly clutching Larvitar to his side.

"Whoo!" Casey grinned. "That was awesome!"

Latias transitioned back down from Mega with a bright orange flash, catching her Latiasite as it fell, and drifted back down with Noctowl.

"I guess we should tie these guys up or something," Brock said, nodding towards the thoroughly unconscious Poachers.

"Good idea," Misty agreed. "Brock, can you send Crobat to look for a Ranger?"

* * *

><p>Fortunately, there was a Pokémon Ranger not too far away.<p>

Once the situation had been explained and the criminal brothers had been carted away, there were still a few discussions to be held.

"So, how have you been?" Ash asked Casey, who shrugged.

"Good – catching Elekid was great, he and Pichu work well together. And... yeah, we've been doing what you'd expect, pretty much. Just got our eighth badge recently – Clair. Strange thing, she was holding it in a field..."

"Yeah, I think that was Raikou's fault," Ash said with a wince.

"Raikou?" Casey repeated. "I met someone who... oh, don't tell me you caught Raikou _too..."_

"Well, yeah... but that was after he broke the Blackthorn gym," Ash protested. "Not my fault this time."

"Sure it wasn't," Casey laughed. "Anyway, I saw _you_ on the news, at Altomare. It wasn't a great picture, but it was you – I recognized Keldeo, too."

Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, this kind of stuff just happens... oh, I guess Riolu's doing well. And your Bayleef evolved to Meganium, too."

"Yeah, that was recent," the baseball fan said. "She was keeping Riolu safe, actually."

"It's a good reason," Ash nodded. "Oh, I guess you're going to be at the Silver Conference? Don't lose to anyone who isn't me, now!"

"I'm not going to lose to _anyone!_" Casey told him. "That way, when I beat you, at least you'll have been beaten by the champion!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Excuse me?"<em> the Tyranitar said, looking to Latias. _"Can I ask you a question?"_

Latias blinked. _"Sure, I guess,"_ she said, nodding.

"_You are a Legendary Pokémon. Why is it that you travel with this boy, Ash?"_

"_Good question, actually..._ Larvitar muttered. _"We didn't get around to discussing that."_

"_Well... for myself, it's partly because I wanted to see the world. Partly because he's a good trainer, and making me stronger. And partly because... partly because he's able to keep me safe – his Pokémon are _very_ strong,"_ Latias said, thinking carefully as she did so.

Tyranitar nodded, and glanced down at her son for a moment. She considered her next question carefully.

"_I had heard that Latias and Latios were guardians of a great city."_

"_That's right – Altomare,"_ Latias nodded. _"My brother and I take turns being with Ash or being there, because that way we keep Altomare safe and also learn how to fight."_

"_Interesting."_ Tyranitar nodded again. She turned to her son. _"Larvitar, my son – what do you think of this human?"_

"_He kept me safe both before and after I hatched, and helped me find you,"_ Larvitar said simply.

"_Right."_ Tyranitar considered that a moment longer, then thumped her tail on the forest floor – not hard, just enough to make a soft noise._"Trainer?"_

Three of the humans looked up. "Yes?" Brock said. "Who do you mean?"

"_The one who aided my child."_

Ash stepped forwards. "Me?"

"_Yes."_ The female paused. _"What do you plan to do now?"_

"Well, uh – get ready for the Silver Conference, really, we're nearly there..." Ash said, shrugging. "Contact all my Pokémon, make sure they're ready, that kind of thing."

"_Contact? Ready?"_ she asked. _"You speak as if they are not all at your command."_

"Of course they're not!" Ash said with a nod. "They're my friends – and some of them might not want to fight, or they might be busy with their family or with something else. So I ask them, to make sure."

"_Interesting..."_ Tyranitar frowned. _"How do you contact them, then?"_

"_Mother, what are you-"_ Larvitar began, and trailed off at a quelling look.

"There's some transceivers that I have, which work with the Pokémon Transfer System," Ash explained. "So my Butterfree's with his family most of the time, but I can contact him and bring him over – that sort of thing, it's so I don't have to abandon them when I release them."

Tyranitar nodded, in understanding. She fixed Ash with a stare. _"If my son wishes it, then he may travel with you."_

"Wha?" Misty said, blinking.

"That's kind of sudden..." Brock managed.

"_I like what I've seen. I would not wish to be apart from my son for long, but if you can make him strong and give him happiness then he should travel with you – if he wishes it."_ Tyranitar looked down at the little Rock-type. _"Do you wish it?"_

Larvitar gaped. _"I – well, yeah, I guess..."_

Tyranitar smiled. _"Then that seems settled."_

She gave Ash an intimidating glare. _"Provided, of course, that you do right by him."_

"Of course I will!" Ash said, stung.

"_Excellent." _Tyranitar nudged her son forwards, and he took a few steps before looking up at Ash – who swept him up in a hug.

"Nice to have you around," Ash said, grinning.

One of the Pokéballs on his belt opened.

"_Yay!"_ Mawile said, beaming. _"I've got a little brother!"_

Larvitar blinked. _"But..."_

"_You hatched after me, you're a little brother!"_ Mawile said firmly. _"That's maths!"_

* * *

><p>"I'm not even going to <em>ask<em> how long that battle took," Sir Aaron said, sighing. "Because the answer would worry me."

_Yeah, it was a while,_ Arceus admitted. _You could probably tell that from where you're standing, though._

Sir Aaron had to admit, Arceus had a point. They'd started this particular battle on the high clifftop of Avia, and ended it in a smoking crater which was so deep water was seeping in through the sides. Salt water.

The three Dragons came over, chuckling to one another.

"_Did you see that bit where Yveltal came up behind me?"_ Giratina asked. _"I just Shadow Forced my way out of the attack zone of Oblivion Wing, appeared behind him, and knocked him into your Roar of Time!"_

Dialga nodded, his back-plates shifting slightly. _"Pity Lugia hit you with an Aeroblast, though."_

"_That was pretty funny,"_ Palkia nodded, sniggering at Giratina's expression. _"What? It was! Completely hilarious."_

"_Hey!"_ Giratina snapped. _"It wasn't funny, it was painful!"_

"_Funny from here,"_ Palkia said.

"Guys!" Sir Aaron said, and they subsided. "Thanks. Now, where are we going next?"

_Ah, this is where it gets interesting,_ Arceus said. _I really want to show off the Fairy type one, so you get teleported straight there._

"_Fairy!?"_ the three dragons chorused.

"_I'm not ready!"_ Giratina said, blanching. (It looked strange.) _"That's not fair, dad!"_

"_You think you have problems, my special move's Dragon-type!"_ Palkia shot back. _"They're immune to that!"_

"_Now, which of you is going to manage to come up with something I want first..."_ Dialga mused.

Sir Aaron was about to speak, but then there was a wrenching discontinuity-

-and they were on an island.

"Welcome to my lands!" said... someone wearing a fuku.

"Arceus, what the-" Sir Aaron began.

_The reference was obvious,_ Arceus told him. _That's Tsuruhime._

"Oh, great..."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be battled with all my strength!" Tsuruhime said brightly. "Xerneas, let's go!"

All three Creation Dragons looked nervously at the deer-like Legendary as it strode forwards.

"What's that on his horns?" Sir Aaron asked, looking closer. "Wait. That's a Power Herb. Oh, this isn't going to go well..."

Xerneas used Geomancy. The Power Herb flashed into fire as it was consumed, meaning that Geomancy's charge time was reduced from _considerable_ to _seconds_. A huge pulse of green energy spread out across the whole battlefield, before rushing back into Xerneas and crackling on the ends of his horns.

Then he used Moonblast. Eight times. At once.

Giratina phased out of existence before the attack wave arrived. Palkia summoned a colossal wave of water, dampening the effects of the attack, and managed to endure the worst of it.

Dialga fired a Flash Cannon back at the shots headed for him, resulting in a large explosion.

"_Yeah, I'll handle this,"_ he said, fins extending. _"Stand back!"_

Sir Aaron stood back.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>Golduck is, at least, putting the effort in.<p>

Of course I had to have Soaring in the Sky some time. And Togekiss are, in the manga, able to carry people – though speed is an issue.

Casey's been improving, too – incidentally, the Pichu-and-Elekid-working-together thing is somewhat inspired by Pikachu's Rescue Advenure.

Yep, Larvitar's part of the team – those transceivers really allow for the option of part-time team members, which helps justify including Pokémon like this who would otherwise make more sense with their family.

And, finally, Sir Aaron and co. They've been busy. Mostly with explosions. (Incidentally, Power Herb plus Geomancy equals horrible pain for dragons - unless they also happen to be, say, Steel-type...)


	104. Johto 45

"Your mother," Ash said, looking down at his newest Pokémon, "is a fantastic negotiator."

"_I'd gathered,"_ Larvitar admitted. _"How long do you have me for?"_

"Two hours a day until the Conference, all day during, and alternate days afterwards," Ash rattled off. "Well, we've got a week or so to train first."

"_I look forward to it,"_ the little Rock-type said with a smile. _"Mother taught me some ways to defend myself, but – I have little doubt you'll teach me some she didn't."_

Ash smiled back. "I've got a few ideas. Let's see... hey, maybe Primeape can teach you Outrage."

"_I... don't think I ever met him,"_ Larvitar admitted. He glanced up at Latias. _"Not that that necessarily means anything these days. What's he like?"_

"_Angry,"_ Pikachu supplied. _"Usually, anyway. He has a very focused kind of rage."_

"_...right."_ Larvitar considered that. _"Why Outrage?"_

"It's Dragon-type, so not much resists it," Ash explained. "Only Steel and Fairy, and you can learn Fighting and Steel attacks to handle those."

"_Right."_

"Oh, you have Hidden Power, right?" Ash asked, snapping his fingers. "Do you know what type it is?"

"_No, sorry."_ Larvitar shrugged.

"It's okay, we can try to work it out. That could be pretty useful. Hmmm..." Ash glanced up as they exited the trees, then got back to thinking. "Oh, of course – Tyranitar are Dark-type. Did you learn any Dark attacks?"

"_Bite, yes, but that's about it."_

"Still a good start – Lucario knows Dark Pulse, though, he can teach you that. And I can see about getting you started on Aura."

"_Can I join in?"_ Mawile asked. _"I want to learn that too!"_

"You're better at different moves to Larvitar," Ash told her, smiling. "You're a Fairy-type, though you could probably learn Steel moves at the same time as him. You could even show him how to do Iron Head."

"_That sounds fun!"_ the young Pokémon said. _"I get to teach my little brother how to do an attack!"_

"_I'm years older than you,"_ Larvitar frowned.

"_No you're not!"_ Mawile denied. _"I saw, you hatched after me!"_

Latias stifled a giggle.

* * *

><p>"<em>So, what you do is, you put your head forwards,"<em> Mawile said earnestly, demonstrating. Her horn-jaws swung down a little as well, coming to a position alongside her forehead. _"And then you headbutt it!"_

She cracked the bark of a tree.

Larvitar blinked. _"It sounds like there's a step missing. Isn't that just Headbutt?"_

"_I don't understand the question,"_ Mawile said, frowning. _"It's how I do it."_

"_But you're _made_ of iron. I'm not, so I need to have the Steel-type bit somehow."_

"_Oohhh, right,"_ Mawile nodded. _"I get it!"_

Larvitar waited.

"_Well?"_ he asked, after a few seconds.

"_No idea!"_ she said, shrugging.

Pikachu came to the rescue. _"I might be able to help you, Larvitar."_

"_Good," _Larvitar said, gratefully. _"I could see us going in circles for quite a long time."_

"_Okay, first I'm going to do the switch from normal to iron tail – just here. Watch."_

Pikachu frowned briefly, concentrating, and his tail shimmered blue-white for a moment. _"Did you catch that?"_

"_A bit,"_ Larvitar said, looking closer. _"Can you do it again?"_

Pikachu complied, and Larvitar watched.

"_I think I've got an idea,"_ he said, after a moment. _"See if this is going in the right direction."_

* * *

><p>"Pikachu's really good with them," Misty smiled. She lobbed another ball at Golduck, who deflected it with a pulse of psychic energy.<p>

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I guess it's because... you know, I've never really taken him off my team. He's had the most experience dealing with Pokémon from all over, from Caterpie and Pidgeotto to Pokémon like Iris' Axew."

"You miss them, don't you?" Brock asked, seeing Ash's expression.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I'm afraid to try and contact them, in case I... well, wreck their lives, I guess. I've been lucky so far, and it looks like very little changes so long as I don't get too close.. but I do miss them."

He sighed. "I was thinking of giving Kalos a try, actually... then, I mean. Just an idea."

"You just can't sit still, can you, Ash?" Brock chuckled.

"Nope!" Ash replied firmly, chuckling. "Where'd the fun be in that?"

He frowned. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Dexter, I've got a training idea for you and Lucario."

This sounds worrying.

Lucario hit the ground lightly as Ash sent him out, and took a slow, deep breath. _"What do you think we should do?"_

"Well – how's your Mirror Coat, Lucario?" Ash asked, glancing up at the sky – where Togekiss, Crobat, Pidgeot and Latias sparred – then returned his attention to the two Pokémon beside him.

"_Reasonable,"_ Lucario hedged.

"Reasonable should be good enough. Okay, here it is – tennis!"

There was a pause.

"_I don't get it,"_ Lucario told him.

"Okay, here it is," Ash began. "Dexter, you go over there – bit further, bit further – _there._ Now, you're going to be firing attacks at Lucario – who won't be dodging."

"_I won't?"_ Lucario asked, then nodded. _"Ah. I see."_

"Yeah, you're going to be using Mirror Coat to send them back at Dexter," Ash agreed. "That'll give you training at that, and Dexter at quickly switching from attack to defence."

Interesting. My serve.

Dexter unfolded into combat configuration, and Ash prudently moved out of the way.

* * *

><p>Tyranitar looked up as the transceiver flashed.<p>

A Pokéball bounced out of it, opened, and released her son.

"_Afternoon, dear!"_ she said, picking him up and giving him a hug. _"How was your lesson?"_

"_I can now headbutt rocks in half,"_ Larvitar told her.

"_I knew this would work out well!"_

* * *

><p>"I'm surprised how big this town is," Ash admitted, looking up at Mt. Silver. "I mean, isn't that a dormant volcano?"<p>

"Volcanoes often have a lot of people around them, Ash," Brock told him. "And it's active – it last erupted during the Shogunate."

Ash winced. "That must have been pretty bad..."

"I remember hearing about it," Misty volunteered. "They had a week or so's warning from the local Xatu, which meant they knew what was coming – and there was only ash fall, no lava."

"Oh," Ash blinked. "That's not so bad."

Misty shrugged. "I guess active volcanoes just have a bad press."

"Well, they can be quite nasty – Mount Chimney..." Brock began, then shrugged. "Oh, you probably know anyway."

"Pretty much," Ash agreed. "Remember the thing with Groudon?"

Brock winced. "Yeah..."

Ash glanced up. "Hey, is that – it is! Look, guys, it's Mr. Goodshow!"

"Who's that I hear?" the spry man said. "Ah, if it isn't the Kanto Champion! Ash!"

The trainer in question flushed. "I... it still feels strange, hearing someone say that – most people don't, and it sounds more like something someone would call Lance."

"Don't be so modest, my boy!" Mr. Goodshow said, coming over and pumping Ash's hand up and down in a ferocious handshake. "Good to see you. Good to see you! I hope you, and everyone else, put on a good show!"

"Badum tish," Brock said, deadpan.

"What's that?" Mr. Goodshow asked, glancing over at Brock for a moment. "Anyway, it's good you arrived so early, there's more than enough time to get everything sorted out. Oh!"

The organizer pointed at Ash. "Now, I saw you on the news a few times! I heard you had Legendary Pokémon, young man!"

"Uh – yeah," Ash nodded, a little embarrassed. "I wasn't going to-"

"I was going to make an announcement anyway, at the start of the conference," Mr. Goodshow overrode him. "It's because of these Mega Evolutions everyone's talking about, so I'll just add Legendaries to the list. No more than one of each without prior agreement!"

Brock blinked. "...that's it?"

"That seems very permissive," Misty added.

"Well, what's more spectacular than a battle with two really powerful Pokémon?" Mr. Goodshow asked, winking. "Now, a little bird told me that you might not be the only person with one of those, so we should get some _smashing_ battles!"

"Uh... okay," Ash nodded. "Sounds fun! I was worried about what I was going to do... though I guess using Pokémon like Entei or Keldeo or Lugia might-"

"Lugia?" Mr. Goodshow asked, delight in his voice. "Wonderful! Simply wonderful! Tell me, young man, what other secret treasures are you bringing to the humble Silver Conference?"

Ash looked a little lost. "Pardon?"

"_I think he wants to know what other Legendary Pokémon or Mega-evolving Pokémon you have,"_ Pikachu suggested.

"Oh, right!" Ash said. He winced. "Well, I'm not even sure about Lugia – he said he wanted to come... the others might not."

"And who are these others?" Goodshow pressed.

Ash took a deep breath. "Ho-Oh and Mewtwo," he said. "But I'm not sure if-"

He stopped, seeing the grin on Mr. Goodshow's face.

"This will be amazing!" the man said, beaming. "You'll have to ask – even if Ho-Oh can't compete, he should be there for the opening ceremony! Excellent!"

"Calm down, sir," Brock advised. "You're getting a bit overexcited..."

As he said it, Mr. Goodshow restrained himself with a bit of an effort. "Sorry, I – very sorry about that, I just think this is going to be one of the best Pokémon League Tournaments for a good while. Not just the new scheduling, but this..."

"What's the new scheduling?" Misty asked.

"Oh, it's simple!" Goodshow beamed. "First off, all competitors are entered into a random draw which gives them between one and three matches to impress the judges. They can use one Pokémon each in each of those judged matches! Once that's done, there's a three-trainer round-robin six-on-six, and after that it's a straight elimination tournament! What do you think of that?"

He blinked, seeing their blank expressions.

"...wait, how does that work?" Misty asked. "What about the people with a really good team who get one bad matchup in the first bit?"

"...I'm guessing you don't like it?" Goodshow said, with a sigh. "Oh well. Was it at least interesting?"

"The round-robin sounds alright," Brock told him. "Maybe you could do those, but three-a-side? And then the top one or two go through to the finals?"

"Maybe that does sound better..." Goodshow muttered. "I'll certainly give it a think.. wonder how many..."

He trailed off, muttering.

"Perhaps if-"

"Sorry to interrupt, Charles," a voice interrupted. The friends glanced up, and saw a caped man who was unmistakeably _Lance_ walking towards them. "I'm afraid I'll have to borrow two of your friends here."

"Oh, by all means!" Mr. Goodshow nodded. "By all means."

"Good," Lance said courteously. "Misty Waterflower, Ash Ketchum, would you mind accompanying me?"

"What's going on?" Ash asked, confused.

"Well, I suppose you'd know – it's the selection meeting for the prospective Elite Four candidates, Misty's invited. As for you..." Lance smiled. "I've got a few things to ask you as well, so I thought I'd pick you both up at once."

"Sure!" Misty nodded. "Let's get going, then!"

* * *

><p>Much to Ash's surprise, they didn't have far to go.<p>

Lance led them through the streets of Silver Town, past the Ho-Oh Shrine – still quiet, with a few days to go until the ceremonies started – and into one of the better hotels surrounding the Pokémon Centre. They went up two floors, and Lance motioned them into a conference room off a plush corridor.

Inside were several other trainers, all older than Ash and Misty – Ash recognized Lorelei and Bruno, sat next to a projection screen, and Koga who was leaning against the wall.

The others were new to him – a young man in his early twenties with a flamboyant outfit and a Solosis hovering by his shoulder, a slightly older grey-haired woman sat on the far side of the table, and a firey-haired girl who looked to be in her late teens and had a Growlithe by her side.

"And here's our last two," Lance said, as he came through into the room behind Ash and Misty. "Misty's the other prospect, and since Ash Ketchum was-"

He was interrupted by a yelp from under the table.

Ash glanced down, and saw a pair of red eyes staring at him in shock and what seemed to be terror.

"_Nope!"_ said the owner of the eyes, who turned out to be an Absol. _"Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope!"_

She bolted out from under the table, past her trainer, dove at the window, and bounced off with a reverberating DONG.

"Absol!" Karen called, jumping out of her seat and hurrying over. "What's gotten into you?"

"...what just happened?" Lance asked, bewildered.

* * *

><p>Feeling obscurely guilty for how he'd somehow scared the poor Dark-type, Ash sent out Meganium to help her out with Heal Pulse, Aromatherapy, and a nice chat.<p>

"_There we go,"_ the Grass-type said, after calming Absol down a bit. _"Feel better?"_

Absol shook her fur out, still a bit wide-eyed. _"I feel a little better,"_ she admitted. _"But – what _is_ that boy? I look at him, and it's like he's a walking disaster area!"_

"_You're not far wrong..."_ Meganium admitted. _"Ash is a bit of a weirdness magnet. What do you actually see?"_

The Dark-type took another breath of the soothing scent. _"Well, with most people it's kind of... the trouble they'll run into. Minor things today, more major things further out. Very general, though, and it's stronger the more likely something is."_

She shook her head. _"But looking at that boy, I see a confusing mish-mash of catastrophes overlapping and layered onto one another. I guess, looking more closely, I _did_ panic a bit, but..."_

"_But?"_ Meganium prompted.

Absol groped for the words. _"It's... they're still further away than I first thought, but they're a _lot_ bigger. I can't actually tell much more than that, the echoes of possibility are all kind of reverberating off one another and confusing me."_

"_That sounds... painful,"_ Meganium winced. _"I hope you feel a bit better now."_

"_I think I'm just going to not bother looking over that side of the room,"_ Absol muttered. _"And try to ignore my subconscious telling me to run away."_

* * *

><p>"Well, now that that's sorted out," Lance said, with a slight questioning tone.<p>

"She seems calm now," Ash informed them.

"Yes, we're going to talk about how you can tell..." Lorelei muttered. "Anyway. Let's get going. First – thank you all for coming, candidates."

Misty took a steadying breath.

"We're sorry for calling you to turn up so early compared to our original deadline," Lance began. "But fortunately you were all finished with your challenges anyway – sterling work."

Koga nodded silently.

"Thanks," Courtney said, smiling briefly. "It was interesting fighting Registeel."

Lance nodded. "You've all done well – congratulations. Now... there's going to be a total of three slots available. I am stepping down from my current position to revert to Grand Champion, since I only took the fourth seat in the first place in order to make up the numbers."

Nods.

Lorelei spoke up next. "I'm stepping down in order to focus on my writing business, which is really taking off, and – how did Agatha put it, Bruno?"

Bruno frowned. "Something like... she wanted to retire while there were still a few months left in her." The fighting-type specialist sniggered. "She's been going on about that for ages, and she's only just sixty-five."

"Don't you know not to ask a lady's age?" Lorelei asked archly.

"I didn't have to, I worked it out," Bruno replied with a wink.

Lance caught the expressions on the applicants. "I see you're surprised how we're relatively informal in private. We're friends, as well as colleagues."

Misty nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

"So – because there's three people moving, we asked more than the usual number of prospective candidates." Lance looked around the room, nodding to each in turn. "You've all done very well, but I'm afraid we've reached the point we have to select."

There was a shifting, as people pulled their chairs in or leaned a little forwards in anticipation.

"There's a few things we consider," Lance went on. "It's not just your performance when facing your Legendaries, but how hard they were. Similarly, it's the nature of how you helped the Pokémon you did – nothing's a rubber stamp, here."

He smiled. "Team variety plays into it, too – even the Pokémon that aren't of your type, since they show you're able to raise a variety and do it well. So."

Another pause.

"Lance, get on with it!" Lorelei said tartly. "These poor people have been waiting long enough!"

"Karen, of Goldenrod," Lance began, and Karen looked up in surprise.

Lance nodded to her. "You went far afield for your challenges, which is to be commended. Your battle against Lugia was brave and showed inspired strategy, while your decision to travel to Sinnoh to clash with the Darkrai of New Moon Island was one that we did not expect."

He smiled. "And, of course, you did well indeed to prevent that Spiritomb at Lavender Town from panicking. Well done indeed, Karen – you are our first selection."

Karen blinked, somewhat shocked.

Her Absol, now seemingly mostly recovered, padded over – keeping her distance from Ash – and licked her palm, head-blade carefully tilted away from anything vital.

"Thank you," she said, recovering a bit. "Sorry, I'm a little-"

"Understandable," Lance nodded. "Courtney, of Vermillion – you at one point sent us a letter informing us you had declined. Might I ask why you changed your mind?"

Courtney blushed. "I... well, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through with it. I'm still not sure, really – but I thought I should at least give it a go. See if I was capable."

Lance smiled. "I see." His expression turned a bit harder. "Unfortunately, while you are clearly Gym Leader material, I don't feel that your challenges were up to the standard of the Elite four – it's a demanding task, working in this Elite Four, as we have to watch over and work within two regions."

Courtney pursed her lips, considering that.

"Thanks for letting me know," she said, eventually. "Sorry, I guess – for wasting your time."

"On the contrary, it's always good to know about up-and-coming trainers. I'll recommend you to Blaine as a possible secondment," Lance consoled her. "Will, of Saffron."

Will faced up, calmly.

"If Karen went far afield, you went to astonishing lengths. How was Unova?" Lance quipped, and the laugh that followed broke the tension a little. "I understand you challenged the Swords of Justice to duels."

"I did," Will confirmed. "I would like to submit my battle against Terrakion for consideration, since I did best with that one."

Ash and Misty exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing – he fought _all three?_

"Accepted," Lance said promptly. "And your battle in Sinnoh was also a worthy feat – even to _find_ Giratina is a great achievement, let alone battling him."

Will inclined his head in a small nod. "He destroyed me, though," the Psychic-type trainer pointed out.

"That's hardly surprising. I'd be worried if he _hadn't_," Lance said. "Nevertheless, we consider you to be a skilled enough trainer that we're going to be robbing Sabrina of her most promising trainee – you're second on the selection list."

Will took this fairly stoically, nodding and sitting back.

"Misty, of Cerulean."

Misty swallowed.

"It has been a long time since we had someone who fought the Beasts of Ecruteak for their challenge," he said. "It has also been a long time since I personally witnessed part of any challenge for an applicant to the Elite Four. Your youth tells against you, but your skill and the skill of your Pokémon counteract that. You are our third selection."

"That's..." Misty's voice was brittle, and she stopped speaking for a moment. She resumed, a little more firmly. "That's... thank you. Even after I got the letter, it's still... well, a surprise, I guess." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Sorry, this is a bit overwhelming."

"I'm not surprised," Lance smiled. "You're one of the youngest to get the nod."

"Well," Koga said, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning against. "I suppose that means I don't get in."

"I'm afraid so," Lance nodded. "It's just a case of there being so many good candidates – you're Elite Four material as well, just less so than these three. If Bruno ever wants to retire-"

"Ha!" Bruno laughed. "That'll be the day."

"It'll come to all of us sometime," Lance shot back. "Anyway, if Bruno does decide to step down, or if a space opens up for some other reason, rest assured you'll be called upon."

"Thanks," Koga nodded. "Perhaps it's for the best, anyway, Janine's on the cusp of being ready to challenge for the right to operate Fuchsia but I'd really prefer her to have a couple more years."

"Well, it's nice when things work out," Lance smiled. "Koga, Courtney, thank you for your time – and sorry the journey was wasted."

Courtney shrugged. "I wouldn't say it was wasted, at least I get to stay in a nice hotel during the busy season at Mount Silver."

"Very upbeat of you," Lorelei said, approvingly. "I like it!"

Koga strode from the room in silence.

"I hope he wasn't too offended..." Lance muttered, as the door shut.

"From what I remember, Koga's a bit stoic at the best of times," Misty volunteered.

"True," Bruno chuckled. "Right. What's next..."

Lance glanced down at a sheet of paper on the table. "Right. Now, the switch-over isn't happening immediately, we're aware you all have arrangements to make – for starters, housing, since we do have some connections. In particular – Misty?"

"Yes?" Misty asked.

"As you're a Water-type trainer, you're going to want a place of residence with good facilities for Water-types. You've got a fairly large – but not unreasonable – budget and some leeway on how you spend it, so keep that in mind. In any case, the formal changeover is going to take place in a month or so."

The three newly selected candidates nodded or muttered to themselves.

"Who's going to be handling the challenges?" Will asked. "The Silver Conference starts next week, and it's going to take a while..."

"Well, that's _one_ reason I'd asked Mr. Ketchum to join us," Lance replied. "I'll get onto it in a moment. Don't worry, though, you won't be expected to fight challengers for a while after you're settled in – or, rather, Bruno will be the first challenge they face."

Bruno chuckled. "Wish me luck."

"Actually," Karen said, frowning. "That does raise a question. What order would we normally be expected to battle in?"

"That's up to you to work out," Lance told them. "The most recent set was a rotating one, we took turns, though as the Grand Champion I was always last."

He paused a moment. "Of course, no-one actually got to me... anyway. As members of the Elite Four, you _may_ also join a group called the G-men. It's basically something for us to do the rest of our time when we're not handling challengers, assessing prospective Gym Leaders or training, and it involves trying to pre-emptively handle trouble."

"Lance, you and Bruno were the only two members of the last set who were part of it," Lorelei sighed.

"So?" Lance asked. "I'm making the option available. Any further questions?"

Misty raised a hand. "What about our Pokémon who aren't of our type?"

"Ah, that's an interesting one!" Lance smiled. "I forgot to mention that. The usual practice is that they're available for Gym Leader candidates to use – so your Togekiss would be a prime choice for a prospective Flying-type or Fairy-type leader to take Bruno or Karen on, actually."

"Interesting," Misty nodded. "So that's where the Pokémon I used in my own test came from?"

"Some of them," Lance hedged. "There's a larger number who are just part of the general pool."

Misty nodded, satisfied. "Thanks."

"What he's not telling you is that he raises a lot of them himself," Lorelei chuckled. "All kinds of dragon-types or Dragon egg group Pokémon."

"Lorelei..." Lance said warningly.

"That's why he has to keep buying new capes!" Bruno added, quickly, before his boss could make good on the threat in his voice. "They keep biting holes in-"

"Bruno!" Lance snapped, but too late. The room dissolved in laughter as the nervous new members of the Elite Four pictured it, and after a moment Lance joined in ruefully.

"Well, so much for that," Lance sighed, once they'd got it out of their system. "Does anyone have any further questions?"

None were forthcoming.

"Okay," Lance nodded. "Any further questions, I'll be in town for the next month or so unless things go badly wrong somewhere – and so will Bruno. Misty, could you and Ash Ketchum stay for a minute?"

Karen and Will gave them confused looks for a moment, then shrugged. Karen left by the door, her Absol still avoiding looking at Ash, and Will sent out an Elgyem which teleported him somewhere.

"Is this about me?" Ash asked, as the door closed.

"It is, that's correct," Lance confirmed. "There's two separate issues here. Firstly – I've noticed you seem to get involved in an awful lot of... strange circumstances."

"What do you mean?" Misty frowned. "I've probably been in all of those..."

"Maybe," Lance nodded. "But Ash is usually the one who's more clearly taking major action – we saw his Charizard on the news, and that was clearly mostly his team in Altomare. And he's one of the few trainers we know to have more than one Legendary."

Lance turned to Ash. "So – first question. We know you've got at least four Legendary Pokémon, but how many is it really?"

"Nine," Ash answered. "Lugia, Ho-Oh, Mewtwo – those are ones I just hold the Pokéballs for, I don't use them in battle-" Lance nodded in understanding, and Ash continued. "Latias and Latios I'm training in rotation, we've not worked everything about that out yet. And there's the three Beasts of Johto, as well as Keldeo. They insist I use them properly."

"Most trainers wouldn't need to be forced," Lance commented. "Interesting. And we've seen or heard of you all over the place, usually saving lives or Legendaries – New Island, Shamouti, Greenfield, the Lake of Life, that incident in the Whirl Islands, and now Altomare. There's also what happened at the Lake of Rage, and at Gringey City when you saved one of my clan members."

Ash fidgeted, as the recitation brought home just how often that kind of thing happened. "Yeah..."

"Ash Ketchum," Lance went on. "The annals of the Dragon Clan are incomplete, but I think I have found the reference I want. Are you one of the Chosen?"

Misty blinked, not having expected _that_ question.

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "I didn't know until I met Ho-Oh, but... yeah, I am. And I think Ho-Oh mentioned the Dragon Clan are too."

"Correct," Lance agreed. "Though we barely use the term any more. I see you've been living up to your heritage, and more."

Ash blushed a bit. "Yeah... I just run into things, I guess. And my normal instinct is to... well, help..."

"You certainly run into a lot of situations where you can-" Lance began.

There was a bright blue flash, interrupting him, and all eyes turned to the centre of the table.

"_Don't tell him about that, that's... a bit..."_ Celebi looked around, and sighed. _"I was two minutes early again, wasn't I..."_

"Pardon?" Ash asked, blinking. "What just-"

"_I wanted to make sure things don't go _too_ far off what my plans say!"_ Celebi said, as the Elite Four members stared. _"So far we've kept it all nice and lined up with making sure you get all your Pokémon and meet people when you should... mostly."_

"Mostly?" Misty asked.

"_May and Max was a mistake, but at least it was a fortunate one!"_ Celebi told her brightly. _"Now-"_

"What's Celebi doing here?" Lance asked, shaking off his shock.

Celebi blushed. _"Oops... I might have caused more trouble than I was planning to fix..."_

"Time travel's involved," Ash said, keeping an eye on Celebi. "When we saved her at the Lake of Life – that battle with the Iron Masked Marauder – we kind of broke time."

Lorelei blinked. "What."

"Okay, so – there was Professor Oak there, as a young boy, because Celebi brought him forwards in time. And there was a bit of a time paradox, and Molly Hale's Sylveon was involved, and..." Ash shrugged. "Long story short, the Fairy-type happened. We altered history a _lot_."

Bruno blinked. "So you – but wait, the Fairy-type has always been there. It's one of the Eighteen Types, it's why I have a Toxicroak..."

"It's always been there since Molly's Sylveon was at the creation of the Plates," Misty said. "Before that-"

"But that doesn't make sense!" Lance burst out. "How can there have been a Sylveon there if the Fairy-type didn't exist until a Sylveon went back in time? Why are you using the word before?"

"_Tell him that if he's got a headache he's getting the hang of it,"_ Celebi suggested. _"Oh, you should probably tell him about Galactic, too."_

"Right," Ash said, glancing at Celebi again. "Celebi said that if you don't have a headache you're not understanding time travel, basically. She also mentioned a team who are going to cause a lot of trouble in the future – Team Galactic, up in Sinnoh."

Lance sighed. "I can see I'm going to understand less after this meeting than before. Right, Galactic – I'll let Cynthia know, she can keep an eye out."

He turned to Celebi. "What's going on? Why him?"

Celebi frowned. _It's because he's the Chosen One,_ she said, now speaking to Lance directly. _Not just 'one of the Chosen' – it's been directly affirmed by a large number of legendaries, including the Creators._

"...when did he meet Arceus?" Lance asked, now completely lost. "When did he meet Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, for that matter? Is this more time travel?"

_He has been sent back in time to fix a great wrong,_ Celebi told him. _Too many details are a major problem here – but tell Cynthia this. Keep an eye out for Team Galactic, and for Cyrus – he's the leader._

Lance looked like he was brimming with questions, but clamped down on most of them. "Is that all we can know?" he asked, after a moment.

"And can we be sure-" Bruno began.

_I'm afraid it's about all you can know now,_ Celebi said. _I'm sorry, but I've checked. Rest assured, we'll keep Ash running into the major disasters, and he's good enough to solve them._

"Right..." Lance said, sighing. "I suppose that's as much as I'm getting."

_Afraid so. Bye!_

Celebi vanished.

"...I followed maybe half of that," Lorelei admitted.

Lance sighed, rubbing his temples. "Maybe I'd have been happier not knowing... anyway. Right. There was one other issue I wanted to bring up with you, Ash, and fortunately it's somewhat less grim of a matter."

He managed a smile. "You heard that three of us are stepping down, one way or another – Agatha, Lorelei and myself. You've currently got challenge rights. Well, first – rest assured that if you win the final, your opponent gets the right to challenge too. People with the right can still compete, and it's not preventing anyone from getting a slot."

Misty blinked. "Wait, does that mean I might have to fight Ash at the end of-"

"No, actually," Lance told her. "There's a short moratorium on challenge at the end of the Silver Conference, because of that. The current plan is, instead, to give the current slate of Elite Four members a grand send-off. Four exhibition matches, one for each of us."

He nodded at Ash. "You said you had nine Legendaries available? I think you're a suitable opponent for those."

Ash's jaw dropped.

"It's not a challenge, not formally, but..." Lance shrugged. "It should look _spectacular."_

* * *

><p>Gary squinted through the hail, trying to see the combatants. "Arcanine, you doing okay out there?"<p>

His reply was a flicker-flash of flame, and then a Fire Blast speared out of the snow and detonated on the leg of his opponent – a large, sturdy Avalugg.

"Good work!" he called, as Wulfric's third Pokémon staggered back a bit. "Just a bit more, Arcanine! You're doing fine!"

There was a howl out in the artificial snowstorm that had been raging since Abomasnow had been sent out, and Arcanine charged out of the hail with flame enveloping his legs and spreading to his body.

Avalugg shook itself, eyes flashing, and fired a Water Pulse out towards his opponent. The moment he did, Arcanine jinked – sending up a great plume of swiftly-melting slush as he drifted across the icy floor and out of the way – before blurring forwards in a series of splashes and leaping high into the air.

As the Ice-type lowed deeply and fired a Blizzard, Arcanine's forepaws hit the Avalugg's back. He snarled, gripping on hard as the Blizzard tugged at his frosted fur, and then launched another Fire Blast in at point-blank range before leaping off. Avalugg's next attack – a violent Double-Edge – knocked his paw as he jumped, and he landed a little askew.

Panting heavily and favouring one paw, the Fire-type turned back towards his foe – watching, to spot any sign of weakness.

Avalugg growled one more time, and then slowly slumped sideways.

"Very good!" Wulfric called, as Arcanine sank to the floor himself in exhaustion. "I wondered why you did not change after two, since the hail was taking its toll, but you raise your Pokémon well!"

"Thanks," Gary said, recalling Arcanine for a well-earned rest. "He wanted to see if he could do it, and... well, I believed in him."

"A noble sentiment!" Wulfric declared. "Well, you now have all eight badges! Most impressive, for a scientist!"

Gary winced. "I'm not just a researcher... I mean, I'm studying Pokémon and how they battle, which means being a trainer."

"That is true!" the burly Gym Leader agreed. "Will you be in the League, then?"

"_Sounds like fun,"_ Umbreon volunteered. _"See how far we get this time, and all that."_

"I think.. yeah, I'll give it a go," Gary said. "Seems rude not to."

_And_, he thought, silently, _it might placate Blastoise. He was all sulky that I was going to use Arcanine first..._

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>Mawile's logic is impeccable.<p>

The Silver Conference setup – I've changed it from the original, because the original was a bit incomprehensible for me.

That poor Absol...

As for the Elite Four stuff itself, it's a bit complicated and a bit info-dump-y but it's one of those meetings where things get worked out. (Congratulations, Misty!)


	105. Johto 46

"_They wish to see Lord Ho-Oh at the opening ceremony?"_ Suicune asked, blinking. _"Interesting. Most interesting."_

"Do you think he'd say yes?" Ash asked, worried. "And about the other-"

"_Oh, I'm sure he'll at least consider it,"_ Suicune assured him. _"It was a surprise to me, that's all – for all that the Conference of the Silver Mountain is dedicated officially to him, I don't believe he's ever been before."_

She frowned for a moment, thinking. _"Yes, I think I know where best to go to meet him. If you'll excuse me?"_

Ash nodded, and she set off at a run.

"_What about me?"_ Raikou asked._ "You went to all the bother of getting me, too, so let's hear it!"_

"Well..." Ash frowned. "Do you know where Mewtwo lives?"

"_Nope!"_ Raikou said, shaking his head emphatically.

"...okay... do you know where Mount Quena is?"

"_I most certainly do!"_ Raikou confirmed. _"And now I know where Mewtwo lives, too!"_

He pranced about a little. _"I assume you want me to head over there and get him?"_

"That's right," Ash confirmed, and before he'd finished speaking Raikou was off.

"_And myself?"_ Entei asked. _"Presumably it's Lugia who you want me to get."_

"No, I sent Pidgeot off to alert him," Ash replied. "The Lugia I'm talking about is the one who lives at Shamouti, in the Orange Islands."

Entei worked out how far that would be to run across water, and winced. _"Yes, probably for the best to use the Flying-type."_

"I just wanted to have you for training with Houndour and Quilava, actually," Ash resumed. "As you're all Fire-types, it's safer to practice moves on one another."

Entei nodded, considering. _"That makes sense... you do intend to use us, correct?"_

"Well..." Ash frowned. "I'm... well, we'll see how it goes. I don't just want to win by using Legendaries _first_ or anything, and... oh, I don't know."

"_Consider it, please,"_ Entei said. _"It's an interesting experience, if sometimes a little unusual."_

"Got it," Ash nodded. "I'm trying to make sure everyone's used, best not leave you guys out..."

* * *

><p>Lucario stood, eyes resolutely open, and looked around himself at the clearing.<p>

Nothing was moving – well, nothing that could be his foe. The grass waved in a gentle breeze, Butterfree and Ledyba drifted from flower to flower, and in the distance something exploded in the direction of Entei's training session with Houndour and Quilava.

Lucario's eyes narrowed. He swept his paw out, blue Aura forming for a moment, and a blade of compressed air snapped out.

It whipped through the air, hitting one of the Butterfree, and the Bug-type dissolved to be replaced with Latias. _"Aww... you got me..."_ she said, sighing.

"_You failed to take into account the way you crushed the plants below yourself,"_ Lucario informed her. _"You're getting better, though."_

"_Sure you didn't need to use Aura Sight?"_ Latias asked plaintively.

"_No, but I'm running out of other options. Keep it up."_ Lucario looked away for a moment, and when he looked back Latias had recloaked.

He settled into his stance. Her training goal for the day was to tag him with an attack launched before he noticed her – and he wasn't allowed Aura Sight.

It was an interesting challenge.

* * *

><p>"<em>Okay, watch this,"<em> Primeape said. _"Pay close attention."_

Larvitar nodded attentively.

Primeape walked over to a boulder, and took a deep breath. He then scowled, and launched himself at the large rock – shouting, screaming, flailing, he proceeded to hammer blow after blow after red-glowing blow into the rock, blasting chips out of it in showers and finally smashing it in half with an almighty impact.

"_Like that,"_ he told Larvitar. _"Now you try."_

Larvitar blinked. _"Uh... okay."_

He walked slowly over to another rock, and punched it. It split in half neatly down the middle.

"_No, no, that was just Rock Smash,"_ Primeape told him. _"I want to see passion! Rage! Outrage! Imagine the rock stole your dinner!"_

The little Rock-type blinked. _"Okay... if you say so..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Okay – Ash, Pikachu, let's try this again, okay?"<em> Keldeo said. _"First, focus your Aura together into both palms."_

Ash complied, twin blue-glowing spheres forming. Pikachu did the same, but his were slightly flecked with yellow for a moment before they cleared and became blue.

"_Right,"_ Keldeo nodded. _"Good start. Now, focus all the heat into one palm, and all the cold into the other."_

They both got that far without much trouble, resulting in spheres of elementally-typed aura hovering just over their hands.

"_Now for the hard part,"_ Keldeo told them. _"Try to power up the one in your right hand – the ice one – without breaking it, and without changing how it feels. It should stay icy cold-"_

There was a bang from some distance off, breaking Pikachu's concentration. His globes of Aura burst, and Ash frowned as the hot ball shattered and the cold one wobbled dangerously.

"_Nearly-"_ Keldeo said, and then there was a loud shout from the direction of the bang.

"_Get this stupid stuff _OFF_ me!"_

Ash leapt to his feet, exercise forgotten. "That was Entei!" he said, eyes already looking towards where the Fire-types had been training. "Come on!"

Pikachu hopped alongside and up to his shoulder, and they set off at a run.

* * *

><p>"<em>Who left all this confounded tripwire here?"<em> Entei snarled, wincing as the tungsten-steel snarled his paws. _"This is not a safe training environment... you two okay?"_ he added, glancing up.

Quilava nodded, and Houndour bit down on the strand across his forepaw with a Crunch and a _spang_. _"We're okay, I think,"_ he reported.

"_Who did this-"_ Entei began, and then was interrupted by the sound of a Pokéball opening.

"Mean Look, Misdreavus!" a voice commanded.

Entei glowered right back at the Misdreavus. _"What's this in aid of?"_

An Ultraball bounced off his flank, and failed to trigger.

"What!?" the same voice added. "But – I could understand if it didn't catch him, but-"

Entei rolled his eyes, and Roared. The Misdreavus vanished back into her Pokéball with a squeak of fear, eliciting a huff of satisfaction from Entei before he went back to handling the wire.

Another Ultraball hit him, in the shoulder this time, and he sighed. _"Young man, I am going to get very annoyed soon..."_

"What's going on, Entei?" Ash asked, hurrying over. "We heard-"

"Hey, I saw him first!" said the young man. "Croconaw!"

A Water-type emerged from the Pokéball he threw this time. It glanced at Entei, at the two inert Ultra Balls, and the dozen or so Pokémon (and one trainer) surrounding the tableau, and rolled his eyes. _"Nelson, really? After what happened with the net trap at the hot spring?"_

"_This trainer is trying to catch me!"_ Entei said, sounding offended. _"The others could have been hurt by these stupid wire traps! I'd pull them off, but..."_

Keldeo swung his horn down. _"Relax,"_ he warned, and sliced through the tungsten wire. As it wasn't splitting under tension, it just fell off rather than whipping in all directions.

"Stop interfering!" Nelson said. "I'm trying to catch Entei, and I'd got him, and-"

"-and you're kind of late," Ash told him. "Sorry, he's taken."

Nelson's sentence fizzled out. "Pardon?"

By way of demonstration, Ash held up a Fast Ball. Entei glowered at Nelson, then Returned himself back into the ball.

"...oh," Nelson said, in a brittle voice.

He sat down, putting aside his folded-up laptop, and sighed. "Well... sorry, I guess."

His Croconaw patted him on the shoulder, a little awkwardly.

"I kind of caught all three of the Beasts," Ash explained. "Sorry..."

Entei emerged again. _"And, I might add, _we_ suggested it to _him_... well, my sister did, but we both agreed."_

"_I'm sorry about this,"_ the Croconaw said, shrugging. _"He's always wanted to... well."_

Ash winced. "That's kind of... well, now I feel bad."

Nelson swallowed. "I guess... well, I guess I'll work out something else to do," he said, sighing. "Sorry, I just feel a bit..."

Keldeo frowned. _"What about if... he's not the only Entei, there are others, so you could try to make yourself into someone who the Beasts of another land are interested in."_

Nelson looked a little startled to get advice from a Pokémon, but considered it. "Yeah," he said, after a moment. "Maybe that is the best idea-"

Lucario interrupted, pointing. _"Look."_

Ash and the others followed his paw, and saw a shimmering shape coming over the crest of a nearby ridge – followed by a trail of rainbow light.

"...well, this is just the perfect time, isn't it..." Ash said, as Ho-Oh began his final approach. "I hope the clearing's big enough-"

Mewtwo materialized, with Raikou alongside. _I believe you wanted to speak with me?_

Darting out from behind him, Mew made a bee-line for Mawile. _Hi again!_

"_Hi!"_ Mawile waved. _"Have you met my little brother?"_

Larvitar sighed. _"She means me,"_ he informed Mew, who emitted a strange _squee_ sound.

Suicune skidded to a halt. _"Hello, Ash, I found – oh, I see my brother arrived... who's this?"_

Nelson looked increasingly overwhelmed, which wasn't helped when Lugia came backwinging into the clearing in a storm of wind.

_Ash, good to see you. Pidgeot's off fetching my mate to handle things in Shamouti, so..._

His mental voice trailed off. _Is this a new companion of yours?_

"What's going on?" Nelson asked, faintly. "Is Arceus about to jump out of your backpack or something?"

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think of this one?" Brock asked, after a few minutes.<p>

Misty frowned. "Actually, I'm still thinking... mainly, I'm wondering about if I have a modification budget."

"I think so," Brock hedged. "After all, Lorelei's house has a large refrigeration unit built into it. And I'm pretty sure that Lance's house had a big launch tunnel fitted, so he can take off from inside."

The Water-type trainer nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"What were you thinking about modifying?" Brock asked, looking around the largely-empty house Misty was considering.

"Well, a lot of my Pokémon are aquatic, and that swimming pool is nice, but..." Misty shrugged. "Might not be so nice in the winter. So I was thinking – first, roof over half of the swimming pool and put in an underwater curtain – you know, to seal off the outside portion if it gets too cold..."

"Right..." Brock said, following along. "So there'd be a heated indoor pool?"

"Not just that," Misty went on. "I was thinking of plumbing in pools to as many indoor rooms as I could manage, connected to the outside one. I'd probably need to stock up on a couple of those nice compact rebreathers, but it would mean I could swim from room to room."

Brock blinked. "...that's actually a pretty cool idea."

He frowned. "Just remember to have dressing gowns or something so you can put them on if someone comes around, I guess. And you're probably going to have trouble fitting Gyarados whatever happens."

Misty nodded, considering. "Hmmm... maybe the swimming pool needs to be bigger..."

* * *

><p>After Nelson had been politely led away, Ash sat down with just about all the Legendaries he'd ever – technically – caught.<p>

"Right," he began. "Sorry for calling you all-"

Ho-Oh waved his big rainbow wing, interrupting Ash. _"I'm mainly upset it took you over two years to get around to working up the courage!"_ he admonished. _"I didn't let you catch me because it was neat, it was because you were the person I considered to be worthy of it – and because I wanted to see what it was like!"_

Ash blinked. "You've been waiting for that long?"

"_Yes!"_ Ho-Oh informed him, in no uncertain terms. _"I know an Articuno who's used in battle more often than you use me, and he's not even caught!"_

"_Wait..."_ Pikachu said, slowly. _"Do you mean the one Nolan has?"_

"_I think that was the name, yes,"_ Ho-Oh confirmed, smoothing his feathers down. _"I accept that you don't want to appear to be privileged, which is good – but there are limits, you know..."_

"_Lord, I think his reluctance stems from the time that was,"_ Suicune said respectfully. _"There was a trainer who defeated him at the Lily of the Valley, who commanded one each Darkrai and Latios, and who fought his way through Sinnoh with only the Darkrai."_

Lugia nodded, slowly. _That makes a great deal of sense – but you are going too far the other way, Ash._

"Alright, alright, I get the picture!" Ash said, raising his hands in surrender. "Fortunately, there's a good way for me to use you without feeling _too_ guilty. Well, two of them, really."

_Interesting,_ Mewtwo observed. _I think this will be the first time I've actually been used in a proper battle by a trainer... and no, Giovanni does not count._

"_So,"_ Ho-Oh asked. _"What are these two?"_

"The first one was the opening ceremony – because the Silver Conference uses your flame," Ash explained. "And it's in your honour."

"_True._" The big phoenix smiled, nodding. _"That would be impressive indeed."_

"And the other one is – well, you remember Misty?"

"_I do indeed,"_ Ho-Oh said. _"How is her Togekiss, by the way?"_

"She's helped us out _so_ many times," Ash told him. "Especially with her Sacred Fire – that was a really good move for her."

_She saved me, once,_ Lugia told his fellow great bird. _I did not realize it was from you her talent came. Many thanks._

"Well, Misty's been working on the qualifications for the Elite Four," Ash said, drawing a nod from Ho-Oh. "She got in."

"_I will have to congratulate her!"_ the Rainbow Pokémon declared.

_As will I,_ Mewtwo added. _Misty is a brave trainer indeed. Who did she replace?_

"_That's the thing,"_ Pikachu grinned. _"We don't know – Lance, Agatha and Lorelei are all stepping down or otherwise moving out of their Elite Four slot."_

Lugia blinked. _My own islands have a League that works a bit differently, but – I understand that's unusual._

"It is, yeah," Ash confirmed. "Three at once is pretty unique. Anyway, they asked me to be their opponent for some... well, farewell matches, though I think I'm supposed to be fighting Bruno as well – he's the one who's sticking around."

_Ah, now it all becomes clear,_ Mewtwo smiled. _I for one would be interested in being an opponent for such a match. Do we get to spectate on the off days?_

"I don't think anyone could stop you," Ash admitted.

"_I like both ideas,"_ Ho-Oh pronounced. _"But if we are to battle in your name, then we should have at least some training."_

"Right," Ash agreed. "I did think about this a bit... though I guess I have a few questions first."

"_Ask away."_

"Well... you're a phoenix, right?" Ash asked. "What does that mean?"

"_In terms of rebirth?"_ Ho-Oh chuckled. _"Aside from healing others, or causing rebirth as I did with the Beasts... I _can_ also recover faster than other Pokémon, healing myself of wounds and fatigue, though it takes a while."_

Ash nodded. "And – I know about Sacred Fire..."

He counted on his fingers. "Rock, water, electricity... Do you know Solarbeam?"

"_I do indeed."_

"Let's focus on handling that Electrical weakness, then..." Ash frowned. "Right, I've got a couple of ideas for that. When Pidgeot gets back, we can work on dodging and also on one of my ideas. The other thing we should look at is Dragons and other Fire types, because they resist your fire."

Ho-Oh frowned. _"You think that could be a problem? I resist Fire as well..."_

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "But if one of them knows Stone Edge, you're in _big_ trouble."

The phoenix winced. _"That, I admit, I had not considered. Ouch. What do you recommend?"_

"Well, we'll see if there's some good moves you could learn..." Ash frowned. "Can you do dragonfire?"

He shrugged. "We'll work on that in a minute. Lugia, you have... water, psychic, flying, and I remember you used Twister?"

"_Correct. I'm aware I need some way to handle many types, though."_

"Yeah... let's see, what about Earth Power? Donphan can help teach you that one..."

* * *

><p>"He's supposed to be somewhere around here, right?" May asked, glancing down at Ethan's screen.<p>

Correct. Dexter says he's training around here.

"How are we going to find him, though?" Norman looked over at his children as he asked the question.

May shrugged, and Max pointed into the sky. "I think that's a pretty good clue."

Norman and Caroline followed his arm, and gaped.

"Is that Ho-Oh? And Lugia?"

"Looks like it," Max agreed. "Even if I didn't know they were on his team, random Legendaries is usually a good indicator Ash is around."

"True," May nodded. "Right, let's see... where are they flying from?"

Norman sent out his lone Flying-type, a Staravia. "Let's find out. Staravia, can you have a look and see if there's a trainer around here?"

The Flying-type chirped, nodded, and launched herself skywards.

"I can see this is going to be an interesting Silver Conference," Norman commented.

* * *

><p>"Ready?" Ash asked.<p>

_I believe so. This sounds like a most effective way to deal with subterranean Ghost-types._

"Well, effective it might be, but it's not very efficient," Ash admitted. "I'd originally planned it to be something Lucario or I could do, but it's far too draining."

_And for me it's relatively easy. Well, I suppose that's one of the advantages of being designed as the world's most powerful Pokémon._

Mewtwo cracked his knuckles. _Let's try this with a small area first._

He jumped into the air, and stuck there. Shadow Balls formed on his fists, and crackled out – splitting and multiplying and growing, until there were dozens of them.

Then he made a grand gesture, and the Shadow Balls wove a high-speed, braided pattern through the space below him. Some of them went far enough down to reach the ground, and passed through it as easily as air.

_Well?_ Mewtwo asked, a few seconds later, as the Ghost-type attacks dissipated.

"I'm pretty sure anything inside the area would have been hit at least once," Ash decided. "Might want to work on making it charge faster, though."

_I will._

"Hey, Ash!" a familiar voice called.

Ash turned. "May! Max, nice to see you both!"

"What's with all the Legendaries?" Max asked, looking around the clearing. "I knew about most of them, but Mewtwo's a new one on me."

"Right," Ash nodded. "Uh – Misty's managed to score a pass on her acceptance tests to the Elite Four, and because they're changing the lineup they asked me to be a kind of opponent for exhibition matches – for the old lineup, I mean."

Norman blinked. "That's quite an honour – for you and for her, actually."

Ash chuckled, reddening slightly. "Yeah, guess so..."

He shook his head. "Anyway – are you here to watch the tournament?"

"That's correct," Norman confirmed. "I'd like to see what you're like in battle before you reach Hoenn – and, of course, my kids both want to see you."

"So does Blaziken!" May added. "Though we might have trouble with the seating..."

"What about your Electrike, Max?" Ash asked, remembering hearing about it. "Have you picked a name yet?"

"We're down to a few," Max said. "Still not sure, but the current favorite seems to be Arc."

The Electric-type formed out of his Pokéball, and gave Ash a quick sniff. _"You smell of a lot of Pokémon,"_ he said, tilting his head. _"I don't recognize all of them."_

"I'll introduce you," Ash decided. "That could take a while, though..."

* * *

><p>The first day of the Silver Conference dawned bright and clear. The air was crisp, as if in anticipation of the tournament to come, and muttered conversation ran around the stadium.<p>

As the minister stepped down from his podium, where he'd delivered the official and not-very-important opening pronouncement, Mr. Charles Goodshow took his place.

He picked up the microphone, and a hush spread through the stadium.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" he said, a smile on his face. "I'm glad to see you all here, come to watch this wonderful tournament about people and Pokémon and how they work together as a team!"

He paused for a moment, looking over the grass – which, of course, wouldn't last long. There were too many skilled trainers about to battle over it.

"This tournament, the Silver Conference, is the tournament of Johto – the region of our fair land where everything takes place a few days into the past." Mr. Goodshow smiled. "Which is why I found it so hard to book a hotel room today."

There were chuckles at the Obligatory Bad Speech Joke.

"But more than that, Johto's focus is not so much on the past as on how the past becomes the future. It is for that reason that this tournament's flames are those of Ho-Oh – the Legendary bird of Fire, the end of storms and the Pokémon, above all, of rebirth."

He threw his arms wide. "So, welcome to the Silver Conference!"

The fireworks went off, the crowd began to cheer – and then stopped, startled, as Ho-Oh came flying low over the stadium wall.

Banking, the Rainbow Pokémon dropped lower – below the line of the roof – and skimmed just over the heads of the crowd. As it did, a rainbow-coloured trail spread out and grew and brightened, so that when Ho-Oh turned in and climbed out of the stadium again it did so through a shimmering ring of seven colours.

Ho-Oh's wings came in for a moment, and it slowed. Then, as it spread them again, flame crackled out in a rose-red flower in the sky which hid it from sight.

As the billow of flame cleared, it became apparent Ho-Oh had vanished completely.

* * *

><p>Up on the roof, Ash shrank the simple Pokéball and clipped it to his belt. "What do you think, Pikachu?"<p>

"_Not bad,"_ the mouse agreed. _"We'd better get down there, though, your first match is in ten minutes."_

* * *

><p>"Hmmm..." Ash muttered, trying to decide. "Who to use first..."<p>

"_Me?"_ Pikachu suggested.

"No – not unless there's a really powerful opponent," Ash replied. "Which means you're not being sent out first, at least..."

The Electric-type nodded reluctantly.

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Ash added, and released Mawile. "Want to watch? Just to see what a battle's like?"

Mawile smiled. _"Sure!"_

Ash lifted her to the edge of his box, so she could see, and made his decision. "Ivysaur, you're going out first."

The Pokéball he was speaking to didn't react, because it was a Pokéball. Presumably Ivysaur was fine with that, though.

"Actually, who's my opponent..." Ash looked up, and frowned. "That looks familiar... isn't that that kid who was after a Cyndaquil?"

"Will both contestants send out their first Pokémon?" the announcer called.

"Right!" Ash said firmly. "Ivysaur!"

"Sandslash!" his opponent called.

* * *

><p>"<em>I remember hearing about you,"<em> Ivysaur said, tilting his head. _"Wasn't your trainer a bit of a jerk?"_

"_I must admit he was,"_ Sandslash confirmed, with a slight nod. _"That is for the past, though."_

He brought his arms up into a ready posture, then separated the claws out and gestured. _"Sandstorm!"_

Ivysaur winced as the sand-laden wind kicked up. He lashed out with his vines, aiming to grab Sandslash before the shifting sands concealed him completely, but the pholidote jumped over one and sliced a nick in the side of the other – knocking it off course.

Then the Sandslash melted into the sand, and Ivysaur closed up his flower to protect it.

"_I hate sandstorms..."_

Something moved. Ivysaur reacted quickly, inhaling and launching a gust of wind from his mouth that blew a tunnel of clearer air into the sandstorm.

Nothing was revealed.

Then the faint _tap_ of running clawed feet drew his attention – from behind. Whirling, Ivysaur fired a barrage of Razor Leaves towards the sound.

There was a grunt of pain, and then Sandslash loomed out of the storm with shocking suddenness – claws flashing, making Ivysaur give ground and dodge away from the Fury Swipes.

Using his vines as extra appendages, Ivysaur managed to fend off most of the swipes. One scored a line down his flank, making him wince, and he got a hit in in return with a second shower of Razor Leaves.

"Don't stay in combat for long!" the trainer – Koji – called. "Stay in the sand!"

"_Yes!"_ Sandslash replied, jumping back – just in time, as he was only caught in the fringes of a Seed Bomb from Ivysaur. The bomb did part of what it was supposed to, though, blowing the sandstorm away in a great plume of disturbed sand and revealing more of the battlefield.

Following up on his advantage, Ivysaur fired a shower of Magical Leaves. The multicoloured attack sprayed out in a broad cone, then focused back in on Sandslash and pelted him with leaves that detonated in a succession of small explosions.

"That's enough for now, Sandslash!" Koji called, as his Ground-type skidded to a stop and crouched down. "Jumpluff, your go!"

* * *

><p>Ash blinked. "Huh. Maybe he really <em>has<em> changed, I don't remember him calling a Pokémon back before... speaking of which. Ivysaur, you okay to stay out?"

Ivysaur nodded firmly, before turning to the battle again.

"_So... Pokémon can be called in and then go out again,"_ Mawile said, absorbing that. _"So they can get a rest, right?"_

"_That's right,"_ Pikachu confirmed. _"Though admittedly most of the battles you've seen so far have been kind of unofficial..."_

* * *

><p>Ivysaur frowned for a moment, considering.<p>

Jumpluff was high in the air, out of reach for a fair number of his attacks. There were always ones like Razor Leaf or Seed Bomb, but against a Pokémon with those types then asking nicely might be the better option...

Ah, that might do.

His flower opened again, shaking the sand out of it, and he rolled his neck for a second before concentrating.

The sand that had made the earlier sandstorm came rushing towards him, forming a ball in front of his nose and glowing red as it did so.

"Jumpluff!" Koji called. "Watch out for that, that's a Rock-type attack!"

Jumpluff darted aside as the Ancientpower fired, then came swooping in. As he did, a blue-grey light began to shine in his top puff.

Ivysaur fired another Ancientpower, but the agile Flying-type dodged around the attack with a nimble grace.

"_Acrobatics!"_ it announced, swinging one puff into Ivysaur's side.

Empowered by the Flying Gem, Jumpluff's attack hit with a force that belied his low weight. Ivysaur went bouncing and skidding across the arena, hitting the retaining wall with a _wham_, and took a few seconds to right himself once he came to a stop.

"_Ow,"_ Ash's Pokémon said indistinctly. _"That was painful."_

"Ivysaur!" Ash called. "Use Poisonpowder, then he can't get close to you!"

Nodding, Ivysaur opened his flower again. Purplish powder came out in a hazy cloud, hovering near him and making the Jumpluff break off a second attack run.

"Fairy Wind to clear it!" Koji instructed.

As Jumpluff duly did so, swirling around and producing a sparkle-laden gust, Ash spoke up again. "Whirlwind, and keep up the Poisonpowder!"

Ivysaur blinked, wondering what Ash was going for, but complied. He blew sharply, producing a wind of his own, and the wind focused and concentrated the poisonous dust he'd released into a plume that reached for the sky.

Jumpluff released his Fairy Wind, but the sylvan nature of the gust worked against it. Ivysaur's improvised gust of toxic wind hit it, pushed it back, and reached Jumpluff with the cloud of Poisonpowder.

"Ergh..." Koji winced. "Okay, Jumpluff, Acrobatics again!"

Grimacing as the poison began to bite, Jumpluff darted down again. Already poisoned, the cloud held little fear for him, and he smashed Ivysaur around like a golf ball with a second Acrobatics.

That one was too much for Ivysaur, who passed out.

* * *

><p>"Nice work," Ash said, recalling Ivysaur. "Okay, I'm not sure who else he has, but..."<p>

He frowned. "Wait a minute. Grass and Flying..."

Pikachu caught his meaning. _"Really? The Silver Conference for her first battle?"_

Ash shrugged. "Well, given the opponent..."

"_True."_

Ash turned to Mawile. "Want to give battling a go?"

"_Sure!"_ Mawile said readily. _"What do I do?"_

"Wait until the Jumpluff gets close enough, then use Ice Fang on it."

She nodded, horn-jaws waving, and Ash recalled her before sending her straight out onto the battlefield.

* * *

><p>Jumpluff blinked. <em>"What?"<em>

"_Hi!"_ Mawile said, waving. _"It's my first official battle, so I'll try to do my best!"_

A little thrown, Jumpluff glanced back at his trainer. _"What should I..."_

Koji didn't understand, but got the gist. "Uh... well, I guess it would help if we saw what his third Pokémon was – so hit her with Acrobatics again!"

"_Right!"_ Jumpluff nodded, adjusting his angle slightly, and swooped down – building up a spin, to hit Mawile with his puff hard enough to knock her across the arena like he had Ivysaur.

"_That looks like fun!"_ Mawile giggled. _"All spinny!"_

Jumpluff adjusted one last time, ready to attack, and- TEETH

* * *

><p>"It somehow never fails," Norman said, shaking his head, as Jumpluff plowed an icy furrow in the battlefield. "The first time someone meets a Mawile, they're always tricked."<p>

"Yeah," May agreed. "It's not like newly hatched Pokémon are always weak, either..."

"Newly hatched?" Caroline asked.

"Ash told us she'd hatched about... a few weeks ago, I think?" May frowned. "When he faced the eighth gym."

"Interesting," Norman commented. "So that must be an egg move."

* * *

><p>"Good work, Mawile," Ash said, calling her back. "Let's see what he's got next, shall we?"<p>

"_Okay!"_ Mawile nodded. _"Was that okay?"_

"_It was fine,"_ Pikachu told her with a smile.

Across the field, Koji took another Pokéball. "Typhlosion!"

"Typhlosion?" Ash repeated, as the fire-type formed. "So he _did_ get one. Okay, let's try... Totodile!"

* * *

><p>Totodile looked up at the big burly badger. <em>"Hi!"<em>

"_Hello,"_ Typhlosion growled. _"You're very small."_

"_And you're quite big!"_ Totodile said in reply. _"I bet you find it hard to fit through doors! I sometimes have trouble, but only very little doors."_

"_I'm not really allowed inside any more,"_ Typhlosion admitted. _"I burned down half of Professor Elm's lab... it was an accident..."_

"Typhlosion, start this off with a Fire Blast!" Koji instructed.

"_Ulp!"_ Totodile jumped into the air, using Aqua Jet to boost himself out of the way, and the Fire Blast detonated just behind him.

As he passed over Typhlosion, he aimed a burst of water down. The Fire-type replied with an Eruption, lancing flame into the air, and Totodile's Hydro Pump kept him safe but evaporated in a great plume of steam before it reached its target.

* * *

><p>"I hope you're recording this, Ethan," May whispered. "Maybe when I get Wartortle we can try something like that. That looks- whoa!"<p>

Below, Totodile landed, and immediately had to head skywards again as his opponent charged in in a Flare Blitz.

"I wonder how they're going to fix the arena..." Max said absently. "I mean, it's getting pretty wrecked."

"True..." May admitted, as the grass fire spread out and began to join up.

* * *

><p>Totodile landed, rolled, and turned to fire back at his opponent. The first Scald met an Inferno coming the other way, but the second slipped past the Flamethrower aimed to intercept it and splashed across Typhlosion's flank.<p>

"_Ow!"_ Typhlosion roared, stung. _"Okay, that's-"_

Totodile hit him with a Hydro Pump, knocking him over backwards, then hesitated – as the Fire-type got back up again.

Typhlosion's ruff blazed up brighter, this time with a flickering blue mixed into it. He set himself, paws against the ground and back arched, and then inhaled – massively.

"Careful, Typhlosion!" Koji called, warningly. "Remember what we talked about!"

"_I know!"_ Typhlosion managed, then fixed on Totodile again. _"Take this!"_

With a ripping, tearing sound, a lance of purple-white fire blazed out.

* * *

><p>"That's... wait, Dexter, am I right about this?" Ash asked, squinting. "It's a lot weaker than I remember, but – is that Blast Burn?"<p>

I don't know any other moves that are a plasma lance like that, but–

Pikachu overrode him. _"Wait, look!"_

Ash looked closer, and saw what Pikachu meant. There was a surf-roar of steam explosions under the sound, now he listened closer, and the lance seemed to be bifurcating near the end...

"Add Ice Beam to it!" Ash called, guessing what must be going on.

The moment after he gave the order, there was a definite change to the character of the clash. The white heat of the flame receded a bit, going yellow and then orange, and Totodile became visible again – jaw open, tail dug into the ground for balance, firing a stream of icy water which had just barely kept the unfamiliar form of Blast Burn from hitting him.

As Typhlosion's attack finally fizzled out, Totodile stopped firing as well. He panted, water dripping from his teeth, and shook his head before feeling his jaw. _"I think I strained something..."_

"Totodile! Aqua Tail!" Ash called. "Quick!"

Totodile's jaw may have been aching, but his tail was fine. He pulled it out of the ground, tilted his head forwards, and ran towards Typhlosion.

"Look out, Typhlosion!" Koji called, and the Fire-type shook himself out of his exhaustion. Lightning crackled in his fur, and he launched forwards in a Wild Charge.

Leaving it to the last minute, Totodile pushed off and did a forwards-roll over the charging Typhlosion's head. As his Wild Charge died out in confusion, Totodile landed and rammed his water-cloaked tail home with full force.

Just to show he'd recovered, he added to that with a blast of water from a Hydro Pump.

Soaked, Typhlosion staggered a bit and collapsed.

"You did great," Ash heard Koji say, as the other trainer called his Typhlosion back. Then Sandslash came out again, and Totodile was faced with a second fight in a row.

* * *

><p>"<em>Your friend seemed to have anger problems,"<em> Totodile said.

"_Yes, he does a bit,"_ Sandslash admitted. He took a stance, and spread his claws. _"Sand-"_

Totodile hit him with a Water Gun.

"_Do you mind!?"_ Sandslash asked._ "I was trying to... oh, whatever."_

He dove at the ash-marked ground, and vanished into it as though it were a swimming pool.

"_Oh, right!"_ Totodile nodded. _"That's Dig! I know how to deal with Dig!"_

He jumped into the air, and used Aqua Jet to keep himself in the air for longer, before launching down a blast of Hydro Pump towards the ground.

The soil and grass right under him quickly became soaked with water, and when he landed again it was with a marshy _splash_.

A moment later, the water drained away, and muffled cursing came from below him.

"_Yep!"_ Totodile said, as Sandslash burst to the surface with a wet _splat_ of mud a few feet away. _"Diggin' in mud's hard!"_

By way of reply, Sandslash slapped the ground. _"Earth Power!"_

Totodile jumped to the side as the crackling vein of Ground-type energy shot towards him, just about avoiding it, then ducked the sandy tsunami of a Sand Tomb and punched a Rock Slide rock in half.

Staggering back on one leg for a bit, he returned fire with another Scald which splashed across Sandslash' spines and soaked him.

"Use Sand-attack!" Koji called. "Then Focus Blast!"

"_Uh oh..."_ Totodile muttered. He lunged forwards, water spraying off him as he used Aqua Jet, and broke through the stream of sand to hit Sandslash just as the Focus Blast began to charge.

There was a bang.

* * *

><p>Totodile landed, wobbled a few steps, and sat down hard. <em>"I see pretty Starmie..."<em> he said, eyes following something only he could see.

A few feet behind him, Sandslash hit the ground with claws ready. He took one step, and promptly fell down the hole he'd used for Dig.

"Sandslash?" Koji called, after a few seconds. "You okay?"

Several more seconds passed in silence, aside from Totodile slumping over and starting to snore, and the referee raised his flag. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle. Mr. Ketchum is the winner, as he still has one Pokémon!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Does that mean I kinda-sorta won?"<em> Mawile asked, frowning. _"I'm the only one left..."_

"I think it does," Ash smiled. "Not bad for your first match... I think that might just deserve ice cream!"

"_Yay!"_ Mawile giggled.

* * *

><p>"I have to say, Koji, I'm really glad you paid attention to what we said," Ash told his opponent a few minutes later.<p>

"Thanks," Koji nodded. "That's good to hear, especially since I know now you were the Indigo Champion last year. And... yeah, I just spent a lot of time trying to be a good trainer – two of my Pokémon decided to leave, but Sandslash and Skiploom were some of the ones who stuck around... I'm glad they did."

"Wait..." Ash frowned. "Were you the one whose Typhlosion torched Professor Elm's lab?"

Koji blushed. "Yeah, that was me. Quilava – well, he was one then – was being a bit listless, so I took him for Professor Elm to look at, and... well, he evolved."

He shook his head. "Anyway. Good luck, Ash – can I call you that?"

"Sure!" Ash agreed. "Hope you do well too!"

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>And the Silver Conference begins!<p>

First off, that guy is from the Entei at your Own Risk episode. He's a bit swarmed.

As for the battle – well, Koji at least has improved markedly. When a Lucario tells you in no uncertain terms to improve, some people have the clarity to do so. It's also a first battle for Mawile, and not a bad intro for her.

As an aside – someone has been very nice and done some fanart for this story! It's linked on my profile, and is gorgeous.


	106. Johto 47

"_You know,"_ Pikachu said, as they entered the box for the second match. _"The grass seems awfully not burned given what we did to it last match. And we can't be the only ones throwing around powerful attacks."_

"Yeah, good point..." Ash admitted. "Do they replace the floor or anything?"

I believe they have a groundsPokémon with Grassy Terrain, Dexter commented.

Ash nodded, pleased there was an answer. "That would do it. Hey, I wonder who our opponent is this time..."

"_Good question!"_ Latias squeaked, hovering alongside. _"Ooh, so this is what the trainers see during a league battle..."_

"Yeah, it's pretty restricted, I guess," Ash said. "But I can see my Pokémon, and the battlefield, and that's usually enough – though Aura Sight helps, too."

"_Right! And I guess you could see me if I was cloaked?"_

"That's right," Ash confirmed. He was about to go on, but the announcer cut in.

"And facing him, Macy!"

"_Uh oh..."_ Pikachu muttered.

"What?" Ash asked. "I _think_ I remember her..."

"Hi!" Macy called. "I really like you, Mr. Ketchum!"

"_Congratulations,"_ Pikachu said, deadpan. _"Meet your greatest threat. Fangirls."_

"I don't get it," Ash muttered. "Okay, let's see..."

He selected a Pokéball. "Go! Houndour!"

"Slugma!" Macy replied, throwing her own Pokéball.

* * *

><p>Houndour landed on lithe feet, and looked across the field at his opponent.<p>

With a faint crackle, the grass caught fire around Slugma.

"_Whoops..."_ it said, glancing down.

"_I know the feeling,"_ Houndour said. _"Right, battle time?"_

"_Okay!"_ Slugma said, ears flaring up.

"Blast him, Slugma!" Macy called. "Show him our passion!"

"_Flamethrower!"_

Houndour dodged aside, frowning as the grass-smoke began to spread out in an impromptu smokescreen. _"Ember!"_

The scatter of small fireballs did nothing in particular to the Slugma, but the way some of them glittered through the smoke but others vanished did tell Houndour one important thing – where to attack next.

He howled, a chilling sound, and then lunged forwards – bounding through the flames, and feinting left before hitting Slugma in the side.

There was a crackle of heat as Slugma's skin shifted and the hot rock beneath glowed through, but Houndour was used to heat – indeed, he relished it, his Ability drinking in the flames and sending an extra pulse of energy through his body.

"_Take this!"_ Slugma called, lunging at Houndour, and the Dark-type gave way and just about avoided being hit. The follow-up attack was more of a problem, though – an Earth Power which knocked him backwards and rolling out of the smoke cloud.

Shaking himself, he got up – facing the advancing wall of smoke – and let out a _yip_ of confusion as _eight_ Slugma came out of the smoke cloud.

He sniffed, trying to tell which was the real one by scent, then sneezed.

With all the ashes and soot in the air, that had been a bad idea.

"_Ash?"_ he asked, glancing at the box for a moment.

* * *

><p>Latias frowned. <em>"Wait, they're not setting the grass on fire..."<em>

"Right!" Ash nodded. "Good spot. Houndour – none of them are real! They're not making the grass burn!"

* * *

><p>Houndour blinked in realization. <em>"Oh, right! I missed-"<em>

A rock came wooshing out of the cloud, making it billow, and he ducked with his belly flat to the ground to avoid being hit.

The Double Team of Slugma vanished, and Houndour frowned. Coming to his feet, he paced around the expanding circle of flame and smoke before firing a Dark Pulse into it.

* * *

><p>"Houndour!" Ash called. "Look out, he's-"<p>

A shower of large stones came out of the smoke, spaced in a close pattern around Houndour. The canine Fire-type kicked off from the ground and smashed his forepaws into one, knocking it aside, and landed with a shake of his head – then nearly got clocked upside the jaw by a very, very fast lava-snail.

"-evolved," Ash finished.

"Wonderful!" Macy called. "A symbol of the deep connection between my opponent and me!"

Pikachu glanced up at Latias' invisible form. _"Are you growling?"_

Latias turned cherry-red under her feathers. _"Eep – was I?"_

Pikachu nodded slowly.

She didn't know what to say to that.

* * *

><p>Houndour jumped out of the way of the turbo-snail, keeping track of it as much by sound as sight – the high-speed Magcargo wasn't moving quietly, after all.<p>

"_How exactly does this work?"_ he asked, running for a relatively safe area, and then jumped out the way as that became a _dangerous_ area.

"Rock Polish, I think!" Ash called over to him. "Hey, Houndour! Dig!"

"_Right!"_ Tail wagging, Houndour picked a spot and dug a hole into the ground – making it under just before Magcargo tried to knock him flat again.

* * *

><p>"I hope he gets this right..." Ash said, squinting as the smoke irritated his eyes. He waved a hand, starting up the Airslip trick, and tried to keep both Magcargo and Houndour in view. "Come on..."<p>

Can Houndour learn Dig? Dexter asked, confused.

Ash looked puzzled. "He's a dog. And I know that Growlithe, Poochyena and Lillipup can do it..."

* * *

><p>Magcargo slowed down a little, looking around. <em>"Okay, where'd you go?"<em>

There was a pause. Then Houndour lunged out of the ground just behind him, delivering a powerful blow with both forepaws, and added in a Crunch for good measure.

"_Ow!"_ Magcargo snapped. _"That hurt!"_

"_It was supposed to!"_ Houndour muttered, fighting to stay on the thrashing snail. _"By the way - Foul Play!"_

With that, he wrenched his neck around, and Magcargo overbalanced.

Panting, Houndour jumped off and dove underground again with a Dig – aiming to hit his opponent before it could right itself.

"Come back, Magcargo!" Macy called. "Star-"

Houndour came back out the hole he'd just dug, and pounced. _"Pursuit!"_

The impact finished Magcargo off.

"_Phew,"_ Houndour said, tail wagging, as the smoke began to disperse. _"Who's next?"_

His reply was a large, high-speed globe of water which slapped to the ground right next to him.

* * *

><p>"A Starmie," Ash frowned. "Those are tough, I hope Houndour's ready for this."<p>

"_That's a Water-type, but also a Psychic-type..."_ Latias said, following along. _"So I guess it's even?"_

"Starmie are fast, though," Ash pointed out. "Type isn't everything."

"_With you it sometimes doesn't mean _anything_..."_ Pikachu quipped.

* * *

><p>Houndour glanced over his shoulder, looking towards Starmie, and then jumped aside as another Water Pulse came in.<p>

He jumped over the curtain of fire that was still rolling across the stadium, and hid in the smoke cloud.

"_Right!"_ he said, before yelping as a Thunderbolt barely missed him.

Starmie followed that up with a Water Pulse and a Water Gun, and Houndour headed deeper into the smoke to avoid being pasted.

"_Okay, let's try-"_

"Starmie, use Surf!" Macy called. "Quench those flames!"

"Houndour!" Ash called immediately. "Run forwards – get under the wave!"

Hondour spun towards Starmie, and began to run flat out – body flat and at full extension between long lopes, kicking up puffs of ash and dirt from the smouldering grass.

To either side of him the Surf hit the ground with a _hiss_, and he closed his eyes before barging through the leading edge of the watery attack.

He slipped on the wet, slick ash as he landed, rolled over once, and got moving just in time to avoid a Water Pulse.

"Keep it up, Houndour!"Ash called.

* * *

><p>"<em>He's not attacking..."<em> Latias muttered. _"Is that bad?"_

"_I think he's trying to,"_ Pikachu replied. _"But he's not able to stand still long enough to attack. Ash, what's the plan here?"_

"That water's making more smoke," Ash said. "It's getting harder and harder for her to see through it... Houndour! Try now!"

Houndour nodded, and split off two duplicates as he ran. They crackled with Dark-type energy, formed into doubles of Lucario and Pikachu, and promptly got obliterated by a Thunderbolt from the hovering Starmie.

"_Not thick enough, then,"_ Latias observed.

"Good work, Starmie!" Macy called. "Now, get that Houndour!"

Houndour zigged when he should have zagged, and got caught in the side by a Water Pulse. He yelped in pain as it smashed into him, knocking him off-course and skidding across into the smouldering area of the battlefield.

Starmie fired two follow-up attacks mostly-blind, producing wet _slap_ sounds but nothing more.

There was a long pause. Then a Dark Pulse came flashing out of the smoke, and Starmie slipped sideways in the air to avoid it.

"Starmie!" Macy called. "Use Psychic to clear the smoke!"

A hammer of psionic force washed across the field from left to right, gathering up the smoke and forcing it out of the way.

And, smoke streaming around him as it plumed from his Dark-type shadow, was Ash's Pokémon.

He wasn't a little Houndour any more. Over twice as tall as before and easily three times the bulk, rangy legs ringed by bony manacles held up a pitch-black body with rows of bones across his back and with a spade-tipped tail lashing behind him.

His red jaw hung slightly open, baleful eyes flashing above it, and the two big bony horns topping his skull shimmered in the sunlight.

* * *

><p>Houndoom snarled briefly, tail snapping across like a whip-crack, and this time four duplicates appeared next to him.<p>

They poofed into the forms of Suicune, Entei, Raikou and Keldeo, and proceeded to charge in on Starmie as a group.

Starmie managed to blast away the Entei-copy with a powerful Thunderbolt, and the Raikou-copy ate a Water-Pulse which destroyed it as well, but then the pseudo-Suicune and the pseudo-Keldeo hammered Starmie into the ground and then jumped on it.

Before the starfish Pokémon could hover back out of the small crater, Houndoom pounced – both paws landing hard on the outer body, before slamming home a Crunch and using that as leverage to toss it across the battlefield like a frisbee.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked. "Huh."<p>

There was a flicker of red light as Macy returned her Water-type.

"Uh," she began, then rallied. "That's another sign of our bond! Your Fire-type evolved as well!"

Houndoom looked over at Ash, and beamed. _"I did it!"_ he yapped, tail wagging happily, and bounced around a bit. _"I beat the Starmie too!"_

Ash chuckled. "You sure did – nice work, Houndoom! Congratulations on evolving!"

"_Thanks!"_ Houndoom barked, still prancing around. _"That was a fun battle!"_

"Okay, Electabuzz, we can still win this!" Macy called, getting their attention. "Go!"

* * *

><p>Houndoom shook his head, focusing, and turned to face his opponent.<p>

She gave him a brief, considering look, then put her hands together and launched forwards a Thunderbolt.

Houndoom feinted and dodged, snatching his tail out of the way of the attack, and then cracked it. _"Beat Up!"_ he announced, one eye on his opponent, and sent in copies of the three Beasts to hit Electabuzz.

"Shockwave!" Macy called out, and Electabuzz' horns crackled. She nodded once, and the two horns exchanged a flicker of lightning before producing a spherical electrical shockwave that burst the three incoming Beat Up clones.

"_...that's not very fair,"_ Houndoom said, a whining note in his voice. Then he released a Dark Pulse, blowing away the incoming Thunderbolt, and elected to close in instead.

Another Thunderbolt snapped past his ear, making him flinch away reflexively, and the third and last she got off before he arrived glanced off a horn and sent a tingle of electricity through his body.

Growling, he hit her with both paws, bowling her over, and her next attack – a Thunderpunch – slammed into his flank as he built up the heat for an Inferno.

Wincing, he focused the purplish flames and launched them down at his opponent. There was a crackle as the grass around crumbled further, but Electabuzz seemed fairly hale.

Then she pulled her other hand out from beneath her. Houndoom had just enough time to realize there was a Focus Blast glowing between the two forefingers before it hit him in the chin.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ouch!"<em> Latias squeaked, as Houndoom performed a complete cartwheel in the air.

He landed surprisingly well, forelegs reaching out to slow his fall, but was still a little dazed when he landed – and then he took a Zap Cannon squarely in the shoulder, which detonated and crackled along his fur.

When it faded, Houndoom wobbled for a moment and slumped sideways.

Ash returned him with a smile. "That was awesome, Houndoom."

He switched Pokéballs. "Okay, Donphan, let's finish this!"

* * *

><p>Donphan materialized. He looked at his opponent, then around at the stands, and blinked. <em>"I have this strange feeling of deja vu..."<em>

Shaking his head, he frowned. _"Right. Battle time. Let's try..."_

Rearing up, he drove his hooves into the floor and sent a lance of brown-glowing energy forwards along the ground. Electabuzz tracked it as it came in, and jumped over it – avoiding the Ground-type attack, before landing again and throwing forwards a Signal Beam.

Donphan rolled sideways to avoid it, and discovered why Donphan didn't usually do that as his tusk promptly stuck in the ground.

"_...oh, this is embarassing."_

"Electabuzz!" Macy called. "Close in and get him!"

Electabuzz ran forwards, legs pumping, and her fist drew back and began to shimmer.

"That's Ice!" Ash called urgently. "Look out!"

Donphan glanced at the oncoming Electric-type to judge her speed, and drew back his two hooves which were closer to the ground. Just as she arrived, he kicked off with them – taking a glancing and painful blow from the Ice Punch, but also knocking himself onto his back rather than his side.

As Electabuzz planted a foot and spun into a sweeping low kick, Donphan accelerated – moving rapidly out of the way of the attack before it could connect, and curving around to come in on an actual attack run with Rollout.

"Get another Ice Punch ready!" Macy called, and Electabuzz set her stance.

Donphan's Rollout connected with an Ice Punch coming the other way, which sent both combatants bouncing backwards from the point of impact and knocked him out of his curl.

Electabuzz recovered first and pressed her advantage, running forwards to deliver another Ice Punch, and Donphan took it in the side as he spun up before shooting off to the other side of the arena.

* * *

><p>"<em>What now?"<em> Latias asked, trying to follow the fight. _"I think... well, does Donphan know any good ranged attacks? That Electabuzz seems fast enough to hit him as he comes in."_

"That's right," Ash nodded. "And no, he doesn't... but he _can_ come in faster. Donphan! Head around to the south side of the arena!"

* * *

><p>Donphan changed course as soon as he heard, and accelerated – easily dodging Electabuzz' Signal Beams she fired at him.<p>

"Ram the wall and push off!" Ash added.

Trusting his trainer, Donphan charged the retaining wall. He hit with a _crash,_ rolled part-way up it with his topspin, and then pushed himself into the air.

To his north, Electabuzz watched the hurtling elephantine Pokémon. She cocked her fist back, glowing with another Ice Punch, then frowned – squinting, as Donphan moved near the sun.

"Look out!" Macy called, suddenly realizing Ash's plan. "Dodge!"

"Magnitude!" Ash ordered, as Donphan came down.

The impact made the stadium tremble, and Electabuzz had left it too late to run. Too close to the impact, she was battered into the air by a slab of arena underfloor knocked up by the impact, and Donphan ran her over with a Bulldozer just after she landed.

"Electabuzz!" Macy cried out. "Are you okay?"

Electabuzz twitched, looked up at the large Ground-type giving her a look, and tapped her hand on the floor twice.

"Electabuzz is unable to fight on!" the referee announced. "Victory to Ash Ketchum!"

* * *

><p>Ash caught up with Macy as she left the stadium.<p>

"That was a good fight, by the way," he told her. "I know I kind of beat you with just two Pokémon, but – I thought I'd let you know it was good."

Macy's expression broke into a smile. "Thanks, Mr. Ketchum!" she said enthusiastically. "That means a lot to me!"

"Heh, it's-"

"I mean, a _lot!"_ she stressed. "I mean – I feel so lucky to have been beaten by you!"

Ash blinked. "Wait, what?"

* * *

><p>Pikachu glanced up at Latias. <em>"You realize you actually have to focus psychic energy to use Psybeam, right?"<em>

Latias blinked. _"What?"_ she asked, looking away from Ash trying with increasing desperation to end the conversation without seeming rude.

"_You kind of looked like you wanted to get that trainer as far away from Ash as possible..."_

Invisibly under her light-bending feathers, Latias blushed. _"I did it again, didn't I..."_

Pikachu nodded.

* * *

><p>"Here goes," Misty said, leaning forwards in the box as the groundskeeper's Grotle finished replenishing the grass. "Ash's last qualifier."<p>

"Thanks for letting us sit here, by the way," Brock added, nodding to Lance.

"The stadium's built with plenty of room," Lance told them. "And the Elite Four box seems to have been designed in case someone wanted their Wailord to watch... anyway, Misty, I hope you're paying a lot of attention to _all_ the battles."

Misty nodded. "I've certainly been keeping track of the Water-types and anything else that's relevant – for example, I can't help but notice that someone had what _looked_ like a Greninja, but Greninja don't learn all those moves."

"They don't?" Lance asked, interested. "Well, well. I missed that one. Thank you for the information."

He shook his head. "I must have been misled by how it's a ninja."

"Ninja or no ninja, they don't learn Solarbeam or Night Daze," Misty assured him. "I think everyone else missed it because they're so rare here, but..."

Brock frowned. "Night Daze? Now you mention it-"

"Wait a minute," Misty interruped him. "Is that Pietra?"

Brock turned back to the battlefield. "It is! Look at that..."

* * *

><p>"Nice to see you again!" Pietra called.<p>

"You too!" Ash replied. "Who are you sending out first?"

"You'll know when I do it, of course!" Pietra told him.

"Please send out your first Pokémon on the count of three!" the referee said, raising his flag. "Three, two, one – go!"

"Azumarill, let's go!" Pietra cried, throwing her Pokéball forwards.

Ash threw his Safari Ball. "Tauros!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Right, let's get on with it,"<em> Tauros said, rolling his neck. _"An Azumarill, huh... well, I know how to handle that! Take Down!"_

He bent down and charged forwards, hooves drumming on the springy grass underfoot.

Azumarill tilted his head as the bull came in, then jumped and twirled – the ball on the end of his tail enveloping itself in water just before impact.

Tauros grunted in surprise as the Aqua Tail hit – very, very hard. Water exploded out in all directions, knocking him to the side and making his hooves skid a little as he avoided falling over, and even after he recovered there was at least an inch of water on the floor.

"_How exactly does that work?"_ he asked, hooves splashing in the water as he turned to face Azumarill more directly.

His opponent shrugged, and fired a stream of Muddy Water. Tauros snorted, squinting, and charged up it – sending up great plumes of water as his hooves propelled him forwards in the gradually deepening water.

Just as he reached Azumarill, he slowed – digging his hooves in and shedding speed. That threw Azumarill off, and his second overpowered Aqua Tail didn't connect.

Tauros wasted no time capitalizing on it. He Stomped down at Azumarill as the Water-type landed from his jump, managing to connect with one blow of two before Azumarill blocked with his still-powered-up tail ball and produced another huge blast of water.

The water sluiced down Tauros' hide, carrying the mud that had accumulated there, and the water level rose another inch or so.

"_Seriously, how are you doing that?"_ Tauros muttered.

"_I've just got Huge Power!"_ Azumarill replied, jumping at him. _"Play Rough!"_

* * *

><p>Brock blinked. "Misty – why is that Azumarill swinging Ash's Tauros around by its tails?"<p>

Misty shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Is your Azurill going to do that?"

"Only if I let Ash babysit, most likely," Misty said.

* * *

><p>Landing in a slippery, skidding kind of way, Tauros shook his head to recover before turning to face Azumarill once more. <em>"That hurt,"<em> he announced, and kicked a hoof irritably at the water. _"And the lake doesn't help..."_

Azumarill added to the water with a Hydro Pump, and then looked at Tauros again. _"Are you having trouble with all the water?"_ he asked. _"I hope you're not... that would be terrible..."_

"_You're quite annoying, surprisingly,"_ Tauros announced. _"Okay, that's it."_

Snorting, he broke into a trot and then a run. _"Giga Impact!"_ he said, pushing mightily to maintain his speed through the thigh-deep water.

"_Waterfall!"_ Azumarill called in reply, cloaking himself in water and charging forwards.

Tauros skidded to a halt, the purple-yellow glow of his attack dissipating. _"Sorry, meant-"_

Azumarill hit home, with an almighty blast of water as his overpowered Waterfall connected.

"_-COUNTER!"_

There was a BANG, and Azumarill was sent flying into the air by a red flash of light as Tauros returned the power of the attack with interest.

Both participants came off badly. Azumarill hit the water – now over a foot deep – hard enough to make a loud _smack_ noise, and bobbed to the surface a moment later looking much the worse for wear.

Tauros was worse still. He'd done what would probably have been a bounce if he were lighter, and fetched up against the retaining wall in a splayed pile of limbs. A long moment passed, then he pushed himself back to wobbly hooves.

"_Ow,"_ he said, and met a Bubblebeam from Azumarill which finished the job of knocking him out.

* * *

><p>"I wonder if I should feel guilty that I taught him that," Misty muttered. "Well, the Bubblebeam bit, not the Aqua Tail stuff."<p>

Brock shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Okay, time for my second Pokémon!" Ash said, grinning.<p>

Pikachu sighed. _"You're really going to do this, aren't you."_

Ash shrugged, and picked up the second Safari Ball. "Tauros!"

* * *

><p>"...wait, I'm getting deja vu," Pietra said, blinking. "And – okay, how is he standing on the water?"<p>

She shrugged. "Well, I can hardly talk. Right, Azumarill – same as last time!"

Azumarill nodded, and dove under the water.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hmmm..."<em> Tauros mused, keeping his eyes peeled. _"Where might that Azumarill be..."_

He shrugged. _"Not that it matters!"_

Bunching, he began to run – and his hide snapped and crackled with electricity as he used Wild Charge.

The entire miniature lake crackled and fizzed, and Azumarill burst back out of the water looking battered.

Unfortunately, he came out right in front of Tauros, who planted a well-aimed kick on his midsection to send the Water-type flying in the direction of the stands.

* * *

><p>Azumarill halted mid-air as the LinesPokémon caught him, and then levitated him back to his trainer.<p>

"Azumarill is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "He was defeated by Ring Out. Pietra to send out her second Pokémon!"

Pietra nodded. "Well, you're best here!" she said brightly. "Go!"

Misty sighed. "Pokémon these days don't appreciate water battlefields."

Brock nodded sympathetically, and they watched as Pietra's Rhydon surfed into the battle.

"That's a better board than the one he had last time, though..." Brock pointed out, absently.

* * *

><p>"<em>That Wild Charge won't work on me,"<em> Rhydon said, slowing slightly, and then dipped his tail into the water and thrashed it to get back up to speed.

"_Well, yes, I'd gathered,"_ Tauros replied, trotting around to keep his opponent in his line of sight. _"Hold still, please!"_

As he said that, he abruptly accelerated – hooves thundering along the water as though it were solid earth – and curved in towards Rhydon, snorting and bellowing.

"_Iron Head!"_ he bellowed, his horns glowing with a silvery light as he approached.

Rhydon chuckled roughly, then drew back his fist.

"Left!" Ash called suddenly, and Tauros dug in his hooves and slowed – sending up a great wash of water which splashed Rhydon's face, and made the Hammer Arm attack Ash had seen being prepared go wide.

As he curved, Tauros hit Rhydon with all three tails in succession – the first one was normal, but the second and third ones glowed with the same silvery light as his horn had as Tauros belatedly used Iron Tail.

Both those latter two impacts made _crunch_ sounds which were audible from the stand, and Rhydon wobbled a bit before overbalancing and falling off his board with an almighty _splash_.

"He's not down yet!" Ash told Tauros. "Look out!"

Tauros kept running, gaining some distance, then turned to look and saw Rhydon standing out of the water – his board on his head.

As he watched, Rhydon walked, then broke into a lumbering, sloshing run. He threw the board down into the water, jumped astride it, and used his tail to accelerate back up to speed.

* * *

><p>"That's going to get annoying..." Ash muttered. "That's much faster than Rhydon normally are. Hmmm..."<p>

He frowned for a few more seconds, then snapped his fingers. "Got it! Tauros, new plan!"

Tauros glanced over at him, still circling.

"Run straight at Rhydon!" he commanded.

"_So... this is the old plan again?"_ Pikachu asked, as Tauros accelerated and charged in.

"Not really..." Ash said absently, frowning. "Right – Earthquake!"

* * *

><p>About two seconds from reaching Rhydon, Tauros reared up. His hooves glinted for a moment, then he rammed them with full force into the water.<p>

Although he was on water, not earth, the trick he was using to stand on the water made it react a lot _like_ earth. The watery surface trembled, then knocked him backwards as it burst outwards in all directions.

Rhydon found himself abruptly facing a wave nearly as tall as he was. He turned to try to ride it out, but too late – the breaker curled over him and crashed down in a massive avalanche of water.

Tauros was similarly pulled down by the instant wave, and the remains of it slapped against the retaining walls and sent spray skywards.

* * *

><p>"...that's new," Misty said, blinking. "Instant huge wave. I'll have to see if I can do that somehow."<p>

"That reminds me, how would you deal with this Rhydon?" Brock asked, as he saw both Pokémon hauling themselves erect again – a bit bedraggled in each case, though Tauros seemed marginally better off.

"Kabutops and Leaf Blade," Misty replied promptly. "Even if he's more resistant to Water than usual, Kabutops could attack from unexpected directions with a Grass move."

"Makes sense," the Rock-type specialist... who had just the one Rock-type... nodded.

* * *

><p>Tauros shook his head, recovering his senses, and then crouched briefly and reared his front legs out of the water. When they came down, they hit the water surface as though it were solid, and he used that as a lever to pull himself the rest of the way onto the water.<p>

Rhydon was looking down at his board. _"Oh no!"_

"_What?"_ Tauros asked, frowning. _"What is it?"_

Rhydon held up a small piece of fabric. _"The arm strap came off! It's not safe now!"_

Tauros blinked. _"...right..."_

"_That's not fair!" _Rhydon went on. _"Take this!"_

His horn began to rotate, faster and faster, and he crouched over and began a splashing run through the water.

* * *

><p>Ash frowned. "That's Horn Drill, and that means – right, I hope this works. Tauros! Cancel the water walk!"<p>

Bemused, Tauros did so. He splashed back down up to his haunches, and faced the oncoming Rhydon.

"_What are you-"_

"Now, Fissure!" Ash shouted, just as Rhydon arrived.

The Fissure shook the stadium slightly, and hit Rhydon square-on – invisible under the deep coating of water covering the floor – at just the same moment the Horn Drill hit Tauros.

Both Pokémon went flying backwards, out for the count, and slammed down into the water.

Which was rapidly draining away.

"_...did you plan that?"_ Pikachu asked, blinking, as the Fissure drained out the entire stadium in only a few seconds.

"Yeah?" Ash replied, sounding a bit confused. "Why? The others can't water-walk."

He picked up his third 'ball for the fight. "Tauros!"

"You're kidding!" Pietra called, as the third Tauros appeared. "You are kidding! You've sent out three of the same Pokémon?"

"They're still different!" Ash replied. "What's your third?"

Pietra blinked, glanced at her third Pokéball, and flushed slightly. "Uh... Dugtrio..."

* * *

><p>"<em>Does that really count as one Pokémon?"<em> Tauros asked, as he jumped up and down a bit to feel the consistency of the ground.

"_Yes,"_ Dugtrio said, all three voices in unison. _"We train a lot to be this coordinated."_

"_Okay,"_ Tauros muttered.

A ball of energy began to grow between his horns.

"_What's that?"_ Dugtrio asked. _"It looks like-"_

Tauros fired the Solarbeam.

The moment he finished, a Mud Bomb hit him in the side.

"_Missed!"_ the Dugtrio said, then popped back down its hole.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked. "Is that Dugtrio male or female?"<p>

Pikachu cocked his ear, and listened for a moment.

"_Two male, one female,"_ he said.

"Dugtrio are _strange._ Anyway... uh... Tauros! Can you use Earthquake?"

Tauros' reply was to lean forwards, coming off the ground with his hind legs, before swinging back and driving them into the ground.

Another tremor resonated out across the stadium, driving the Fissure fissure to crack a little wider, and Dugtrio popped out of the ground before diving right back in as soon as the shaking stopped.

"Uh... right..." Ash frowned, as Dugtrio launched itself out of the ground long enough for a Fury Swipes before going right back in again.

* * *

><p>"Over by the stadium wall!" Tauros heard Ash say, and lumbered over there.<p>

"Okay, good!" Ash told him. "Now – Earthquake again!"

This time, Tauros saw the Dugtrio pop out of the ground. _"Aha!"_ he bellowed, and charged forwards – and the Dugtrio promptly vanished underground.

"_...well, bullocks,"_ he said, and glanced at Ash's box. _"Any ideas how I can whack some moles?"_

"Yeah!" Ash replied. "We're nearly done – now, go over to the stadium wall, and charge up Solarbeam!"

Nodding, and wincing as Dugtrio hit him with a nasty Slash, Tauros trotted over to the side of the arena and began to build a Solarbeam again.

There was the sound of a muffled argument from underground.

"_What are we going to do? We can't stay underground during an Earthquake!"_

"_I don't know, you know everything!"_

"_Guys, we need to-"_

Tauros slammed down an Earthquake, and the Dugtrio popped out of the ground again.

"_Aaaaah!"_ they all called in unison, as Tauros fired his Solarbeam at the trio of Ground-type moles.

When the green beam of light faded, they were all unconscious – having fallen mostly back into a hole, but not far enough to keep them safe from the attack.

"Ash Ketchum wins!" the referee announced.

* * *

><p>"I have to admit, Dugtrio confuse me, too," Brock said, joining in the applause. "So... how does it work now?"<p>

"Well, Ash is one of the first to finish the round-robin stage," Lance told them, as Tauros and Dugtrio were recalled and the Grotle trotted out to refresh the grass. "So he's probably got a day or so free before the elimination stage."

"Okay, neat," Misty said. "I guess he gets a day off..."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>Continuing along with the Silver Conference...<p>

The idea of a big, scary-looking Houndoom being a doofus amuses me.

As for that last battle... well, Tauros, Tauros and Tauros all wanted a go.


	107. Johto 48

"Okay..." Ash said, frowning. "Not bad, but I think it needs to be faster."

_Understood,_ Lugia nodded, looking down at the craters. _I'll keep working on it._

"Good!" Ash called up. "And Ho-Oh – that curtain of fire?"

"_Getting better at setting it up,"_ Ho-Oh reported. _"It's certainly helping me out, but-"_

"Hey!" a voice called.

Ash turned. "Who is – oh, hey Wes!"

Wes nodded. "Yeah, it's me alright. Don't know if you've been checking the matchups..?"

"_Nope, he hasn't,"_ Pikachu chuckled.

"...yeah, Pikachu's right," Ash admitted. "I've got no clue."

"Right," Wes said. "Anyway. It's basically me, and... well, I had this idea."

Ash blinked. "I didn't know you'd entered..."

"Rui insisted," Wes sighed. "Disobey her at your peril... I basically got Celebi to take me around the gyms of Johto and got the badges in a day. Anyway... this idea."

"Oh, right," Ash nodded. "What is it?"

"Well..." Wes paused. "Actually, I don't think you know this stuff. Those jerks in Orre who I stopped had a load of Pokémon they turned into Shadow Pokémon, including the three local Beasts. And I totally stole them back."

He tapped his belt, and an Entei and a Suicune materialized.

"...huh," Ash blinked. "I knew you had a Ho-Oh, but I didn't realize you had Legendary Beasts too."

"It was on the news... in Orre... when you were, what, nine?" Wes shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"_So this is who Ho-Oh mentioned?"_ Wes' Suicune asked, in a deeper voice than Ash was used to. _"Interesting."_

"_Now now, brother,"_ the Entei smiled. _"Ho-Oh was quite impressed – be more positive!"_

Suicune looked skeptical.

"_I apologize for my brother,"_ Entei chuckled, shrugging at Pikachu.

"Hey, I'm trying to have a conversation here," Wes said without much heat. "Right. So, the idea was – both of us have all three Beasts, so we both use those for our match. It's a three-on-three anyway, so..."

Ash blinked. "Oh, right. Yeah, the idea sounds pretty neat – I'd like to check with them, though."

"Go ahead," Wes shrugged. "I've got a couple hours until Rui's done shopping."

He blinked. "Wait a moment... hey, where's Raikou?"

"_Probably asleep,"_ his Entei said, rolling her eyes.

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think?" Ash asked, some minutes later.<p>

Suicune smiled. _"It does sound like an interesting match – certainly a spectacular one! That Mr. Goodshow might like it a lot."_

"_Yes, it'd be great to see if this other Raikou has any moves I can learn!"_ Raikou agreed.

"_Question,"_ Entei said, frowning. _"How, exactly, will the spectators know which one is which?"_

"...good question," Ash admitted.

"_Well, I know exactly what I'm doing!"_ Raikou announced. _"I'm getting that scarf out of where I left it and putting it right back on! And, not only that, I'm going to take my signs to battle!"_

Suicune blinked. _"Well... that will, at least, be distinctive..."_

"Would Wood Hammer – well, your version – work on another Raikou?"

"_Don't see why not,"_ Raikou muttered defensively.

"_Ash, can I borrow your hat?"_ Suicune asked. _"Either one."_

"That'd be pretty good," Ash nodded. "What about you, Entei?"

Suicune and Raikou exchanged a glance. Then they both grinned.

"_Oh, no,"_ Entei said, shaking his head and backing away. _"No, no, no. Not again!"_

Ash held something out of his bag. "You'll get this if you agree."

"_...fine, then."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Hi!"<em>

The Houndour pack looked up. _"What was that?"_ the alpha female asked.

Her mate frowned. _"Not sure – but it might be-"_

A Houndoom came pelting over the crest of the hill, skidded to a halt, and wagged his tail. _"I'm back!"_

There was a pause.

"_Wait,"_ said one of the younger Houndour. _"Did you evolve?"_

"_Sure did!"_ Houndoom nodded, happily. _"I feel all tall now, and it's kind of funny, but at the same time – I feel great! Really strong!"_

"_Son,"_ the alpha said, looking up – then stepping back, so he didn't have to look up quite so much. _"...I'm proud of you. Well done."_

Houndoom's tail wagged faster. _"That's really nice of you, Dad – thanks!"_

"_You'll have to tell us all about it,"_ his mother added. _"Was this at the Silver Conference you mentioned?"_

"_Yeah! Okay, so I was fighting this Slugma to start with..."_

* * *

><p>"Thanks for inviting us into the box!" Molly said brightly, sitting down next to Misty. "It's really big..."<p>

"It's usually less crowded than this, though," Lance said, amused, as he watched the three shiny Beasts sprawled over two or three chairs each. "Don't they have jobs?"

"_Most of the Legendaries in Johto are actually within a mile of this building,"_ the shiny Entei said, and Molly translated for him.

"That's quite... wait," Lance said, counting to himself. "That might actually even be true."

"It probably depends where the various Legendary Birds are," Brock volunteered. "I assume there'd be a warning if there was anything major going on."

"That's a point..." Lance muttered. "I think I'm going to just make sure the patrol schedule's up to date, though..."

As he got out a phone, Eevee jumped up onto her trainers' lap and shifted to Sylveon. _"This should be fun!"_

* * *

><p>"Will both competitors send out their first Pokémon!"<p>

Ash chuckled. "Suicune, go!"

* * *

><p>The blue-white-and-purple Legendary materialized on the battlefield, a wind whipping around her but not touching her snazzy-looking hat, and there was a ripple through the crowds.<p>

Lance blinked, lowering his phone. "That's quite a bizarre sight, even though-"

Then Wes's first Pokémon materialized too.

"-what the heck!?" he gaped, seeing the Suicune there too. Then he looked between the field and the _other_ Suicune, who craned her neck slightly to watch the battle.

"...this is not a normal day..."

"Well noticed," Misty said, with a chuckle. "I think maybe we'd have been happier if this was the finals..."

Lance recovered a bit, and smiled ruefully. "One of the perils of an elimination tournament, I... think..."

His voice trailed off.

"Didn't you have an Eevee?"

Molly's Sylveon waved, shifting back to Eevee and then through all her other forms in a display of Shininess.

"If you're wondering," Brock added, "She's why there's such a thing as the Fairy-type."

Lance sat down heavily.

"He's funny," Molly said, then turned back to the stadium. "Oh, look, they're starting!"

* * *

><p>"<em>May our battle be productive and closely-fought,"<em> Wes's Suicune said, bowing his head.

"_Indeed, and may both profit from the day,"_ Ash's one replied. Then she chuckled. _"Dear me... I hope that sounded formal enough."_

"_Passable,"_ the male Suicune said, his own lips quirking in amusement. _"Right."_

He pounced forwards, his wind-swirl abruptly tightening and focusing into a Gust which slapped forwards at Ash's Suicune.

Her reaction was swift. She turned on the ball of her forepaw and pelted to one side, dodging the immediate threat, then strafed him with Bubblebeam – not that it did much damage.

In reply, Wes's Suicune fired forwards a pair of Air Slashes, and Ash's Suicune accelerated away from them – running a complete circuit of the arena in a breathtakingly short time, before coming back in from the other direction entirely and firing an Aura Sphere.

"_Interesting!"_ her opponent said, bursting the incoming Aura Sphere with a blast of Extrasensory – then blinking, as it went on to not affect her at all.

Before he could recover from his surprise, Ash's Suicune bowled him over and got in a quick Stomp before jumping free ahead of a Swift retaliation.

The sparling stars of the Swift attack followed her around the arena, chasing her and giving their master time to stand up, and as they finally arrived she launched out a huge spherical pulse of water to block them.

After that explosive ten-second exchange, the two Water-types went back to circling one another looking for an opening.

* * *

><p>"<em>Impressive,"<em> Molly's friend Raikou said, watching closely. _"They're clearly both very quick – and quick-thinking, to boot."_

He glanced aside at his fellow. _"What would you do differently?"_

"_Well, I'm not as good as these two,"_ the shiny Suicune said thoughtfully. _"I think I'd just rely on straight-line speed, and use my wind from a distance – but I'm not sure how that would go, with how many ranged attacks these two have-"_

The battle erupted into high gear again.

* * *

><p>Ash's Suicune darted in, firing another Aura Sphere, and this time her opponent blocked it with a Hydro Pump. She shot a blast of Ice Beam at the attack, realized that meant she was now about to be hit by a lump of ice, and jumped out of the way before volleying in two Air Cutters to keep her opponent occupied.<p>

He grinned, and batted them away with a Gust before retaliating with a Signal Beam. The burst of reddish, Bug-type energy played over her side for a moment, and then she released a big blast of water to diffract and dilute the energy of the attack.

Aside from making the ground more sodden, all this water wasn't filling the stadium like last time – though buried by earth, the cracks left by the Fissure remained, drawing away the water and avoiding flooding.

Which was nice.

Suicune's paws dug into the muddy ground, and she put on a burst of speed before shooting an Icy Wind at her opponent. He gave her a vaguely disappointed look and took the attack, not really bothering to dodge, and used the time to charge up something much more potent.

Ash's Suicune recognized the incoming Hyper Beam just in time.

She dropped the attack she was charging in favour of a massive, overloaded water-shield, then pivoted on one foot and ran for it – using the sudden cloud of steam as cover, so by the time the Hyper Beam burned through her watery defence she was somewhere else entirely.

"She's to your left!" she heard, over the roaring of the attack, and hissed – of course, Wes was helping his Pokémon.

As he should, of course... still, it gave her a problem, as her opponent promptly swung the Hyper Beam in her direction. She jumped over it, taking a nick to the ankle, and watched it finally fade out with some relief.

Then she tripped over.

"_Ow..."_ she muttered, then scrambled to her feet and got out of the way of an Air Cutter.

* * *

><p>"That wasn't very like Suicune..." Misty said, looking closer. "Wait-"<p>

"I saw it too," Brock interrupted.

* * *

><p>Ash cupped his hands around his mouth. "Suicune, look out! He's using Grass Knot!"<p>

"_That explains that!"_ Suicune said, noticing another one forming and jumping over it. _"Thanks!"_

* * *

><p>Another Extrasensory hit Suicune in the flank, and she ignored it completely – feeling very grateful indeed for the hat she'd borrowed. The next attack missed, and ironically did more damage – blowing a hole in the ground ahead of her and making her break stride to avoid the hole.<p>

She skidded around, shedding momentum as she did, and fired an Aura Sphere before breaking back into a blisteringly fast sprint.

Wes' Suicune dodged the Aura Sphere and broke into a run after her, and for several seconds the two of them jockeyed back and forth in a run so fast the wind snatched at the sleeves of people in the front rows.

Eventually, something gave. Ash's Suicune was forced a little too close to the retaining wall, scraped into it, and bounced off in a complicated skid which knocked her opponent over. Both came rolling back to their feet in an instant, mud streaking their pure white-blue coats, and Gusts exploded between them.

Ash's Suicune followed that up by charging up another white-frosted, icy attack, and her streamers whipped in a powerful wind. Her opponent, for his part, charged up a purplish Shadow Ball.

"_That's not going to-"_ he began, and then Suicune fired.

Much to his surprise, it turned out she'd used Freeze-Dry. The ball of cold exploded as it reached him, drawing out moisture from him and from the air, and he went skating backwards on an instantly-icy floor before regaining his footing.

The Shadow Ball whipped out in reply, and Suicune ran forwards – not avoiding it, but rather aiming directly for it.

"_Mirror Coat!"_ she announced, and her body briefly flashed silver – sending the Shadow Ball right back at Wes' Suicune.

That, finally, was too much.

* * *

><p>Misty glanced at her watch. "...that took a lot less time than it seemed to."<p>

"_We're kind of fast,"_ Molly's Entei said, shrugging his head. _"I suspect it would have taken longer in a more open space, though."_

"Good point."

* * *

><p>Eusine glanced over at Morty.<p>

Morty glanced back.

They both looked around at the various Pokémon also spectating from the Ecruteak Gym.

"...that was cool," Morty said after a moment.

"_Please_ tell me you recorded that," Eusine said suddenly. "That was one of the most amazing-"

"Suicune vs. Suicune, eh?" Morty chuckled. "Why Suicune especially?"

"...grace, I think," Eusine said, after a moment's thought. "Entei and Raikou are fast and sleek, but Suicune has an air of indefinable... precision. Purity."

He nodded at the screen, which showed Ash's Suicune walking back over to her trainer's box. "Look at her! She's been battling another of near-equal power to herself, and she looks gorgeous!"

"Okay." Morty raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, I get it..."

* * *

><p>Ash took his hat back. "Nice work, Suicune. We should probably have <em>you<em> work on Grass Knot, it's one of those useful moves."

"_Very true,"_ Suicune nodded. _"Who next?"_

Ash plucked the second Fast Ball from his belt. "Raikou," he said. "Wes and I worked it out."

"_Right."_ Suicune dipped a paw into his pouch for a moment, and withdrew a small flag. _"I think I'll go spectate from the box."_

With that, she darted back out onto the field, and loped quickly up the central rail of one of the flights of steps before leaping into the box.

Thus positioned, she began waving the small flag with Ash's name on it.

"Okay, here goes!" Ash said, then glanced over at the referee. "By the way, Mr. Referee? We worked this out first."

With that, he sent out Raikou. As did Wes.

* * *

><p>"<em>Here we go,"<em> Ash's Raikou said, rolling his neck around and adjusting his scarf. _"That's better – now, time for a right rollicking battle!"_

His counterpart blinked. _"...why do you have a bundle of signs across your back?"_

"_Why not?"_ the first Raikou asked. _"Anyway, let's get on with this!"_

He pawed the ground, then pounced forwards. _"Bulldoze!"_

The other Raikou's tail snapped across. _"Reflect."_

Raikou ran into a wall of force.

"_Ow!"_ he said, shaking his head. _"Right, take this!"_

Electricity snapped out, a great crackling blast of it which enveloped his opponent completely and turned the nearby grass brown and black from proximity.

"_...was that supposed to do anything?"_ Wes' Raikou asked, blinking.

"_...not really, no,"_ Raikou replied, shaking his head. _"Right!"_

He pounced forwards again, this time ready for the Reflect. Wes' Raikou jumped away as Ash's one broke through the wall of force, and the two darted back and forth for several seconds exchanging physical blows or the occasional ranged attack.

This time, it was Ash's Raikou who brought out something new. He skidded to a halt, paws slipping a little on the muddy ground, and – as Wes' Pokémon came in for an Extremespeed – swung his sign bundle off his back.

"_Wait, what the-"_

Wes' Raikou had just enough time to realize what was about to happen before it did.

"_Wood Hammer!"_ Raikou called, and smacked his opponent in the side with the signs.

* * *

><p>"...is that legal?" Lance asked, blinking.<p>

Bruno shrugged. "Gurdurr can use their, well, their girder. And Marowak can whack their enemies with their marrows."

"_It's certainly... inventive... of my brother."_ Suicune shrugged, twirling her little 'Ash' flag. _"It does give him options."_

"_I wouldn't want to be hit by it,"_ the shiny Entei said, to general agreement.

"Is it actually Grass-type?" Brock asked with a frown, and got shrugs.

* * *

><p>"<em>...what the heck was that for!?"<em> Wes' Raikou said, shaking his head and feeling his fangs. _"Phew, you didn't knock one of them out..."_

"_It's Wood Hammer, of course!"_ Ash's Raikou replied with a chuckle.

"_That makes very little sense."_ Sighing, Wes' Raikou formed Double Team images and charged forwards – making the images overlap and swap places with his real body to obscure his location.

Ash's one replied with a much simpler expedient. He dug a hole.

The doubles fizzled out, and Wes' Raikou looked annoyed. _"...oh, now that's not-"_

He jumped backwards, and fired a burst of Extrasensory which hit the ground just as Raikou burst out of it.

"_Whoops!"_ Ash's Raikou chuckled, not particularly bothered by the psychic attack due to the shielding effect of the ground. _"Right, take this!"_

He pounced forwards again with the Wood Hammer ready to go.

Unwilling to be hit by it, the other Raikou darted away and formed Double Team doubles again, using the confusion caused by them to refocus and pick a new attack method.

As the Wood Hammer smashed another illusion and went for him, he snapped out at it with a Crunch.

This may have been a mistake, as he got a mouthful of splinters. Then he was forced to let go as the indignant wielder snatched it back and slapped him in the muzzle with a Rock Smash.

* * *

><p>"This is <em>so<em> cool," a young trainer said, watching with amazement as the two Electrical beasts blazed back and forth across the battlefield. "Raikou are amazing!"

"Again with the Raikou," his friend chuckled, shaking her head and sharing a glance with Little Miss. "You weren't like this over the Suicune."

Jimmy shrugged. "Raikou are better."

* * *

><p>"<em>Okay, we're pretty evenly matched,"<em> Ash's Raikou said, some minutes of slogging, snarling battle later. _"I'll give you that! But! This is my newest move!"_

Electricity began to collect in front of his muzzle, and he focused half on it and half on his opponent – wary for a surprise attack from the other Electric-type.

Slowly, gradually, a ring of lightning formed. Then another.

* * *

><p>Misty blinked. "Wait, is that..."<p>

"_...oh, dear,"_ Suicune sighed. _"This could get loud."_

"_Is this that move he wanted to throw the fight just to learn?"_ the shiny Entei asked. _"I didn't know he'd learned it yet."_

"_Well, last I heard..."_

* * *

><p>Frowning, Raikou managed to complete the third ring. <em>"Aha!"<em> he said, and set them independently rotating around one another.

The magnetic field within began to twist up into a complex coil, holding more and more energy stored within.

"_What, exactly, _is_ that?"_ his opponent asked, looking a bit closer. _"There's a lot of power going into it..."_

"_Volt Crash,"_ Raikou said absently.

"_What?"_ Wes' Raikou replied, blinking. _"I've never heard of that before..."_

Ash's Pokémon didn't answer for a moment, as he twisted the fields tighter and tighter until they were wound up like a spring. _"Hold on, nearly got it..."_

Suddenly getting a sinking feeling, Wes' Raikou formed a Light Screen and crouched – ready to dive for cover from whatever this was.

* * *

><p>Pikachu blinked. <em>"Wait, that's not quite how it works. He's not doing the backstop step."<em>

Ash put his hands over his ears, and after a moment Pikachu followed suit.

* * *

><p>"<em>HA!"<em> Raikou grinned, deciding it was charged up enough. _"Volt Crash!"_

The rings locked together, allowing all the coiled potential to escape at once.

Unfortunately, in his eagerness, Raikou had forgotten one of the steps.

When Pikachu used it, he made sure that there was one path that was _much_ easier than the other one – usually by charging his own body up to the point that it repelled the charge and made the other route the easiest.

As Raikou had forgotten this, the Volt Crash fired in both directions at once. Both he and his opponent were hit by an earsplittingly loud horizontal lightning bolt, hurled against the wall of the stadium nearly at the top, and slid limply down opposite walls.

* * *

><p>"...ow," Wes said faintly, blinking away the flash blindness. "What just..."<p>

He squinted through the flash, and saw that both Raikou were unconscious.

"Huh," he said, shaking his head. "That's a new move on me."

* * *

><p>Ash recalled Raikou, and switched to the third and last Fast Ball.<p>

"Okay, we've probably got this," he said, remembering Suicune was still available. "But let's make it a good one."

With that, he sent out Entei.

* * *

><p>As Wes sent out his own Entei, the people in the stadium realized that – yes – they were watching a match that was one hundred percent Legendary Beast.<p>

There were some cheers, though not many – most were a bit stunned.

* * *

><p>Lance craned his neck. "I think Charles Goodshow is about to explode."<p>

"Well, I suppose this is certainly a spectacular match," Brock chuckled. "What do you guys think?"

"_It's been good so far – wait, what exactly is my double wearing!?"_ Molly's friend Entei said, staring down into the arena.

"I helped do them!" Molly announced proudly.

* * *

><p>Wes' Entei held a paw to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.<p>

"_Not. One. Word,"_ Ash's one growled, as the ribbons tied on his mane, spikes and tail fluttered in the wind.

"_I'm sorry, I just-"_ the female Entei began, then broke down in giggles.

"_You realize I'm the girl here, right?"_ she asked, between fits of sniggering.

"_It's a long story,"_ Ash's Entei muttered. _"Anyway."_

He took a deep breath, then pounced forwards – opening matters with a Stomp.

The female Entei replied by feinting left and jumping right, avoiding the paws aiming to hit her in the flank, and skidded around to swipe with her paws at him in turn.

She followed that up with an Incinerate attack, producing a plume of smoke and flame as it licked along his side – not doing anything in particular to him, though, being nowhere near hot enough to do serious damage.

"_Whoops!"_ she said, then avoided a sudden darting Rock Smash and gained some distance.

The male Entei grinned, charging an Aura Sphere, and fired it out as he ran after her.

As it spun after her, the female Entei reached the side of the arena. She jumped, using it as a springboard to pounce off in another direction entirely, and produced an almighty BOOM as she fired off an Eruption in the middle of the arena.

"_What was that in aid of?"_ Ash's Entei asked, suspiciously, as the cloud of smoke roiled skywards. _"That wasn't even trying to hit me..."_

"_You'll find out,"_ she twitted him, before jumping at him in a spark-strewing Flame Charge and snapping with Bite.

* * *

><p>Ash watched the pure-white smoke cloud rising into the air. "Hold on a moment... that looks familiar. Isn't that what the smoke-cloud looks like when Charizard uses the full version of Blast Burn?"<p>

"_It does,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"And I guess that means-"_

* * *

><p>Ash's Entei jumped back, firing a Lava Plume to cover his departure, and the Orrean one glanced skywards.<p>

"_Ah,"_ she said, satisfied. _"It's ready."_

"_What's that?"_ Ash's one asked. _"What's-"_

A water droplet landed on his nose.

"_No,"_ he said, with a sigh. _"You're kidding."_

"_What is the problem?"_ the female asked, cocking her head and shaking her fur out as the rain began to fall out of the _steam_ cloud. _"I happen to like how I look in the rain."_

"_I don't like you,"_ Entei informed her. _"Not one whit."_

"_That's okay, then,"_ she replied. _"It's a battle, after all."_

With that, she dug in her claws and darted forwards.

* * *

><p>"Silly Entei!" Molly said, shaking her head. "She summoned rain! Why would a Fire-type do that?"<p>

"_Well, her opponent's a Fire-type as well,"_ Suicune pointed out. _"So maybe she felt the disadvantage was even."_

"_I suppose that's possible,"_ her doppelganger mused. _"How did she do it, though?"_

"_I think it's hydrogen,"_ the shiny Raikou said.

They looked at him.

"_It's simple – hydrogen explodes, and it creates water vapour – which cools to form a raincloud,"_ he explained. _"She just did it that way. Interesting form of Rain Dance, if you ask me."_

"Yeah, that could be it," Brock agreed, listening in.

From the drumming rain that filled the stadium and nowhere else, flash-bangs of Fire attacks and the occasional sign of something else could be seen.

* * *

><p>"<em>Aura Sphere!"<em> Entei announced, firing it off into the rain. It curved, hitting his opponent as she dodged, and he followed up on that by pouncing in and hitting her with a Crunch.

One of his ribbons came off in tatters as she retaliated, her paws raking down his side, and he grunted before being blasted away by a Lava Plume.

Skidding to a stop, he took stock.

Fire moves were being weakened by the rain.

Aura moves still worked, but they didn't have much punch – and he needed to win this _fairly_ fast, she was more used to the rain than he was.

That left...

"_Right,"_ he said, shaking his fur out. _"Still not very good at this..."_

His opponent pounced forwards, and he went flat before rolling and kicking out as she went overhead. That staggered her slightly as she landed, buying him time.

The ribbon tied closest to his forehead pulsed slightly, and he launched a barrage of rocks at his opponent with a Stone Edge.

They hit Wes' Entei hard, and she skidded backwards on the slick earth.

"_I see this isn't working too well,"_ she said, then formed a Smokescreen before the second Stone Edge came crashing in. _"Right, let's change this up!"_

Another huge explosion covered the battlefield. This one blew the entire Rain Dance cloud away, and made everyone in their seats feel a bit overwarm.

"_What was that?"_ Ash's Entei asked, blinking in the sudden light, and frowned as the scorched grass disintegrated.

He looked up for a moment, and saw that there was a lot of ash and dust spiralling skywards as the heat drew it out of the stadium roof.

More air rushed in at ground level to replace it, and the quickly-drying earth of the stadium floor began to flake up.

* * *

><p>"I <em>love<em> this," Mr. Goodshow said, in tones of great joy.

* * *

><p>"<em>Did she just use <em>Sandstorm?_"_ the shiny Entei asked, blinking. _"That's new..."_

"I wonder why she did it," Misty frowned. "Maybe it's to hide in?"

* * *

><p>In a Pokémon centre a little north of New Bark, Nelson was glued to the television.<p>

"This is so cool!" he said, and his Croconaw chuckled.

_I guess at least he's seeing Entei on TV..._

* * *

><p>In the swirling, growing sandstorm, Entei emitted a subsonic growl.<p>

He'd hoped the Expert Belt-boosted Stone Edge would take the edge off her – no pun intended – and this sandstorm was quite unwelcome.

As he considered, she loomed up out of the dust in a shower of sparks. She pounced at his ruff, he retaliated with a quick, half-formed Aura Sphere, and they shared ten seconds or so of snarling combat before she bounded off back into the Sandstorm.

"_She'll be making it hail next..."_ Entei muttered, then frowned – struck by a thought.

This whole thing was one big cyclone – hot air fuelling a vortex.

But so was that move of Lucario's he liked to show off – the Dragon Uppercut or whatever it was.

So perhaps he could intensify it and hijack it.

Entei saw a shape prowling in the sand, and fired an Aura Sphere to keep her honest. It popped, revealing itself to be a Double Team, and he hissed.

Better make this quick.

Flame sparked around his paws and along his back as he charged up and inhaled. A heavy feeling developed in the air.

* * *

><p>Karen's Absol blinked, from where she and her team were watching the match on television half a mile away. <em>"I just got some very mixed messages,"<em> she muttered.

"_What's that?"_ her teammate asked with a caw.

"_It felt like there was about to be a very small volcanic eruption-"_

* * *

><p>Entei roared, using Eruption.<p>

The column of fire that normally distinguished the move, however, did not form. Because he had used Eruption _underground_.

The whole surface of the arena trembled, then burst upwards at the centre in a shower of pebble-sized lumps of hot rock. All that extra heat fed into the Sandstorm, hijacking it, and Ash's Entei directed the majority of the wind by heating it in specific places.

The practical upshot of which was that Wes' Entei was hurled into the air, pelted by lumps of rock, then crashed back to the ground as it rained rocks in all directions.

Ash's Entei did not escape unscathed, either. Two or three of the smaller ones hit him in the sides and back, then a particularly large piece of glowing stone bounced off his chest and made him cough, winded.

It seemed, though, as if that had been as much as his opponent could handle. Entei waited a moment longer, to give her the chance to stand again (and get his breath back) – then roared again, this time in triumph.

* * *

><p>"Well done, Entei!" Ash called. "That was pretty cool!"<p>

He looked at the smouldering crater, the piles of rocks, and the irritated Alakazam levitating the debris down to ground level. "I think you might have overdone it, though..."

The referee coughed in the smoke. "Uh... I guess... Ash Ketchum wins?" he said, questioningly. "Why were there so many Legendary Beasts?"

"Some of them are Orrean!" Wes shouted. "Long story!"

* * *

><p>"That was great fun!" Molly said with a smile. "Are you that powerful?"<p>

"_Not quite, Molly,"_ her friend Suicune told her. _"Not yet. We're working on it, though, when we get the time. A lot now, actually, since most Legendaries of Johto and Kanto are in the building."_

"_I do wonder who's taking over their duties, though..."_ the shiny Raikou mused. _"Lugia, especially."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh, not again..."<em> Lugia sighed. _"Silver?"_

"_Yes, momma?"_ Silver replied, looking up from playing a game of polo with Slowking.

"_Stay here for a bit, okay? Ask Slowking to call Melody over if you're bored. I've got to go and teach some naughty Birds a lesson."_

She spread her wings, and took off into the sky over Shamouti Sound.

"It's good of her to do this," Slowking said placidly.

"_I guess..."_ Silver nodded, and swung his neck. _"Hey, look, it went through the hoop that time!"_

"You've got good aim," Slowking smiled.

There was an explosion out over the sound.

"_Momma's powerful,"_ Silver said, glancing up at the very one-sided battle. _"Lots more since that time she got all scary."_

Overhead, another Shadow Blast cannoned out and smacked into the fleeing Moltres.

"_And stop setting fire to the other islands!"_ Lugia shouted after him as he dove for safety on Fire Island.

* * *

><p>Professor Oak sat back. "Well," he said, shaking his head. "That was impressive..."<p>

A roar sounded outside.

"Oh, what is it now..." he asked the air.

A Charizard, Damos replied promptly.

"Thanks," Oak nodded, and stood. "I wonder who that could be..."

He opened the door, and was confronted by the Charizard Damos had mentioned.

"Hello-" he began, then stopped. "...I know you, don't I?"

The Charizard nodded, looking a little shame-faced.

"Oh, dear me..." Oak said, shaking his head. "Don't be ashamed, Charizard! I knew you were going, and I gave my blessing. I'm glad you've come back at all – it means a lot to me."

He stepped back from the door. "Do come inside – I'll get some of that pocky you like."

Charizard perked up, and he growled a question.

I can translate for you, Damos volunteered. Free of charge.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

* * *

><p>And we start getting into the chapter-commanding battles. The remaining five are all six-a-side, so might take a while...<p>

Speaking of which, I've been asked several times in the last couple of days what my update schedule is. The answer is – as soon as the chapter's finished.

Every single day since last October, without fail, I've written 1000 words or more on this fanfic. And I've got a full time office job. I am getting the chapters to you as soon as I can be sure they're better than random smackings on the keyboard, and I don't really have a schedule per se beyond "write all the things!".

So... asking me what my schedule is makes me annoyed, please don't, be assured that if I know when I'm posting a chapter it's because it's about to be posted.

Anyway. The actual chapter.

Wes was a late entry, mainly made possible due to Celebi. Yes, that means there's two Ho-Oh in the region. Of his beasts, I had the Entei be the girl, because it amused me.

The Suicune battle was mainly about speed, the Raikou battle about trying not to be hit by a Ground-type attack, and the Entei one about weather and weather conditions and the occasional explosion.

Also – that is not how you Volt Crash.

As for the subsidiary stuff, Lugia's mate is taking over his job for a bit and has an unusual way of purging lingering corruption from her Shadow sojurn, while Houndoom is reconnecting with his family after a short hiatus and Professor Oak has an old friend visit.

And all three Beasts have their own fans.


End file.
